We arrived at Termini station in Rome in the afternoon. It was a sunny, glorious day. We were able to take a taxi from the station to the Prassede Palace Hotel even though it was not very long walk. I didn't want to drag the bags even for a few blocks. 

We were tired!  Here we were in Rome, the last stop in our journey to Europe. We had walked many miles in Vienna and Florence, and so Rome was our last stop on our self guided tour.  Yet, after getting settled at the hotel, we had a renewed burst of energy, and decided to walk to the Colosseum.

Day 1

It was a Sunday, and to our surprise, many roads around the Colosseum were closed off for a bicycle race. The Giro d'Italia, which apparently is the second largest annual race after the Tour de France, was in its last day in Rome.  Bad timing for us, not being bike race fans!

Fortunately, we were able to make our way to the Colosseum and take some pictures. There were so many people!  Some were there for the race I suspect, but I think the majority were just tourists from all over the world that were caught by surprise just like we were.  I reckon that this is just another example of the pent up demand for travel that was unleashed after COVID waned. Oh well, it is what it is, as they say.

That evening back at the hotel we took a walk around the neighborhood. Right down the street is the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore. In front of the church they were conducting services of some kind that were unfamiliar to me even though I was raised a Catholic.  In the darkness and subdued lighting it was a rather beautiful setting. In hindsight, after looking at pictures of the inside of this church, I have no idea why we didn't explore it ourselves.  I guess it was simply not on the must see list.

Day 2

The next day we took a long walk over to the Piazza di Spagna, or Spanish Steps.  The Fontana delia Barcaccia, a cute little fountain, is at the base of the steps.  It was not too crowded when we arrived, fortunately.  We milled around and took some pictures, and walked to the top of the steps.

There we found a great view of the city, and a church at the top of the steps - Trinita dei Monti.  It was getting a bit warm so we decided to go into the church to cool off.  Seems like that idea was popular as there were quite a few people inside, and there were some empty pews so we could all sit for awhile.  

After our little break, we walked over to the Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi if you prefer.  By then the crowds were in full force. Getting near the fountain was a chore, but we managed to get some decent pictures. It is said that the initial version of this fountain was built in 19 BC at the top of an aqueduct.  Over the years it was formed into a proper fountain, with its final incarnation finished in 1792.  The palace that forms the backdrop to the fountain is the Palazzo Poli. In 1732 the fountain was built on the rear facade of Palazzo Poli by Nicola Salvi. Frankly, without the Palazzo Poli, Trevi Fountain would not be as famous as it is today. It adds so much to the fountain that without it, well, it would not be nearly as spectacular.

Ok, we moved on next to the Pantheon. Wow, this building really looks old, ancient in fact.  And it is!  The Pantheon was originally an ancient Roman temple that was reconstructed in the year 126 AD or thereabouts.  Quite a few famous people were buried in the Pantheon, including Raphael, King Vittorio Emanuele II, and Guglielmo Marconi.  Today it is a Catholic church.  Again, there were large crowds, so we decided not to go inside. 

 

The Monument to Victor Emmanuel II to me is the most beautiful structure in Rome, even more so than the Vatican.  The monument was constructed in honor of Italy's first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, and is often referred to as the Altare della Patria, or Altar of the Fatherland.  Be prepared to climb some steps to reach the first level. From there you get a panoramic view of the city. The statue of the King on horseback is grand, and the two statues of goddess Victoria on both the left and the right side of the back wall provide balance. The Museo del Risorgimento entrance is at this level, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is under the statue of the goddess Roma. 

 

It was getting close to dinnertime so we went back to the hotel to freshen up, and then started to walk around our neighborhood, known as Castro Pretorio. We found a place in one of the backstreets that we thought we'd give a try called Amedeo.  Well, it turned out more than just fine. We were seated inside. It was not crowded at this time because it was still a bit early for dinner.  The food and service were top rate, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. So much so that we returned a few nights later, but frankly it wasn't as good the second time. We were seated outside, and the excellent service and ambience were missing. So if you go here, insist on inside seating.

Day 3

Today we decided to start with something completely different. The Roseto comunale is a rose garden situated near Circo Massimo. We took the subway from Vittorio Emanuele station to Circo Massimo station. Note that the subway system here is confusing, with ticket machines that are not tourist friendly. But if we could do it you can too!  Anyway, the rose garden was a pleasant surprise. Lots of rose bushes in full bloom in late May, so it was very nice place to take pictures.

We next walked across the street to Circo Massimo, which is really just a large field now. We proceeded to walk towards the Roman Forum, which was the primary goal for today.  It's a bit of a walk from the rose garden, but not too bad.  We followed Via Monte Tarpeo up the incline adjacent to the Forum, and from there was treated to a great view of these ancient Roman ruins.  Quite stunning to see these ancient columns and foundations that predate Christianity.  Note that to enter the Forum grounds you need to buy a ticket. Often these tickets are bundled with entrance to the Colosseum.

 

After a pizza lunch at a restaurant we found along the route, we moved on to our next stop. Located in the Jewish Ghetto, the Porticus of Octavia is an enclosure that housed two temples which were dedicated to Juno Regina and Jupiter Stator. Originally built by Quintus Caecilius Metellus in the second century BC, it was rebuilt by the emperor Augustus in about 25 BC and dedicated to his sister Octavia.

What stands today in one of the entrances and an archway. The Porticus is situated next the Tempio di Bellona and Tempio di Apollo, and across the way is Teatro di Marcello, a Roman theater.  We walked at the ground level through the ruins of both these temples on our left, and the theater on our right. This place is a hidden gem with very few tourists compared to the well known sights in Rome.

 

We were near the Tiber River so we decided to go see the Ponte Fabricio, which is the oldest bridge in Rome dating back to 62 BC. On Tiber Island we visited Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola, a church built in the 10th century. Mass is still held every Sunday.

 

By some stroke of luck we were able to grab a taxi, and so we headed up river to see the castle.  We were let off at Piazza di Ponte Sant'Angelo. A short walk across the bridge and we were in front of Castel Sant'Angelo. The castle did not start as one. Originally, it was the site of Emperor Hadrian's Mausoleum. It was built upon and converted to a military fortress in and around 400 AD.  Popes looked to it as a place of refuge, and had the building modified and added to over the years 1000-1600. In 1901 it was formally converted into a museum, as it is today.  It is indeed an interesting place to visit, with a lot of Roman history within.  

 

Day 4

It was time for something different again. This time, we chose the Gardens of the Villa Borghese.  We took a taxi from the hotel to the entrance to the park, and after some walking around, jumped on a little tour bus.  Good move as we were getting tired from all the sightseeing we had done in the weeks prior. The ride was nice, and we were able to take some nice pictures of the surrounding city below. 

 

Otherwise we took it easy this day, anticipating our Vatican visit tomorrow.  It was also a gloomy day, with passing showers.  A perfect day to rest up.

Day 5

We had our normal breakfast at the hotel, and as we were sitting there, we noticed that we were running late. I had arranged a tour with Viator months in advance. They nearly pulled the rug out from us by contacting me while we were in Florence, saying that our tour had been canceled!  That was a shocker, so I got on their app and found basically the same tour, and signed us up.  Paid in full.

So, as we were rushing to grab a taxi, I was fretting that maybe we are not meant to visit the Vatican. So, unlucky us, we got the slowest taxi driver in Rome. We had to get to the agreed upon meeting spot at 10AM, and we were late. When we got there, we could not find our tour group, so we had to assume that we missed it.

We were all deflated, and then, out of nowhere, a guy comes up to us in a nice suit jacket and tie, and an identification badge signifying he was with some tourist bureau. He looked legit, and so we listened as he told us he can get us in on another Vatican tour very quickly. We had nothing to lose at this point, so we let him lead the way to an office a couple of blocks away. He quickly inquired, and was told that they were all sold out.  No worries, he had another ticket office to try. He lead us down the block and into another building, which was packed with people looking for tickets. Our guy, with me at his side, pushed our way to the front of the throng, and he went to work getting us 4 tickets. The catch was that it was going to be a bit expensive, and we had to pay in cash.  We did not have enough Euros to pay so I used my stash of US dollars to pay the difference, which he accepted. 

He then gave us some colored stickers and pseudo-tickets, and led us to the place where he would hand us off to the tour coordinator. We waited there with about 15 other people with the same color sticker for about ten minutes, and then the coordinator took us to the final handoff - the tour leader.  He was waiting at the entrance to the Vatican complex. Wow, it was actually going to happen. We were going on the tour after all!  Well, the lesson here is don't be late!  You would not want to go through the hair raising experience we went through, and pay twice for the same tour.

So what exactly is the Vatican tour? Well, what was included for our ticket price was a tour of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. St. Peter's Basilica is free to enter, and was not part of the tour. Our tour guide was an elderly gentleman with a cane, so he walked slowly throughout the tour. We first were given a headset that allowed us to hear what our guide was saying without being close to him. Then, he lead us through the museum, floor by floor, and pointed out interesting things along the way. He was quite a character, with horrendous stories about other tour guides and tourists that made them look pretty bad.

The museum is indeed awesome, with hallways and rooms filled with ancient paintings, murals, and sculptures. Some of the ceilings were adorned with some of the most beautiful murals you will see anywhere in the world.  

The Sistine Chapel was last on the tour. As you probably know, the ceiling work by Michelangelo Buonarroti is the focal point, painted during the period 1508-1512.  The chapel itself was built in 1479 under the direction of Pope Sixtus IV (hence the name), and located very close to St. Peter’s Basilica.  One of its functions was to serve as the place for cardinals of the Catholic Church to meet, discuss, and ultimately elect a new pope. 

Finally, we entered St. Peter's Basilica. It was almost anti-climactic considering what had just seen. But no, it had its own grandeur, its own elegance, that I for one was very happy to end our trip on such a high note.  

That was not the end of our journey. We still had to make our way back to Florence by train, and then fly back to Vienna.  And then, after a evening to rest at an airport hotel, we flew back to Tokyo. What a trip! I needed a week to just relax and recover. But then we started talking about the next one. Spain? Switzerland?  Stay tuned!