Our Family Blog: The Grand Tour (Day 16): Rome

It was a sad day to leave Florence. But after a rooftop terrace breakfast again, we picked up our bags from our room, checked out, and crossed over to the train station (this time using the underground tunnel to the shopping level of the train station).

Waiting for our platform call. Once they post your train, you only have a few minutes to get to your platform and walk the long way to the end of the platform (where our train car inevitably ended up every time).

Along the way, there some beautiful views as we crossed the hills and valleys of Tuscany. Some towns were set up on some mountain cliffs or just a hilltop. There were fields of yellow sunflowers for the production of sunflower seed oil. Just some beautiful sights!

When we arrived at Termini Station in Rome, we arrived at the same time that a morning shuttle from the airport arrived, so there was a HUGE influx of people. And that was on top of the already crazy environment of Termini. We walked to the end of the platform dragging our luggage and I told Becky to wait there with our luggage while I went to the Tourist Info counter, where we needed to purchase our Roma Cards (Museum passes). As I left Becky standing in the middle of the concourse with our luggage, she said the thought crossed her mind, "I'm standing alone in a train station in Italy, with no money, no passport and no idea where our hotel is located. I sure hope he comes back!"

She did have reason to doubt....because I had to wander around a bit looking for the tourist info counter (Italy does not believe in directional signs, or any kind of helpful signage)! When I finally found it, there was a bit of a line up of dumb (mostly American) tourists who still did not know what to go do or see. Who flies all the way to Italy without doing some easily available research ahead of time?!? Then I stood and listened while the agents tried to explain what the Roma Pass was, and where they could use it.....over and over again. It was infuriating. Then, the boyfriend of one of the agents came in and they had their encounter as if they hadn't seen each other for a year, then the other agent came over to talk, and they stood there just shooting the breeze while there was a lineup of about 20 people. There was absolutely no rush to help anyone and certainly no obligation to see that it was done in a timely way! Fortunately, there was one agent who kept working and I made my way to the front, got the museum passes, and hurried back to the concourse where I found a worried-looking Becky.

Termini Station in Rome. Craziest and most chaotic place I have every been. (Also, one of the ugliest buildings in Italy!)

In front of the station, there was a long line to get a taxi. Once you made your way through the line and arrived at the front of the line, you took whichever taxi pulled up next. It moved fairly quickly, but was a long line and still took us about 20 min to get in a taxi to go to our hotel. About 4 weeks before we left, I changed hotels because of some online reviews I had read, and I inadvertently gave our taxi driver the address of the former hotel. Fortunately, it was just around the corner from the new one. I think we were taken for a bit of a ride in the taxi, and I was a bit flustered when I realized we had gone to the wrong hotel, so I handed a $20Euro bill to the driver for the $8Euro fare, and handed me back a $5E. Had I been a little sharper, I would have argued with him more and demanded some of his $7Euro tip back, but it was just easier to let it go, even though I felt kind of stupid. (I was fairly intimidated by the language barrier in France and Italy. It came more naturally for Becky, but every time I opened my mouth, Portuguese came out. I think they should have been able to understand me fine, but it was obvious they didn't.)

When we were in Venice, I received an email from our Rome hotel telling us that the room we booked (with its own private terrazza overlooking the Trevi Fountain) had flooded and they had to redo all of the plumbing and electrical lines and the room would not be available. They gave us $100Euro off of our room and said that they were upgrading us to a superior room with a partial view of the Trevi Fountain. It sounded like a good deal....upgraded room and $100Euro off our stay!

After walking around the corner to the correct hotel, we had a bit of a challenge finding the hotel entrance (again, signs are at a premium in Italy!) They were also doing some remodeling of the entrance, so the temporary entrance was down a door or two. The room wasn't ready, so they kept our luggage for us, and we left to go start exploring. Our hotel was right outside the Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain, built in the 1700s to celebrate a new aqueduct bringing fresh water into the City.

Becky in front of the fountain

Legend has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, it means you will come back to Rome some day. It worked for Becky.

Throwing my coin (but I would be fine not going back to Rome)

Our Roma Passes included public transportation on the metro, trams or buses throughout Rome, so we walked a couple of blocks to the stop.

Looking up the street from the bus stop

When the bus came, it was a small electric bus, and could probably fit 10-12 people comfortably. When the bus pulled up and opened its doors, there were probably 20-30 people on the bus. We squeezed our way in (which literally meant pushing and being crammed up against hot bodies). It was an extremely uncomfortable situation and was so awkward, we just got off at the next stop and walked the rest of the way (even though walking meant walking in the hot sun!) All of the buses and metro trains we rode in Italy had a small ventilation window at the top, but it didn't really pull in enough air to do much, and the cars were always extremely stuffy, hot and sweaty.

After getting off the crowded bus, we were in front of the Victor Emmanuel Monument (first president of a unified Italy)

We walked around the Victor Emmanuel Monument and walked past Roman ruins of the Trajan's Marketplace.

Trajan's Column--celebrating Ceasar Trajan's victories

Trajan's Market ruins

About 1/4 mile further, we came to the Roman Forum. We were pretty hot by this time (and maybe a little ornery--at least me), so when the street performers dressed up as statues tried to reach out and grab me, I wasn't amused.

Roman Forum

Roman Forum (below) with Palatine Hill (in the background)

We made our way to the entrance to the Forum and with no signs telling us where to go with our Roma Passes, we asked a lady, who motioned for us to come into her line. When she realized we had museum passes, she made us go into another line....just as a large cruise ship tour arrived. Feeling a bit ornery, I wasn't about to wait for several hundred people to file in while I waited, so I exercised some assertiveness and entered the line. The attendance then made us wait anyway because the cruise ship tourists were on a single ticket and they couldn't process ours until they had made their way through.

Once inside, we pulled out my phone and played an audio podcast tour by Rick Steves. It came with a map that told you where to walk within the forum, then you listen to his description. His podcast tours are a bit corny, but it was still informative to understand more about the place. It was really too hot to linger for very long as there was very little shade.

I couldn't tell you what all of these things were, but we did see the memorial to Julius Caesar (maybe the spot where he was killed, although some believe it was elsewhere in Rome?), the temple of the Vestal Virgins, Arch of Constantine, etc.

Arch details the conquest of the Jews and shows the Roman soldiers bringing back their spoils (candelabras)

Basilica....the arches are the side chapels. The Nave would have been over the top of where we were standing.

Palatine Hill. It looked a lot cooler and shadier than the Forum below!

Looking back toward Rome from Palatine Hill with the Vatican in the distance

After resting for a bit in the shade on Palatine Hill, we walked down the hill to the Colosseum.

We found a vendor selling cold drinks and paid nearly $5Euro for a bottle of orange soda. We were so hot, that just holding the bottle was a relief. Maybe it was because we were so hot, but it was the best tasting soda I have had in a LONG time! It was partially frozen and was more slush than liquid. Awesome!

Becky enjoying the coolness of a Fanta soda

We had tickets to the Colosseum for mid-afternoon, so we just sat in the shade for a little while. Wherever we were in Italy, we saw similar vendors selling the same trinkets, and we presumed that they were working for a larger company who brings in foreigners to sell for them. These vendors were not legal vendors, so they would set out large blankets with purses, sunglasses, hats, jewelry, etc. If the police came by, they would quickly fold up the blanket like a bandanna and walk away, only to return and set out their blankets as the police walked through. One vendor was especially funny, because he actually had a policeman who, by the looks of him, enjoyed his pasta, chasing after him. The policeman couldn't keep up, so the vendor would actually taunt him and then run away. Lesson for the Italians: if you are going to do a sweep of the illegal vendors, team up with each other, and do a real sweep. This casual walking through the area with most of your team off to the side chatting with each other, doesn't really work too well.)

Again, with no signs at the Colosseum, we made our way to the area to pick up our tickets to the Colosseum Underground Tour and sat under the Colosseum arches waiting for our tour to begin.

It was actually very cool under the arches. There was a slight breeze and the stone of the Colosseum absorbed most of the heat.

I had read online about the Underground Tour of the Colosseum and really wanted to try it. Its not available except online, and you have to order (and pay for) your tickets several months in advance. I called Italy one morning and tried speaking with the agent (with some difficulty). Eventually, she got the info from my credit card, but I never received the receipt via email. I had to call back a week or two later, and give them the confirmation number and then was able to get the receipt to take with me to the Colosseum.

The Underground Tour takes you three places that the regular entrance does not: The reconstructed stage level (to simulate what the original Colosseum floor would have looked like), the Hypogeum (the underground rooms and vaults), and the top tier of the Colosseum looking down. General entrance allows you to walk around the ground floor and the second floor, but none of those other places. I felt very privileged to have everyone in the general public trying to figure out how we were going to the places we were. :)

Our tour guide was Italian and while she spoke English, it wasn't too good. She spoke into a microphone and we all wore headsets that would broadcast her speaking, but it was hard to understand her at times. It was mostly just fun to experience the arena.

Standing on the arena "floor"

Tunnels, vaults and pens where they stored props, animals, and where the gladiators would enter and exit up through the doors in the floor

Just left of the arch, a reconstructed section of seating with marble blocks

Standing on the arena floor

Becky with our guide

The gladiator is on the right

Tunnel down into the Hypogeum

Vaults and tunnels from the underground level

See all those crowded people above wondering how to get where we are?

The reconstructed "floor" from below

Tunnel where the gladiators would enter and exit the Colosseum

From the third level looking down

Looking back toward the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

A sign on the underside of the Colosseum. Apparently, English speakers have a big problem with this.

Becky is the turquoise colored shirt on the far side of the grassy area

Trajan's column. There are carvings that wind up the column and tell the story of Trajan's victories

Looking back toward the Colosseum.

We finally found a bus stop, but the bus that would take us back to our hotel was actually going in the opposite direction from our hotel. We had to ride the bus on the long loop, change buses at the end of the line, and get back on another to go back.

We arrived back at our hotel about 4 or 5 pm and found the Trevi Fountain mobbed with people! We checked into our hotel room and I was disappointed that a partial view of the fountain means a partial view of the corner of the fountain pool. Not exactly what I was hoping our upgraded room would have been. But it did have a comfortable bed and good air conditioning and we took a well-deserved late afternoon nap and went back out again after it got cooler in the evening.

When we went out again at dusk, the piazzas were still filled with people. Most people take the afternoon off and spend a lot of time in the evening out in the streets and on the piazza. The Trevi Fountain, especially, was beautiful at night.

We started making our way toward Piazza Navona and passed the Roman Pantheon on our way. It was closed for the evening so we couldn't go inside.

Roman Pantheon

Piazza Navona is a former circus (Roman race track) that was converted to a piazza. It was filled with people on the sidewalk cafes and surround each of the 4 fountains. The same vendors were selling the same trinkets we saw everywhere in Venice, Florence and Rome.

We eventually made our way down one of the side streets and Becky picked us a good Trattoria Pizzeria. We both had some pasta....carbonari for me and some kind of tomato pasta for Becky.