Italian Odyssey - 8.

Roma, where do we start!! We left Vernazza and with one train change were soon in Roma. The host at our apartment had offered the services of a driver to meet us at the station, which we accepted. We found our guy, with sign in hand, and he whisked us off to our apartment in Trastevere, a part of Rome across the Tiber River, and an area said to be mostly inhabited by local Romans. We would never have found the place on our own! Alleys everywhere! We stopped in a narrow street at a graffiti covered door, where we met our host's friend, who opened the door to reveal a steep stairway. Thank God it would be only once up, and once down! The apartment is lovely. Very modern & spacious. A far cry from Vernazza! With a late afternoon arrival, we headed down into the streets, alleys and many Piazzas that make up Trastevere. We needed a few supplies, and found our local supermarket. Prices were way cheaper than for similar items at home!  Having dropped off our supplies, we headed back to the streets. The place was bursting with noise & people. Buskers in the squares, musicians of all kinds playing, singing, blowing bubbles, painting, dancing, you name it they were there to see. We found a lovely little cafe, ordered a drink, some Pizza and Pasta, and settled in to eat watch & listen. That night, we were lulled to sleep by the sound of violins & accordions wafting up from the streets below. We were going to love Trastevere.

Next morning, we realised that our dream to live like locals would easily come true in Trastevere. We found the local market, full of the freshest fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese & everything else. The fruit, is so fresh & full of flavour. We have been living on fruit & yoghurt for breakfast. They have these little "flat" peaches, that are so sweet, and the melons are so full of flavour. The strawberries, well, there are not enough superlatives, and apricots are also amazingly flavourful. On our walk to the market, we came across a walking food tour, so tagged along, and when we heard the guide say "this shop has the best Porchetta in Rome, & it is fresh roasted every day," we just had to go in. There on the counter was this huge slab of rolled roasted pork! The shop was full of other deli items, so many varieties, and we could taste whatever we liked. We decided then & there that we would have at least one night in, with roasted Porchetta & fresh salads & bread. We did, & it was the moistest, most incredible roast pork we have ever eaten. Pomegranate is in season, so we added this to the salad, so sweet & full of flavour.

What initially impressed us about Rome was just how many old buildings there are, and how many ruins. There isn't a skyscraper in sight! That afternoon, we did our first tour. Now, I am not even going to try & give you a history lesson on Rome. That would take an eternity! Our first tour was a 4 hour walking tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St.Peters Basilica. Our guide, Francesca, was fantastic. She was so passionate, knowledgeable, and had a wicked sense of humour. Her description of the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel as "the red guys", was only surpassed by her description of the Pope's balcony at St.Peter's, where as she put it, "the Pope came to say some prayers, bless the people, drink some wine, have a smoke! You know, all those Popey things!" Her description of Rome as a giant lasagne, also took on more meaning the longer we were here. Buildings have been built over the top of other buildings, and some of the more recent excavating has revealed just how much was buried. Building the Metro, turned into an archeological dig! You just cannot be prepared for the sheer size & scope of the Vatican buildings, & the treasures they hold. All those years of reading & seeing photos are no substitute. Priceless treasures, incredible frescoes, paintings, sculptures are all there to marvel at. Standing in the Raphael rooms, gazing at his huge brilliant paintings, is a moment in time you will never forget, and then to stand in the silence of the Sistine Chapel and stare upwards at the ceilings painted by Michaelangelo, is just breathtaking. How lucky are we to see such treasures of the world. All this, followed by a walk through St.Peter's Basilica, the world's largest church, where on the floor, they almost arrogantly show lines where the other great churches of the world would end! Michaelangelo's Madonna with Child sculpture is another mind numbing sight, as is the sheer opulence of the entire interior. An incredible start to Rome. The street stalls outside in the square, bring you back to earth quickly. They sell every Papal accessory imaginable. I was disappointed that Carolyn wouldn't let me buy the nodding Pope doll for the dashboard of the Landcruiser! Had to settle for a shot glass. Now there's a religious relic!

After another fun night in the streets of Trastevere, this time at a lovely restaurant recommended by our host, called La Scala, where we dined on Ravioli with burnt butter & sage, to die for, followed by plates of grilled meats & chicken equally to die for, we were up early to meet our guide for our second tour, a walking tour of the Colosseum & Roman Forum. We met our same guide, Francesca, with much cheek kissing, & the same exuberance as friends who haven't seen each other for years. Such a lovely girl. As opulent as the Vatican tour had been, here we were on a blood & guts story about a place where incredible pain was inflicted over a very long time. But first the building, more than 2,000 years old! Think about that. Concrete, 2,000 years old & still standing. Someone tell Meriton about this! Old Harry could learn a thing or two over here! When you think about what was accomplished with the tools they had, it is almost beyond comprehension. Francesca told us some mind boggling stories, and put some incredible thoughts in our minds. Remember, this building was used for 500+ years to entertain the masses. Much of the entertainment was man versus man, but wild animals were used extensively. Think of the logistics then, of trapping & transporting to Rome, thousands of wild lions, tigers, elephants etc. it is estimated that species like lions, almost became extinct, & if the Roman Empire hadn't fallen, they probably would have! From the Colosseum we walked under the Arch of Constantine & then into the ruins of the Roman Forum. So much history, the seat of power in Rome. All those temples to the Gods. Simply amazing. We loved the whole tour.

The rest of our time in Rome, we simply walked & explored. We would start the day with a plan, take a wrong turn & find some other treasure, then get back on track and eventually fulfil our day's plan! Along the way we would find time for coffee & pastry, so many delicious options, and of course we would find a new Gelato stop. The flavours vary so much, and the flavours can be so intense! Carolyn, the non ice cream person, is converted! First anchovies & now ice cream! I even had her trying Sicilian olives!!! We visited the Spanish Steps, which were so crowded they resembled a grandstand! Here, we had a funny experience as we came out of a Gelato shop. A crowd of young women, all dressed in yellow & with flowers in their hair came right at us! I was having a '60's flashback, when one of the gorgeous girls says" scusie, may I have a picture with you. I am getting married & have a list of photos I must make", so I became number 4, "Man with accessories, eating Gelato!" When I told her I was from Australia, there was lots of shouting & shrieking from the group! From there we found the Trevi Fountain, shrouded in plastic & surrounded by scaffolding. What a disappointment. No coin tossing allowed! We also went into dozens of churches, basilicas & other places of worship. It is incredible what priceless treasures these places hold. In one such church, just off Piazza Navone, there were three Caravaggio paintings in one side chapel! This happens all over Rome. The size of some of the churches, and their ceilings all covered in gold & exquisite frescoes, have to be seen to be believed. You could spend months just visiting Rome's churches. 

We really enjoyed our time walking the parks on the hills of Rome. Our favourites were the Gianicolo, with its wonderful views out over Rome & The Vatican, and the incredible statues honouring the heroes of the Republic. There are hundreds of busts of famous men & women of the Revolution, who shared Garibaldi's vision, of an Italy free from Papal rule. The huge bronze statues of Giuseppe Garibaldi himself mounted on his horse, as well as his wife Anita, also mounted on a horse, with a pistol in one hand & a child in the other arm, are just magnificent. The views put a whole new perspective on Rome. Our other favourite was the Apennine Hill. Here we could gaze down on Rome from the other side, near Circus Maximus. There were some lovely churches, & an old monastery, where we queued with other inquisitive people, to peer through a keyhole in the massive wooden gate, where the view on the other side, was like looking down a tunnel, through an archway of trees, to the dome of St.Peter's Basilica on the other side of Rome! From here we walked to the Piazza Di San Giovanni in Laterano. This was the Papal seat of Rome before some pope decided to build the Vatican & St.Peter's Basilica. The Catholic Church sure has spent some money on themselves over the years! The buildings at Laterano are incredible, & the church which is dedicated to the twelve apostles, is huge & quite breathtaking. The marble sculptures of all the Apostles were huge. Along the way, we wandered into Rome's Rose Garden, which was in bloom and a delight.

By chance, we were in Rome on their national holiday to recognise independence, June 2nd. Nothing like a parade! We found a spot towards the end of the parade, and watched an endless array of armed services, police, Red Cross, & other groups, interspersed with lots of bands. Some of the costumes were very elaborate, and must have been so hot! We don't get to see Alpine Troops, all dressed in white and carrying skis & machine guns! Carolyn found the fanciest uniform & the biggest hat & got her photo! The whole thing was quite a spectacle. As fast as it all started, it was soon all over, and the participants were whisked away in a huge fleet of buses. 

We loved all of Rome's Piazza's, but one of our favourites were Campo de'Fiori, which was a moving feast of markets, street vendors & restaurants. It didn't matter what time of the day we came, something was happening. In fact, you could be mistaken for thinking you had come to a different Piazza altogether! Our other favourite, was our local Piazza St.Maria in Trastevere, probably because we got to know it so well! There was always so much going on. So many cafes, we could have dined at a different place every night for months! We avoided the few with plates of plastic pizza & pasta outside. Carolyn felt sorry for the poor little birdies breaking their beaks trying to get a free feed! I could go on for hours about the sights, but alas time won't allow me. A week in Rome sounded like so much time, but it went so quickly. We loved living with the locals and we loved their way of life. There is no doubt that Rome has cast its spell over us. We will have so many memories & stories to tell. From here, there are more Italian adventures to be had. We are off to Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast.