And you definitely need more than a day to see Rome, luckily we had booked in for just under a week so we got to see a lot. We arrived late at night from Naples but we didn't get that same seedy vibe around the train station like in Naples. It was quite vibrant and there were lots of places to eat. A good thing too as when we arrived at our hostel/apartment no one answered the door. After asking the nearby hotels where our hostel was, as there were no signs on the building, we knocked on the door and stuck around for a bit before deciding to wait it out at a pizza shop. We were earlier then I had said we would arrive after all and we were starving after the long train ride. Unfortunately it was not our best pizza and we were soon banging on the door again. It was all a bit strange really. No signs whereas all the other hotels in the building had signs outside, in the lobby and entrance to their hotel whilst the instructions to our hostel had said just come to that building. Finally an older lady arrived opening the door to what I assume was her house and started speaking rapidly in Italian. Using hand signals and broken Italian and English we eventually figured out we had to follow her to another building. It was only around the corner which was convenient as the lady forgot the keys. Standing around waiting for her we wondered if this was all legit but we had read really good things about this place in its reviews and in the end although it took most of our evening we were glad to finally be in a nice spacious apartment which is shared with other travellers. A huge bed, kitchen and good Wi-Fi was just what we needed. We had only booked here for one night moving on to a cheaper campground for the rest of the week but it would have made a good alternative to stay at in Rome.
The plan was to get up early to celebrate Jakes 26th birthday visiting the colosseum but after sleeping on an air mattress for the past few nights we were both enjoying having a massive bed to rest on that we woke up too late. Although our apartment was central to the train station and pretty close to the colosseum by the time we were up and had enjoyed the most amazing complimentary coffee and pastry from the cafe on the corner opposite us it was pretty late. It was only 10am but the line to get inside was huge and there were already hundreds of people inside. We wandered around the outside and if you are a budget traveller then it's worth just going here just to do this. In fact there are a lot of cheap or free alternative sites to check out in Rome for those on a super tight budget.
Jake was super excited to see the colosseum and we got plenty of photos before I dragged him off to line up in the much shorter cue for the Palantine Hill right next to it. The ticket for this actually gets you in here, the colosseum and the roman forum and lasts for two days so we could come back the next morning, bright and early to visit the colosseum.
Starting off at the Palatine Hill entrance we learned that this was where Rome was created. Legend has it that this hill is also the location of the story from where Rome derives its name. Romulus and Remus were twins found in a cave on the Palatine Hill after their parents had abandoned them and sent them down the Tiber River in a basket. They were raised by a she-wolf for a short time before being found by a shepherd and his wife. According to the Roman myth the boys had an argument over where they should found the city of Rome. The story has a violent ending with Romulus killing Remus and leaving Romulus to choose the location to build the city.
Starting off at the Palatine Hill entrance we learned that this was where Rome was created. Legend has it that this hill is also the location of the story from where Rome derives its name. Romulus and Remus were twins found in a cave on the Palatine Hill after their parents had abandoned them and sent them down the Tiber River in a basket. They were raised by a she-wolf for a short time before being found by a shepherd and his wife. According to the Roman myth the boys had an argument over where they should found the city of Rome. The story has a violent ending with Romulus killing Remus and leaving Romulus to choose the location to build the city.
From Palatine hill you walk through some lovely gardens, a stadio (stadium), and Augustus’s private residence. You can also visit ruins of huts where Remus and Romulus were supposed to have lived. Walking down from Palatine Hill you enter the remains of the Roman Forum. It was pretty impressive seeing the well preserved ruins which used to house several of the major political buildings. Before this it was supposedly a swampy marshland which was eventually drained to form the commercial and political, ancient centre of Rome. We walked around for a couple of hours enjoying the feeling of strolling around through another era with Jake pointing out all the spots he had ‘been to before’. Now we have never been to Rome before but one of the video games called Assassins Creed that Jake used to play is based in Ancient Italy. Apparently he had jumped from certain rooftops and completed missions in several of the buildings and ruins we wandered around. With the summer sun beating down on us we were both very glad for the fresh cool water pumps around the grounds.
After a lovely morning we headed back to the apartment to make use of the kitchen and had a beautiful fresh chicken salad and ice cream to celebrate jakes aging process. A short metro ride and another bus later we arrived into Camp fabulous just in the suburbs of Rome where we would be spending the next few days. Although camping it was pretty luxurious grounds and our tent was a large pre erected canvas yet big enough to fit bunks and another spare bed. Definitely a step up from our other camping experience in Italy. After checking into our campground we finished the evening celebrating jakes birthday with a few bottles of wine and a lovey dinner at the onsite restaurant.
Eagerly waiting Waking up early after several bottles of wine the night before was a bit of a struggle but we were determined to get to the colosseum early. The hard morning paid off. By the time we got into Rome it was 8.30am and there was only a short line in front of us. Jake was acting like a little kid in a candy store he was so pumped to get inside. Shortly after we arrived the line behind us seem to grow exponentially. The minutes ticked down till 9am and Jake could barely contain his excitement. Again this stem slightly from his loved video game. Opening time and we were some of the first inside. Deciding to bypass the line for the audio guides and come back for one meant we were actually the first people up top looking down into the arena for the day. Jake sprinted so fast up the stairs and if you have ever been to the colosseum you will know that they are pretty damn steep! It was a great late birthday activity for him and made for some perfect photos shoots with nobody else in our photos. The arena filled up pretty quickly and we ducked inside to escape the heat and read through the museum set up in the concourse around the colosseum.
After a great couple of hours learning all about the colosseum, the gladiators and of course the spectators who used to come (even back then they were scribbling graffiti on the walls names of their favourite players etc.) we had one last look and headed out into modern day Rome. For the past few months we haven’t managed to catch any All Blacks games. By chance we happened to walk past an Irish pub open in the morning and showing the game. A bit early for a beer so we settled for coffee and watched the last half of New Zealand kicking some Australian butt.
The rest of our day we spend walking around visiting all the touristy sites including the Trevi (tivoli) Fountain, Piazza Navona with all of its fountains and street artwork, the Spanish steps and of course the Pantheon. This incredible feat of architectural engineering is very busy, as most sites in Rome are, but it is a must see. Outside huge marble columns holds up a triangular shaped roof over a large porch entrance. When I say huge I mean massive pillars and to think this was done in an age when building was down by animal and human strength it is astounding. The entrance lead to a large rotunda which is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. Some 40 meters high at its highest point, the middle of the Pantheon lets in natural light through its oculus. This is one of the many buildings in Italy where you gaze your sight above and are walking around blind bumping into people as everyone is staring in awe at the dome shaped roof and the perfect circle opening in the roof. It is still a church today but is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Rome. Translating, Pantheon means divine everything as it was built for the gods and it is very heavenly.
Back at our campground hanging out poolside we planned our attack for the rest of the week over our familiar picnic dinner of cheese, crackers, olives and wine. Our next day trip to Rome was to include visiting more divine and godly places in even more crowded lines at the free Sunday visit to the Vatican museums.
Next stop: A visit to the Pope in Vatican City