When In Rome...

I suppose that I've sufficiently succeeded in being completely cheesy and unoriginal, using the two most obvious cliche's to name my two posts about Rome (first post).  Oh well, this is what you can expect from me when I'm faced with the monumental task of bringing you up to speed on our many recent adventures.  So, let's begin!

When I last left you, we had seen the Pope's home (Vatican City), a bunch of steps (Spanish Steps) and a some running water (Trevi Fountain).  The next day, we wanted to see a pile of stones (Colosseum) and a big dome (Pantheon).  And if anyone ever describes some of the world's most precious treasures like that again, smack them!

On our second day in Rome, we set out early to reach the Colosseum, the world's largest ancient amphitheater and one of the most spectacular examples of Roman engineering and design. It is estimated that the colosseum could hold as many as 80,000 spectators.  If you put that into perspective, that's as big as most NFL football stadiums - only it was built almost 2000 years ago! I'm no historian, but I don't think they had reinforced steel, engineering software and cement-mixing trucks back then.  It's no wonder that the Amphitheatrum Flavium (it's Latin name) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of seven wonders of the world [source].

Amphitheatrum Flavium (Colosseum) 

Julia found some horses that she wanted to ride

I hold Julia outside the massive stadium 

Posing with Dad

Now momma gets a photo with Julia

"Cheese!"

We didn't get to spend too much time at the Colosseum because we had something even more important to do as we approached mid-day.  I know, you're thinking... "Greg, I've been reading this blog long enough to know that your very important thing is just lunch".  On any other day, you would be correct.  But on this particular day... lunch would have to wait.  We had a meeting with someone you may have heard of.  Oh you know... Pope Francis.

Papa Francesco greets us from a window in the Papal Residence

Now, when I say "meeting with the Pope" - I mean, a meeting of sorts.  A meeting that I generously shared with about 5,000 other people.  Every Sunday at noon, the Pope addresses the masses from the Papal Residence and delivers a short address to the crowd, followed by a blessing.  It was quite a tremendous thing indeed to be blessed by the Pope!

Large crowds await the Pope's appearance 

We take a picture amongst the crowd

A somewhat grumpy Julia rises above the crowd to take a picture with the Papal Residence in the background

The crowd roared with jubilation when Pope Francis appeared

Jen and Julia listened intently during his address 

A view of Saint Peter's Basilica with the crowd

We left the Vatican feeling great and enthralled by the beautiful weather.  We decided to continue our tour of Rome with wide detours, adding time and additional sights to our pedestrian footpath. We departed from the Vatican and walked past the Castel Sant'Angelo before crossing over the famous Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge.  We strolled along the Fiume Tevere (Tiber River), Italy's third longest river that courses directly through the city of Rome.

We were lost among a sea of people departing Vatican City along Via Della Conciliazione  

We have our photo taken with Vatican City in the background

A direct shot of Saint Peter's Basilica and the Obelisk that sits in front

Castel Sant'Angelo

The Italian flag waves proudly atop the castle

Angels fly overtop the Ponte Sant'Angelo 

Crossing the Ponte Sant'Angelo I turned for a view of the castle 

View along the Fiume Tevere (Tiber River)

Although, this was my favorite view along the river

Our destination was the chic neighborhood of Trastevere.  Trastevere is to Rome as the West Village is to New York, but with fewer hipsters and MacBooks.  Small streets are lined with great shops, cafes and restaurants.  People spend time outside and congregate with neighbors.  The short time we spent there was long enough to fantasize about owning a pied-à-terre in this particular part of Rome.  We ate a fabulous lunch at a local place and continued on by foot.

A small ristorante in Trastevere 

Even the Vespa's look hipper 

People gather at a cafe

The narrow streets don't offer a lot of room for the public transportation

We wrapped around to the southwest portion of the city to see the Fonte Acqua Paola - a site that is seldom talked about, but worth a visit.  A panoramic view of the city opens before you eyes from the elevated vantage point.  The styling of the fountain is nearly as impressive as the Trevi Fountain, but without the crowds.

Julia leads the way up to the fountain 

A beautiful panoramic view of Rome opens from this high vantage point

Fonte Acqua Paola -  built in 1610 to mark the end of the Acqua Paola acqueduct

Julia is thrilled to have discovered another fountain 

She allows me to take a picture with her

We next made our way to the east banks of the Tiber river and visited Campo dè Fiori, an outdoor marketplace.  We followed a short arc back toward the Pantheon.  Along the way, we saw the Area Sacra, one of Rome's most significant archeological finds.  Four temples dating as far back as the fourth century BC were discovered quite by accident in 1926.  We planned to eat dinner in one of the restaurants in Piazza Navona, Rome's largest piazza built on grounds of the ancient Stadio di Domiziano.  After taking in the beauty of the piazza, we spent all of three minutes evaluating and then quickly dismissing the restaurant options.  The places were obvious tourist traps, many of them boasting pictures of their food (which is always our first sign it's time to scram).  Instead we tucked into a little trattoria on a nearly unnoticed street and settled in for a couple nice glasses of wine.

Area Sacra a significant find in the middle of the modern city

The Pantheon was built in 126 AD

The Pantheon's coffered dome was poured in concrete moulds- the oculus is the main source of natural light

Fontana del Pantheon across from Pantheon in Piazza della Rotonda

We stopped for some wine in a nearby piazza while Julia had dinner

The Pantheon and Piazza Rotunda at night 

The fountain in front of the Pantheon

Altare della Patria (Alter of the Fatherland) also known as Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II

We had two big days in a magical city, but so much more still ahead of us.  We were departing on our cruise the next day; eager to embark on another adventure on the sea.

All Roads Lead To Rome

If all roads lead to Rome, nowadays you could also say that all European cruises start from Rome. Well, maybe not all - but a good many of the cruise ships use this port of call as a starting point for their Mediterranean voyages.  At least, this was the case on our cruise aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines ship, Silhouette.  The Silhouette is one of five ships in their newest Solstice Class - a group of sleek, modern ships with a heavy emphasis on style and dining.  The ship and the cruise did not disappoint.  We had many ports of call and a lot of wonderful activities that I'd like to write about, so let's start at the beginning...

A wonderful statue stands outside the port of our ship

We arrived in Rome two days ahead of our ship's departure to explore the city's history, experience the cuisine and absorb the magic of a place you absolutely must see in your lifetime.  Two days is barely enough time to scratch the surface, but we did our best to fit in as much as possible.  On this blog, I'll often write about a city's history before detailing our adventures.  The history of Rome is so storied and captivating, that a single paragraph couldn't possibly do it justice.  Instead, I invite you to click on this link to read about Rome and this link to read about Ancient Rome.  Or get off the internet and pick up a book (but not until you finish reading my blog post)!

A view of Rome - Altare della Patria stands prominently above the rest of the city

After living in Italy for nearly a year, we are still learning travel tips on a constant basis.  A new lesson you may be surprised to learn (and one that could possibly be applied to real life) - procrastination doesn't pay.  Even though I knew our travel dates, I waited months to reserve our train tickets.  I paid roughly €80 for two tickets from Milano to Roma on the express train (a great price), but more than triple that amount on the way back - they only had first class seats available. Suggestion - if you know your dates, book early!  Better suggestion - if you have flexibility in your dates, book your train first and then schedule everything around it (for example, I could have stayed an extra night in Rome for the difference in train fare).  Additionally, go talk to someone at the ticket counter (most of them speak English).  They often have access to fares that are different (and better) than the kiosks.  If you travel from Milano to Roma, book aboard the velocità alta (high speed train), which whisks you across the country at a remarkable 300km per hour, delivering you in just over three hours.  

We arrived in Rome just after lunch and went immediately from our hotel to Città del Vaticano (Vatican City), thereby entering a country not apart of Italy.  The city-state is sovereign territory of roughly 110 acres entirely enclosed behind large ancient walls.  The city boasts a population of around 840 people, making it the world's smallest internationally recognized independent nation in terms of both size and population.  As they say, good things come in small packages.  We opted to join a tour group, since there is so much to see and do inside the city walls.  The tour included the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica - the three main attractions in the city.  

Saint Peter's Square at night - shown here are the Basilica and the obelisk

We started in the Vatican Museums, a collection of buildings that hold some of the world's most priceless and inspiring works of art.  My camera was smoking from staying on overdrive.  In 2011 over five million people visited the museums founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century [source].  Our tour included passage through the Borgias' house; family of the controversial Pope Callixtus III, popularized by the hit Showtime series, The Borgias.

Just hanging out with my pal, Augustus  - "hmm, I like his hair... but he needs a beard"

Amazing works of art carved from marble greet us in the entryway

Laocoön and His Sons excavated in Rome in 1506
The piece is dated between 200 BC and 70 AD

An example of the French painting style, trompe-l'œi (deceive the eye) - the image appears three-dimensional 

Central portion of the tapestry, The Resurrection of Jesus 

Eye-popping ceiling in the impressive Galleria delle Carte Geografiche (Gallery of Maps)

Jen stops for a photo

Next, we walked into the adjoining Sistine Chapel.  On the tour, we learned that the Sistine Chapel is the largest chapel in the world.  A chapel, practically by definition is a small place of worship (either freestanding or attached to a larger church).  This is significant because the papal conclave (the sequestering of cardinals when electing a new Pope) is held in the Sistine Chapel (as opposed to the more spacious Basilica, next door).  Inside the basilica, Michelangelo's Last Judgement monopolizes the back wall, while the even more famous Creation of Adam rests prominently in the center of the ceiling.  Words cannot describe the feeling that washes over you as you sit in such a historically significant place.  The amazing frescoes inspire images of Michelangelo, resting on his back atop scaffolding and slowly painting each section, a brush in one hand and a candle in the other.

The most iconic portion of Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, The Creation of Adam

As the sun set on our tour, we visited Saint Peter's Basilica, one of the largest churches in the world. The church sits in the center of St. Peter's Square, which is flanked by large rounded colonnades - intentionally reaching out like long arms embracing visitors.  From an aerial perspective, you'll see that the church itself is designed in the shape of the cross, while the entire square resembles a keyhole (echoing Saint Peter's role as holder of keys to heaven).

A beautiful blue night's sky had settled over St. Peter's Basilica 

Pietà, also by Michelangelo

While our appetites for spiritual enlightenment had been quenched, our appetite for food was ravishing.  We found a wonderful place, Gusto Forno and went in for dinner.  What we found was even better - a happy hour with a buffet included in the price of your drink.  And the drinks were magical!  The bar-genius, Nina had created a cocktail inspired by a margherita pizza.  Sounds weird, but the result was nothing short of fabulous.  If you're in Rome, stop by and see her.

I take a picture with our wonderful waitress and the fabulous bartender, Nina

Nina's creation - the Pizza Margherita cocktail

Some of the buffet that was included with the order of a cocktail

Before the night was over, we stopped by Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps).  Of course, no visit to Rome would be complete without throwing a coin over your shoulder (guaranteeing your return to the city) in the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain).

Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps)

Julia on the Spanish Steps

Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) at night

This magnificent fountain stands 86 ft. high 

Julia gives her momma a hug

Jen and Julia in front of the Trevi Fountain 

Family photo

Julia wanted to go for a swim

Julia gets ready to toss her coin and ensure her return to Rome 

Italian architect Nicola Salvi lost the original contest to design the fountain, but was awarded the commission anyway due to public outcry in Rome that a Florentine (Alessandro Galilei) had won - a fortunate turn of events

As it turns out, two days in Rome is too action packed to fit into one post - so I'll continue in a subsequent posting.  Ciao for now!