June 15, 2019
We arrived in Rome in the afternoon. It was a day before our tour started so we were on our own in a place where we didn't speak the language (Nancy tried to learn with Duolingo for almost a whole year before the trip but quickly found out that it was not all that successful!).
We had booked a wonderful place to stay through Airbnb in the heart of Rome. We were determined to get on the local time so despite being tired we headed to the Airbnb to shower. The walk from Termini train station proved to Mick that he was glad to have opted for a wearable pack rather than a roller!
While planning the trip we discovered that there was a BrewDog in Rome. Mick is quite the craft brew connoisseur and has enjoyed watching the boys from BrewDog on their show so we knew we had to check it out. Does seem a bit strange heading to a brewery first thing rather than trying some fabulous Italian wine but..that's how we roll!
We knew that the brewery was close to the Colosseum so after we had a pint we were itching to have a peek. We turned to the right as we walked out of the
brewery and walked a half a block and BOOM it was right there! We were
awestruck. The sun was starting to set and the lighting was perfect so Nancy had to get just one picture!
We had meticulously searched and picked out restaurants for many of our "on our own" meals but the as they say...the best laid plans! The restaurant we picked was absolutely packed so we meandered around Rome and happened upon a small place that could seat us right away. It was La Forchetta d’Oro (The Golden Fork...it HAD to be good!) . The food was fabulous of course. When Mick complemented the owner through Google Translate….he sent a giant piece of tiramisu and bottle of LIMONCELLO to our table. We knew then and there that Rome was the city for us!
June 16, 2020
We were up fairly early and off to find Hotel Aberdeen, where we would be staying
with the tour. Even though we arrived at 8:30 AM we were allowed to put our bags
in the room while we went out for the day which was so helpful. This was a quaint hotel in the heart of Rome. There were big windows that opened in. There was even a small niche at the window where Mick could meditate.
We were up fairly early and off to find Hotel Aberdeen, where we would be staying
with the tour. Even though we arrived at 8:30 AM we were allowed to put our bags
in the room while we went out for the day which was so helpful. This was a quaint hotel in the heart of Rome. There were big windows that opened in. There was even a small niche at the window where Mick could meditate.
Getting the Lay of the Land
Once we dropped our bags we headed out to walk around Rome. We knew we might see a few places that would be covered on the tour but we wanted to take as much in as we could. It was so amazing to turn a corner and have one amazing structure after another come seemingly out of nowhere.
Top left to right: Trevi fountain, the most amazing colorful entrance, the Pantheon
Bottom left to right: Theatre of Pompey, a quiet Roman street scene, just one of many amazing architectural examples (honestly it was just a quick picture as we walked by and never saw what this really was but probably a church)
Bottom left to right: Theatre of Pompey, a quiet Roman street scene, just one of many amazing architectural examples (honestly it was just a quick picture as we walked by and never saw what this really was but probably a church)
Well...this is odd!
While walking down a side street, we saw this confusing and somewhat frightening image on a random wall. This left us with so many questions. Why is Ronald MacDonald's hair so straight and short? Why does he kind of look like he is having a quick bite before he goes to commit some sort of crime? How does a cartoon character eat a seemingly real looking burger? And, why is this printed in English and Chinese in Rome?
This would prove to be just the first in a series of somewhat frightening or strange pictures taken on this trip...more to come!
This would prove to be just the first in a series of somewhat frightening or strange pictures taken on this trip...more to come!
Exhibit 2 of sights in Italy that might create a nightmare. I am not sure if this statue of a lady lost her original head or if that is actually her ghoulish head she is holding!
On our walk around Rome we happened upon
this café and it definitely reminded us of home
and our son Cameron!
Let's Get This Tour Started!
We headed back to the hotel for a 3:00 pm meet and greet with our tour guide extraordinaire, Patricia and all of our fellow tour
mates. We each had to pick a "tour buddy", someone that we didn't travel to Italy with, who we would use to make sure everyone
was present before moving on. Our group was flush with Jeffs, Johns and other miscellaneous "J" names which kept everyone on
their toes. My tour buddy was Jeff but there were two other Jeffs as well. Chances were if I called for Jeff, someone would respond!
We all headed out on a "dolce vita" trek through Rome stopping and seeing sites on the way to the restaurant where we would have our first Italian feast. We learned that pickpockets in Rome are NO JOKE! Patricia warned us all to be very mindful of our belongings as we boarded busses but one of our own had their phone taken right out of the pocket of their shorts on a bus that was packed with people. Listen to your guides folks...they know what they are talking about!
mates. We each had to pick a "tour buddy", someone that we didn't travel to Italy with, who we would use to make sure everyone
was present before moving on. Our group was flush with Jeffs, Johns and other miscellaneous "J" names which kept everyone on
their toes. My tour buddy was Jeff but there were two other Jeffs as well. Chances were if I called for Jeff, someone would respond!
We all headed out on a "dolce vita" trek through Rome stopping and seeing sites on the way to the restaurant where we would have our first Italian feast. We learned that pickpockets in Rome are NO JOKE! Patricia warned us all to be very mindful of our belongings as we boarded busses but one of our own had their phone taken right out of the pocket of their shorts on a bus that was packed with people. Listen to your guides folks...they know what they are talking about!
Mangiamo!
Our first group dinner was at Ristorante Da Pancrazio which is built over the ruins of the Theatre of Pompey where Julius Caesar met his untimely demise. We had a fabulous meal from start to finish and we were even seranaded while we ate. I have to say the most interesting food was the fried artichoke!
We dined on the ground level but got to take a peek below where you could see some of the ruins of the theatre as well as a replica of how it appeared in ancient Rome.
Part of our group of great new friends.
Before the trip,There were definitely
hesitations about traveling around Italy
with a group of strangers but after this
evening all of those doubts melted away.
We were definitely glad we had picked this tour!
Tour Day 2
June 17, 2019
It was a fairly early start to the day and we found this itinerary posted in the lobby of the hotel. It was nice to have everything planned out so we could just absorb all of the sights and sounds around us. We met up with the local guide, Francesca, who told us all about the Quirinale, Trevi Fountain, The Panthenon and the Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola. Then we hopped in some big black SUVs and were driven over near Vatican City where we ate lunch on our own and met back up to enter the Vatican Museum, St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. What a busy but awe inspiring day!
Quirinal Palace
First stop was the Quirinal Palace which is the White House of Italy and is one of the residences of the Italian President
An early peek at our final destination on this tour day, St Peter's Basilica in all it's glory. We had NO idea how many stairs we would be climbing later that day!
Trevi Fountain
We walked on to Trevi Fountain (again but you can't see Trevi too many times!) This time the water was turned off and workers were busy cleaning it out
The first church on our trip. At this part of the trip it was the most elaborate church imaginable...well it was for that hour anyhow. It had amazing fresco ceilings and a faux dome proving that you can't believe everything even if you see it with your own eyes!
Look at that dome! That wasn't visible on the outside of the building...… WHAT??!? It's all an illusion!
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is relatively simplistic in appearance but it is a massive architectural feat. So much stone and a enormous HOLE in the ceiling which, by the way, is real and is open to the elements. Francesca said people flock to the Pantheon on the rare occasion when it snows just to watch the snowflakes fall gently into the structure.
The Vatican Museum
We had a scheduled group entry time but still that line to get into the museum was long...and HOT!
After a long wait in the hot sun, we were finally IN! We had to capture this moment with St. Peter's in the background. Mick is modeling the fashionable green ear pieces provided for us for the radios that HAVE To be used here, Nancy's sound only worked in one ear so she used her earbuds. We were on our own at the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel but we had no doubt we would have the best leading us through each room and telling us all about the art we would see because we were using the Rick Steve's app. The best part was being able to stop and start the narration and even listen to it in double time or "Mickey Mouse" style. |
Left- Tapestry lined hallways with intricately painted ceilings. On one of these tapestries, the eyes of Jesus appear to follow you as you walk past.
Above- The hall of maps with portraits of explorers painted on the ceiling. We even found some spots we would be visiting later in our independent travels; Spello and Lago Di Perugia (now known as Lake Trasimeno) |
Some of the art from the Raphael rooms.
They say the eyes are the window of the soul...
The Sistine Chapel
If you ever go to Rome, the Sistine Chapel is a MUST. It is quite an experience just going in, shuffling your way to the center, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world and looking up at some of the most awe inspiring art work ever created. We listened intently to the whole Sistine Chapel presentation on Rick's app despite the neck pain and being shushed fairly loudly by the guards several times in several languages. Here is our favorite picture we took at the Sistine Chapel....
Come on...We didn't take a picture. That would have been against the rules and we don't break rules! So if you haven't seen the Sistine Chapel before here is this link to see some pictures that we didn't take! There is even a 360 degree tour!
St. Peter's Basilica
The Basilica was next on the list. So remember the Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola and how elaborate it was? Well, It has NOTHING on St. Peter's ! It is hard to even describe and pictures do not do it justice. The size is something you really can only appreciate by standing in it. There are actually markings on the floor that designate the sizes of other churches that can fit INSIDE of St. Peter's. See below for some other interesting things that could fit inside (I don't know about all at the same time!) |
After leaving the Vatican we made a stop at a local eatery to have dinner and we tried our first Aperol Spritz. For me it looks tastier and sweeter than it is. After eating we tried our best to make it back to the hotel by bus. We had quite a few struggles with locating the correct bus which greatly delayed our travels back to the area of the hotel. Because of this we really needed some gelato so we found a place not too far from the hotel that had crepes with gelato and covered in Grand Marnier. It was DELICIOUS! We definitely slept well that night!
Tour Day 3- A few more stops in Rome!
June 18, 2020 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!
It was another early start to the day and a busy last morning in Rome. We were heading to the Colosseum and the Forum with our local guide Francesca. Our guides scored big time with tickets on the floor level of the colosseum which we hear are quite difficult to get and require late night log ins as soon as the tickets are made available. We were so grateful because what we saw was simply amazing! Francesca is a fabulous guide. Her ability to connect the visual and emotional experience was stellar. She was always looking out for the best interests of the group and found shaded areas to stop to provide us a story or two,
The Colosseum
Rome will exist as long as the colosseum does; when the colosseum falls, so will Rome. When Rome Falls so will the world"
- Venerable Bede
The Roman Forum
We walked from the Colosseum to the Roman Forum. On the way we passed the very impressive Arches of Constantine and Titus.
The Forum in Ancient Rome was the center of basically everything.
It was the place to meet and be seen. History is in layers here. Medieval Rome sits on Ancient Rome and it is a spectacular site.
It was the place to meet and be seen. History is in layers here. Medieval Rome sits on Ancient Rome and it is a spectacular site.
Our local guide Francesca was so fabulous. She kept us engaged, provided details that
connected us to everything we saw. She clearly found her calling when she chose to be a guide.
connected us to everything we saw. She clearly found her calling when she chose to be a guide.
Our trip to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum meant the end to our time in Rome. Now it was time to say...