Almost getting conned.
As we stepped through
the sliding doors from baggage claim at the Fuimicino
Airport, it was a bit like stepping into an Italian scene from the
beginning of “Love Actually”. There were people everywhere; some looking
attentively for the ones they were expecting; others embracing their loved
ones. And of course, there is no reason to delay hugs, even if it does mean
it’s a tad more tricky for other passengers to find a suitable route to walk
around them and their luggage.
After a non-eventful
train ride, which included having our tickets stamped (read: have a small
circular indentation made on them) before boarding the train in a little
machine, we arrived at the Termini
station. Some friendly men (I thought) “kindly” ushered us to the exit, and
as we stepped off the platform one of them approached us and asked where we
were headed. Thinking “that’s nice of him” we confirmed that we were indeed off
to a hotel, adding that “no, we didn’t need a taxi as we were going to get the
Metro”. “Oh, but the Metro stopped running at 9 pm”, he informed us
dramatically. Stood there in this quiet and deserted part of the station I
realized my carefully planned route to our hotel was now not going to work (we
later found out the Metro does in fact run till 11:30pm). I asked about busses
to which he responded rather patronizingly that “of course” there were no
busses as most of Rome is cobblestones and narrow roads. We showed him where we
were going on a well-used map, to which he “kindly” said he could take us in
his taxi for €30. I told him that was way too expensive, to which he “kindly”
said he’d do it for €25. At this point the whole situation felt very dodgy; his
insistence paired with a distinct alcohol smell on his breath had us politely
make our leave and head out the front door of the station. Outside it was
already dark and people were getting ready for the night in makeshift beds
along the station. Walking with purpose (not knowing quite where we were
headed) we approached a man with a taxi (that actually had an official sign on
it) and he pointed us to the taxi line. After a little while waiting we got a
taxi that drove us efficiently to our destination for a mere €13. It was good
to arrive, yet a bit disconcerting to realize how vulnerable one becomes when
in a strange city.
In a very modest brick
building on a cobblestoned narrow street was the Inn Spagna. We pushed through the doors and found ourselves at the
reception which was nothing more than a little desk at the bottom of a long
marble staircase. The receptionist was very friendly and took our luggage up to
the 4th floor while we ventured out for a snack before inspecting
our room. With a four storey climb up narrow stair there was lots of reason to
enjoy the sweet delights of the city.
The cobblestoned city.
After a good night’s
sleep we ventured out into the city. It was stunning to see it for the first
time in daylight. Cobblestoned (yes, many cobblestones cover the streets of
this city), beautiful brick buildings built towering high, I imagine due to
many people and not a lot of space, and sunshine. We strolled along our street
and after a few minutes reached Piazza di
Spagna which consists of a beautiful fountain Fontana della Barcaccia and the Spanish steps leading up to a
church. It was so beautiful and we had breakfast just opposite it.
Then we went in search
of the tourist office close to the Piazza
Barberini . We walked for ages, enjoying the city and people and getting a
feel of the atmosphere. The tourist office was hidden in a small street and was
very not helpful. But at least we’d gotten a walk through a part of the city we
might not have chosen to visit had we not had the goal of finding some more
tourist information.
“Rome is like lasagne”.
From there we walked
down to the Colosseum. It was amazing
to encounter one spectacular building after the other, and wondering what they
all were (later on reading the guidebooks we did find out what a few of them
were). It was quite interesting to be in that area of the city as it was almost
like someone had a box of toys which were all kinds of ancient and less ancient
buildings and just dumped them and then organised them around each other. On
one side there might be an archaeological digging site, and right next to it a
beautiful basilica and then a modern building. Quite intriguing really.
We got approached by a
tour-recruiter (but she seemed nice) and signed up for a guided tour of the Colosseum and Forum Romanum. Then we went for lunch, and no, we didn’t have
lasagne, but I did enjoy a very delicious Spaghetti
Bolognese and below average tiramisu.
Our guided tour was
just that, a guided tour. Maria very expertly guided us through the sights,
explaining that “Rome is like lasagne, it is built in many layers.” It was very
interesting, packed with so many facts I can’t remember most of them. But it
did inspire me to maybe look into the history of Rome a bit more. A few fun
facts I did pick up and want to keep in mind was that on the stone walls when
there were square indentations, it was for scaffolding so they could build
higher (I’d figured maybe they were little shelves or something, although to be
honest it wasn’t something I had pondered a lot). Also the Colosseum was used to subdue the people and keep them from creating
uproars and rebellions. The emperor would organise gladiator games for a set
amount of days and then the people could come for free and get free food and
that would distract them. They could also fill the 70 000 seat stadium in 15
minutes. It was spectacular.
Another interesting
thing was that the Colosseum and Forum Romanum are in parts because the
materials used to build them were taken and used in newer buildings in the
city. Basically it seemed the deal was that if you wanted to build something
new you could just take materials from older buildings. Unless.... they were
deemed sacred spaces which happened by the Catholic church putting a cross in
it. So even if the Colosseum is a
huge ruin in one sense, there probably would be even less remaining hadn’t the
Catholic church put a cross down in it.
Rome certainly wasn’t
built in a day, and they only have three Metro lines because every time they
start digging they find more buried treasures.
After Colosseum we got a tour of the Forum Romanum which is a site of many
old temples and buildings, now ruins, but which give a picture of how old Rome
was. It was so good to have a guide or I wouldn’t have known what I was looking
at. She also had a great book with these plastic pages that showed what it had
looked like. Amazing buildings towering high, making me wonder how on earth
they managed to build without our modern machinery. The fact that stood out
there was about the “whisper” who would follow the Emperor around on his tours,
but I’ve written another blog entry about the role of the “whisper”.
My mind was full as we
finished our tour and it was quite refreshing to see some beautiful poppy
flowers growing alongside some of the ancient ruins, reminding me of life now,
and new life amidst all that has gone. New life growing in soil on top of so
many centuries of history and life lived.
Before we headed back
to our hotel we popped up to the Basilica
San Pietro in Vincoli, the church of St. Peter in chains. It was at the top
of some stairs going through a tunnel and we saw the chains that held Peter
from the Bible when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. It is also where Michelangelo’s famous Moses statue is. A
good ending to a day of culture and history.
A little bit of contemporary amidst the
history.
Dinner was had in a
very modern restaurant (although it did have a stone arch in it) and then we
went and watched Foxcatcher in the
only cinema in Rome that shows original language film. It was quite an
experience. Very old and had two screens, literally. Toilets were just off the
theatre, so you found your seat and then off to the left was an old curtain
thing through which you could find a small hallway with the toilets. It was old
and fun and the film was impactful (if quite dark, mood wise).
Unfortunately I didn’t meet the Pope.
Saturday was Vatican day. After a little snack we
headed out and walked to the Vatican. Our path there was full of more beautiful
sights. We passed the Fontana di Trevi,
the famous fountain from the movie La
Dolce Vita, unfortunately it’s being renovated so no water and covered in
scaffolding. We had a cappuccino at the famous Piazza Navona, which is stunning and beautiful sunshine made it
even more beautiful. Then we walked to the Vatican.
We already had our
tour booked, and found the phrase “we already have tickets” to be a good
deterrent to the hundreds of eager people trying to sell our tours and tickets
to “avoid the queues”. We found our tour place, had a gelato as we waited and then scuffled along with 50 others to the
entrance with our tour guide. It felt like a tourist machine (which it is), and
having so many people in the group (we had been envisioned a group of 20 when we
booked the tour, but we were well over 50) and then the customary headphone and
little radio thing to hear the guide made for a contrast to the day before when
our group was 10 and the guide was more personable. However, coming in I
realized this was the only possible way as there were so many people.
We were guided around
the Vaticano- so much to see. They
had these amazing woven maps that had 98% accuracy from a time when aerial
photos and googlemaps didn’t exist, and tiny mosaic flooring and so many other
treasures. We spent 10 minutes in the Capella
Sistina where the ceiling is painted by Michelangelo, which is absolutely
stunning. But this also was crowded with constant “hushes” from guards as it’s
supposed to be a “quiet” place.
Our tour ended with
the Basilica di San Pietro, the
largest one in the world and no other cathedrals can be larger than this one. It
was very impactful as well... most places in Rome are. It’s just one
overwhelming piece of architecture after the other. There is a statue called Pieta which is famous but it was closed
off (for some reason). I managed to sneak a peak at it through closed curtains
(the men guarding it were not very friendly when I asked if I could get a
better look- they were probably quite tired of nosy tourists).
As we came out from
our tour onto the St. Peter’s square
they were in full preparation for Easter and the open day at the Vactican the
following day (which according to our guide meant that it would be free for
everyone and packed with nuns). Walking away we passed the long long queue to
get in and were thankful we’d chosen the guided tour (both for time reasons but
also because we wouldn’t have known what we were seeing walking around).
And no, I didn’t see
the Pope in person- the “closest” look was a video in the ticket area of the
Vatican. Oh well, maybe next time....
Stumbling onto the Pantheon.
Walking back we
decided to go by the Pantheon the
best preserved antique temple. We were headed in that direction but it felt
like we just stumbled upon it as it was suddenly there, amidst the cobblestoned
streets with the brick buildings. It was so huge, and I was thankful that our
guide in the Colosseum had explained
that to build the domes so high they actually use a lighter stone type at the
top or the structure would fall.
Italian cheese.
In the evening we
participated in Italian cheese. First we ate a lovely meal of cheese and meats
and wine at Le Lanterne, a very nice
little restaurant at the side of an alley-like road, and then we went to a
concert in a church with “the best of Italy”- which was a couple of hours of
all the most famous opera songs accompanied by some ballet. It was definitely
designed for tourists and felt quite cheesy, but then I do like cheese. It was
a feel good experience and the only “sadness” was feeling for the soloists who
probably would rather be singing the lead role in a “proper” opera then doing
this show.
Surviving the market.
Sunday we realised we’d
done the two main things and so decided to walk down to a famous, many kilometre
long market in Transtevere. Again we
decided walking was better than figuring out public transportation, especially
as walking allows you to see so much more then travelling on a Metro
underground.
It took a bit of map
reading and figuring out the way before we managed to find Porta Puense where the market started. We entered the market and
just walked. It was full of clothes and shoes and bags, but so much stuff and
so many people we just kept walking. It wasn’t a touristy market but seemed
like the place where the locals come on a Sunday to buy cheap things. It was
very similar to the Albert Cuypt market
in Amsterdam, without the food.
After a while of
walking we decided to cut into a different part (more flea market or “antiques”
part of it) and eventually found a little cafe where we had cappuccinos and
snacks and realised that the tourist hub really does have higher prices (here
the cappuccino cost 1.10€ as opposed to 5€ in the tourist areas). We enjoyed
our little “pit stop” and then decided we were satisfied and headed back to the
centre of the city. Walking along we saw many Italians carrying olive branches,
probably the Italian equivalent of palm branches since it was Palm Sunday.
We walked along the
river to Castel Sant’ Angelo, built by
Emperor Hadrian and close to the Vatican. It was really small yet big and we
walked around it and saw beautiful views of Rome. Parts of it used to be the
Pope’s residence which was so surreal as the nicely decorated rooms didn’t
really fit with the brick of the castle. There is even and underground tunnel
to the Vatican should the Pope have to flee (not sure it that is still in
operation or if it was something historic- the facts get muddled at times as
there are so many of them).
Walking back to our
hotel we stopped at a rustic and cute cafe where we had a very late lunch. It
was situated in some small streets which is basically what a lot of Rome
consists of.
St.John Passion
In the evening we took
a very long route to the Church of Paul
behind walls and heard a beautiful performance of Bach’s St. John Passion. It was lovely to
reflect on the story of Easter in a beautiful church in Rome.
Walking back (the not
so long route) there were different impressions- a man lying next to his dog
sleeping... keeping warm and yet not having a home. A tourist took a photo of
it which made me feel uncomfortable, as it felt like this stranger was invading
the life of a man whom he knows nothing of. And yet that is reality, most
people around us we know nothing about and yet we make up opinions about them.
We also came across a
square with four fountains beautifully lit up. A little gem in the middle of a
cross roads. And after a nice very Italian dinner (bruschetta and seafood spaghetti)
I had a gelato on the way back to our
hotel.
Maybe we’ll see it in a film sometime soon.
Our final day in Rome
we strolled up to Piazza del Popolo
and had a final overpriced (or maybe rightly priced) cappuchino and cornetto (also known as croissant). The
square was large and felt less touristy.
Afterwards we strolled
around the park of Villa Borghese for
a while. Enjoying the space and less people, reflecting on how much our days in
Rome had contained. It truly felt like a “full” weekend in a good way. As we
were walking some Americans were busy commenting on how to change the
appearance of one of the snack-selling vans in the park. I thought it a little
strange, until I saw them again with a group talking about how to set things up
and it was evident they were planning for the filming of a film. I candidly
photographed the group, thinking maybe they’re famous and I’ll see the very
film they’ve been planning in the cinema one day.
Like herring in a barrel (som sild i tønne).
After a quick lunch
and final pasta purchase we headed to the Metro, deciding that this was the
best option to get to the train station. If only we’d known.
Walking down to the
platform it was clear this was a well used mode of transportation and waiting
at the platform I did think there were quite a few people beyond ourselves
having chosen to travel by Metro that afternoon. However, when the Metro
arrived I thought “the Metro is packed, this must be a popular place for people
to come to”... but hardly anyone got off and we literally pushed ourselves into
the carriage and stood, as we say in Norway, “like herring packed into a barrel”.
The positive of being so packed together is that you don’t need to worry about
falling as there is no way you could do such a thing. We were three stops from
the station and every stop someone new got on (and few people got off). Needless
to say it was a “breath of fresh air” when we finally reached the Termini station. After following quite
confusing signs we managed to get our train tickets and find our train (you’d
think it would be very straight forward but it wasn’t).
Happy to get home at last.
Our adventures didn’t
end at the airport. As we went to check in we were informed that our flight was
delayed due to strong winds in central Europe. So we ended up having to get
rebooked from KLM to Lufthansa and were thankful that they have an agreement to
help each other out in situations like these (I thought it was quite nice of
them to do this seeing as they aren’t partners normally). We now had quite a
few hours to kill and wondered around the shops and had a sandwich and cappuccino
at a cafe (where the tables were for table service only so the poor waiter had
to keep sending people away who had sat there without plans to order something
through him- a confusing and not very well functioning system). Our flight kept
getting delayed and so our 2 hour layover in Frankfurt ended up being about 30
minutes which was fine.
However, once we’d
boarded our final flight we still had to wait a bit as they had to change a
tire and do the paperwork before we could leave. As the person informing us
(could have been flight attendant or captain) said “a job isn’t done before the
paper work is done”. It made me smile.
And so, a few hours
later and many days of information and impressions fuller, we arrived home
safely from a warm spring in Rome to a cold and windy Norway. I look forward to
Summer. And there ends the long and detailed (and yet, not including every
detail) account of a long weekend in Rome with my mum. Definitely a city worth
visiting (again).