Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Italian Trip Report / Part Uno

OK, I have a little time to hack out another segment. Thanks for everyone's nice remarks.

We awoke on Monday morning to our usual breakfast of goodies from Melissa. She only requests that you eat between 8 and 10 AM, and when you are ready, just slightly crack open your door, and it is brought to you. I have tried this technique a few times at home since we returned, without success.

Anyhow, the weather was spectacular, but the first news of the day was not good. Sean from Angel Tours called and said that the Vatican would be closed (this is Monday), and our tour would have to be postponed (at best) until Tuesday. Undaunted, we renewed our plans to head out once again to the catacombs and the Appian Way. We bought a couple of tickets for the Metro, good for only 1:15 minutes once stamped (we didn't forget our 5 year old - kids his age ride mass transit free). We jumped on the train at the Colossseum Station, and made the short ride to the Circus Maximus fermata where we would try - once again - to catch the elusive Lago Negro #82 (or was it the #218? / slight memory failure....) bus to either the San Sebastian or San Callista catacombs. The wait was about 20 minutes, but it finally came, to the delight of us and a bunch of German schoolkids who were going there, as well.

It was our intention to tour the San Callista catacombs, but the first catacomb stop on the bus was San Sebastian, so we de-bussed and went there instead. As I recall, the admisson was 5 Euros, and incorporated a modestly interesting tour guide who spoke English. The catacombs themselves were fascinating, poignant, creepy, claustrophobic and wonderful. No piles and stacks of skulls and bones as I had always envisioned, though. Our visit here did make me wonder if those of us in the 21st century would make the sacrifices to support our beliefs that these people did. It was chilling in the catacombs, and not just because it was below ground. The goose bump factor was intensified when the guide revealed the presumed (and I think historically accurate) temporary tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul.

The catacombs and the Appian Way were two "maybe" type of destinations that we had considered when trip planning. Much like Venice, Pisa, and Florence turned out to be, this became a stop that I am immensely glad we made. Your religious convictions might make you feel otherwise, but the death of the Pope two days earlier, combined with the recent conclusion of Holy Week made this trek to the catacombs seem quite appropriate. Further to that thought, I now realize that the places we did skip throughout the country due to lack of time were also probably very cool, as well. Oh well, maybe next time.

After the tour concluded (it lasted about 30 minutes), we decided to hoof it about 300 meters to the Appian Way. We had the opportunity to rent bicycles at San Sebastian, and if a helmet had been provided for our young one we would have. As anyone who has been on this stretch knows, it is constructed of huge stones. I don't know if they are called paver stones or cobble stones, but they are big, relatively uneven, and pretty rough to ride or walk on. A spill on a bike is a real possibility, so we opted out. Oh well, maybe next time (didn't I just say that?).

Before I leave the subject of the catacombs entirely, all of the locals say to go to the San Callista catacombs, presumably for the quality of the guided tour. We liked San Sebastian, but I am just relaying this information for everyone's edification.

After some traffic dodging we made it to the safe zone on the Via Appia Antica. And "Antica" it is, some 2300 years old. It gave me a litle chill (OK, a big chill) to think of the historical giants whom we may have shared some ancient footsteps with on our Monday afternoon stroll.

If you have the time, spend some of it on this jewel of Rome. Bordered on both sides by ruins, beautiful villas, convents, modest stores and trade shops (and that is just in the few miles we walked). If you have the endurance, after about 6 kilometers you come to the aqueducts (we turned around before we got there, but saw them in the distance. In my view, the beauty of the Appian Way is its relative closeness to the city, but its utter feel of isolation and detachment. Everything was lush and green, the temperature was about 70 degrees, and life was good. Except for the minor detail of lunch, which we had overlooked, and it was now about 1:30.

What happened next was unremarkable by most standards, but was one of those unplanned vacation moments that sticks in the brain. As luck would have it, the "I'm hungry" pleas of our son coincided with us stumbling upon a little local market, which happened to have (of course) a delicious array of fresh bread, cheese, and meats for panini. We wandered in and most certainly looked like tourists, with backpack and digital camera. The shopkeeer and his wife (or so she seemed?!) greeted us warmly, and we managed to communicate to him our desire for some sandwich fixings. There were a few other locals in there who helped us convey our message to him, and before long we had some salami, gnocchi, provolone, bread, bottled water. The total tab was about 4 Euros, and it was a lot of fun just to "intrude" on this very quaint shop, rub elbows with the locals, and sit outside on the curb eating our sandwiches. I know I am not doing a good job conveying the feel of the experience, but it was just a very authentic encounter. And, with all due respect to Subway, I don't think that there could be a better sandwich in the world than the ones that we ate sitting on the Appian Antica. We didn't need onions, mustard, banana peppers, oil or vinegar. Just some fresh ingredients, and the backdrop of Rome for a litle added flavor.

Honest to goodness, we could have shot the whole afternoon right there, but we reluctantly jumped on a bus headed back toward Via Cavour. We decided to visit the amazingly large Baths of Caracalla and found it closed, much to our dismay. I recall reading that the site is some 27 acres, and was until recently used as a venue for live performances, until it was decided that the structure was being damaged as a result. Wish I could give a better report on this, but we were on the outside looking in.

As I mentioned previously, we visited Circus Maximus, and felt a little sad that it has been reduced down to darn near nothing.I did geta few sideways glances from some other tourists when I went to some undue lengths for a few photos of the remaining rubble, but our R&R time in the park (which is essentially all that it is ) was nice, especially after the grueling experience of strolling the Appian Way earlier. But, in fairness to us, we did more than our share of walking later that day. Our return trip to the B&B was around the Palatino and through the Roman Forum

Anyway, we made our way back to the Nicolas Inn to refresh, pick up the video camera (which I had forgotten - who needs footage of the catacombs anyway?) , and we were off to the Trevi Fountain. It was possibly even more mobbed than the Spanish Steps, but it was beautiful and Baroque. Samuel threw his requisite coins in the fountain, and my wife and I amused ourselves shooing away the peddlers and waiting for careless teenageers to fall in the fountain. After 30 minutes and a lot of pictures, we pointed ourselves in the direction of the Pantheon, and found ourselves stunned once again by the beauty of the city. What a structure! We got inside just as they were closing the mammoth doors, and the first thing we noticed was the beautiful restoration of the domed ceiling. They sat when it rains, that the rain comes in through a hole in the dome and spatters on the marble floor below. It was the only time of the trip I hoped for rain.

Seeing the Pantheon transition from dusk to darkness, and then the subtle lighting cast on it was magical. We decided then and there that our dinner plans would take us no further. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it is incidental to the story. The pasta, salad, wine and bread were all great. What was best, was eating with the Pantheon 50 yards away. The temperature had dropped a bit, so all the restaurants had fired up the space heaters, but the cold didn't cause us to hurry through our meal. They say in Italy that the table is yours until you relinquish it, and we milked the evening a little longer by enjoying some system jolting espresso. I have only four days in Rome as a frame of reference, but eating dinner at the doorstep of the Pantheon is a must.

Having negotiated earlier in the day with a street vendor by the Colosseum for a mini tripod, I felt compelled to test my artistic sensibilities with some evening shots of the Vittorio Emmanule and the Colosseum. The hour was late, but Samuel was still on full go, so- being newly recharged by espresso - we walked from the Pantheon to Via dei Imperioli. A side note: Rome is eminently walkable. We could have used the mass transportation more than we did, but it seemed a shame to have the sights go by so fast.

I got some great shots, some of my favorites from the trip, and then we made the short walk to the Nicolas Inn and collapsed to our beds. A message from Sean at Angel Tours had been left for us. The Vatican Museum would be open, and our tour was on.

It was an "A" day.

gravysandwich

How nice to have travel groupies. I never thought it would happen to me! To all of you who have had so many nice things to say, my only reponse is, "back at ya!" In large measure, the success of this trip was due to the great info that I picked up on this site. Well, being in Italy contributed to the fun factor, too. As Sally Field would say, "You love me , you really love me!"

A couple of responses before I launch into our last full day in Italy. Pattiboo, my digital camera (Kodak DX7440 allows for full manual operation, aperture and shutter priority, a host of factory programmed settings, as well as point and shoot. It was not an expensive camera ($250 or so online) and we were knocked out with its clarity and versatility. I only bought it because the thought of lugging my heavy Nikon SLR all over Italy was too much to bear. In fact, I wish that I had bought the tripod earlier in the trip, because I gave up some clarity on a few long exposure night shots (you can't expect to hold your hands still when your system is wracked with espresso). I got some really neat shots of the Colosseum and the Vittorio Emmanuele that I would not have gotten by hand. I am going to "s" can my Nikon N65 and buy a D70. I am a digital believer.

Tiff, I enjoyed your description of the rain falling into the forum. We couldn't belive that a few thousand years of rain drops had not made an impression and degraded the floor, but it looked pristine. I wonder if the floor has ever been replaced in that area? I hope that today's installment won't disappoint. BTW, didn't see your violin guy, so I probably saved a Euro, or two.

LoveItaly, I hope that your blister is better, and that it is not your most lasting memory of Charleston.

Susan P, regarding the Pantheon, and the location of the restaurant, I have not checked my Visa receipts, but the place is very easy to find. Imagine that the Pantheon represents 12 o'clock on the dial. If you are facing the Pantheon, this restaurant / trattoria (?) is about 10 o'clock. Or if you want to use European time, if the Pantheon is 2400 hours, the restaurant is about 2000 hours. (sorry about that). Anyhow, it's real easy to find, the prices are reasonable, and the view is magnificent. As I recall, it is the last eatery on the left as you approach the Pantheon.

Finally, annabelle2, the Nicolas Inn is on Via Cavour, just a few blocks from the intersection of Via dei Imperioli. You can see the Colosseum through the side streets to the left as you approach dei Imperioli. Once you reach that intersection, the Colosseum is in view to your left, and the Roman Forum is both to the immediate right and across the street. To reach Vittorio Emmanuele, continue the trek beyond the Forum until you reach the "Wedding Cake", as the locals call it. The two eternal flames, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are located here, as well. You will find your thrill on Palatine Hill if you walk towards the Colosseum, circle by the Arch, and walk in the direction of the Circus Maximus. It's all right there, and should come back to you right away.

By the way, stay away from the Gran Cavour Caffe (right across from the Nicolas Inn), unless you want to pay 5 Euros for a half liter of bottled water. Plus, I think I saw a bunch of cockroaches and rats and other vermin infesting the place. Not to mention that it looked like a hangout for subversives, pickpockets, gypsies and other counterculture types. You might be safer at the Termini Stazione. Of course, I could be wrong about that. Gee, I hope that I haven't inadvertently hurt their business amongst anyone reading this thread. And I don't think that 26 Euros for sandwiches, 2 bottles of water,and one slice of cake is unreasonable. But... I wouldn't want anyone to misconstrue my remarks as being related to that episode

Anyhow... we wake up to the 24/7 coverage of the Pope and the ever swelling crowds. The media is now projecting upwards of 5 million making the pilgrimage to Rome, but we had somehow managed to avoid the crush of people. It was understandable to a degree. My theory is that everyone made a beeline to St Peter's to get in the ever burgeoning line, leaving much of the city relatively unscathed. But again, this was just Tuesday, and more and more people were still descending on the city. I guess we are lucky Melissa and Francois didn't kick us out and book our rooms for 500 Euros a night!

We hurried through breakfast (as much as one hurries through any meal in Rome), because we were scheduled to meet Sean at the Piazza di Risorgimento at noon to see the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel (woohoo!). For obvious reasons, we were prohibited from St. Peter's Square and the Basilica, but the rationalizer in me contended that we had already seen some pretty nifty churchs in the last 10 days, and if I had to give up either the Basilica or the Sistine Chapel, I knew what my choice would be.

We knew that our last day in Rome meant that some choice sights would have to be either compressed or left out altogether. I was beginnig to fixate on taking a modest watercolor back home, and Melissa advised that the Piazza Navona would be a good choice, not to mention the beauty of the place and Bernini's fountain. Maybe we were conditioned to it by now, but the walk to Piazza Navona seemed to only take 15 minutes or so, and then we found ourselves in the midst of yet another magnificent square, full of art vendors, crafts, and generally interesting people. I was very goal oriented at this point, intent on my mission of securing a watercolor from one of the artists. In the meantime, I spotted a sketch artist who was plying his trade, and it occurred to me that a sketch of Samuel in Rome would be a real keepsake. 20 minutes and 30 Euros later we had a great memento. Just before Samuel had his sketch done, I took a picture of an Austrian man who was having his sketch done. He became very animated when he realized that I had his image on camera, and in a dizzying blend of English and some Bavarian tongue, he gave me some faraway address and I promised that I would send him my pictures. He was so grateful that he held a parasol over Samuel while he had his sketch done, to prevent him from squinting. It was an interesting encounter, and I also have his image captured while he stood behind Samuel.

Regarding the watercolor, I cleverly negotiated a price of 30 Euros for a nice original 8" x 10" watercolor of Venice ( Well, it least it was supposed to be original. The artist said it was. It looked original. 30 Euros is a pretty good price for an original, don't ya' think? I hope I didn't get bamboozled...).

Anyhow, we had to beat feet to meet Sean for our tour. My appraisal of the Piazza Navona is incomplete because we had to hurry through, a bit. I can comfortably tell anyone that this would be a very nice place to eat lunch, enjoy Bernini's beautiful fountain, and just hang out. I wish we had dedicated a little more time here. It was just another of Rome's endless enhanting piazzas where one can while away the hours.

OK, now to the meat and potatoes of our day. First, let me go on record as saying that it would be unfair to the rest of Italy to say that the tour of the Vatican Museum was the culmination of our trip. I would rather walk the fields of Tuscany anyday than walk through a museum, no matter how magnificent. But, there is the caveat of the Sistine Chapel which is contained therin. And appropriately enough, this activity was our last scheduled event for our trip. The subtext of the Pope's death and the swelling of people around St. Peter's made us a little curious and apprehensive at the same time. It really did seem a bit scripted, and we felt that we were about to get caught up in something with real historical significance.

Sean from Angel Tours (www.angeltours.com) met us at Piazza de Risorgimento, which was close to Vatican City and the Castle St. Angelo. Due to the constraints of time, we didn't tour the Castle St. Angelo, but I know that it is a worthy stop.

The walk to the plaza was about 15 minutes, and for the first time, the realization of the event of John Paul II's death was made manifest. Before we reached and crossed the Ponte San Angelo, the volume of foot and vehicular traffic began to swell, and the noise of the scooters and busses, polizia sirens and emergency vehicles became very pronounced. Then we began to see the crowds building, with most moving in the direction of St. Peter's. Everything was orderly, no sense of chaos by anyone, but the people were clearly intentional in their movements toward Vatican City.

After a fashion we saw the large media presence, as we deliberately circumvented the area to meet Sean. Remember, that this is Tuesday, and the word is beginning to circulate that the Pope may be buried on Thursday or Friday, and the lines are lengthening to 12 hour waits to glimpse the body. No sense of panic has set in , just a resolve to queue up.

The perimeter of people has swollen all the way to Piazza di Risorgimento, and even though we have a rendezvous with Sean, the crowds are such that I am still wary that something could still go very wrong. To help us find him, Melissa told us to look for a short, bearded man. In case you were wondering, Sean is Irish, and I seem to recall saying , "magically delicious" just out of earshot of him a couple of times. Her description was spot on.

I will spare you the details of Sean's tour guide aptitude, other than to comment that he is most knowledgeable, speaks English (although it took some getting used to hearing the Pope referred to as the "Holy Fodder"), is very reasonable, and is a lot of fun. He was very kind to Samuel, and we enjoyed him very much. I recommend him as my favorite tour guide in Rome, next to me, who is cheaper. He just knows a lot more.

After paying up at the Museum entrance (cash only everyone / no credit cards of any sort were accepted at any religiously affiliated tour that we took), stowing our backpack, going through security, we followed Sean to a courtyard for the beginning of the tour.

My primary focus was to keep Samuel from breaking some priceless Italian artifact and being forced into indentured servitude, so I missed some of what Sean was saying. My antenna did go up when he spoke of the history of the Sistine Chapel, which fittingly, was at the conclusion of the tour. It reinforced, once again, the genius of Michelangelo.

The tour is quite exhaustive (and exhausting with a 5 year old). It is quite literally, more than you can take in. The wealth, artistry, craftsmanship and opulence is stunning. The smugness and condescension that some Americans perceive from Europeans is probably borne out of the great pride that the Old World has for its artistic accomplishments. It is almost understandable to have a certain smugness when the work of these artisans is on display. As I said the before, the brain cannot process it all. My clumsy prose would be no match for the room upon room of masterpieces, and I am almost ashamed to admit that I unconsciously glossed over what we were seeing in anticipation of what we were about to see. Curiously enough, Sean told us that this was the lightest crowd that he had ever seen in the Vatican Museum. Everybody was outside, and we were inside! It was highly pleasurable to be able to stroll through this palace of treasure without being so crowded. Imagine, a building constructed just to house this art. The value of the museum's contents would certainly be in the billions, if you could somehow attach a price to it.

Sean conveyed to us the proper protocol in the Sistine Chapel (no photos / if the guards are looking / and most of the time they were), and then he said goodbye to us. We were on our own at this point, and we walked in.

Like a rubbernecker at a bad wreck, my head immediately spun to the ceiling to locate, arguably, the most famous painting in the world. As I saw Adam's hand outstretched to God's, I just stared, and then let my field of vision expand to the other frescoes. It was almost like when you are a kid at a party, you look at all the other girls, but then return your glance to the prettiest girl in the room. I kept returning to this image. Then, after I had reached a level of saturation with this, I took the rest of it in. It was, indeed, worth the wait. For me, much like the rest of the trip, it may have been a once in a lifetime experience. In many respects, I had the same sensation that I felt when I saw the Colosseum for the first time. But this was different, because this was the handiwork of one man.

I corralled Samuel, pivoted his head upward and told him that if he remembered nothing else from the trip, to remember what he was seeing at that very moment. To which he replied, "Can we go now?" That's OK. He'll know for the rest of his life that he was there, even if the memory is a bit fuzzy. Dad and Mom's 429 pictures (no, not of just the Sistine Chapel) will help jog his memory, as well.

We made our way out through the remaining portion of the museum, which was fabulous, and collected our backpacks. Only a few hours had elapsed since we met Sean, but the crowds had continued to swell. By the time we returned to the area surounding the square, every street, every artery that fed into the Basilica was thronged with people. It was orderly, not overly somber, but the lines were moving inexorably toward the Basilica. There was a modest police and EMT presence, but for us, it was not something we wanted to engage with a 5 year old. If we had the luxury of another day or two, and were unencumbered by a child, I think we would have gotten in that 12 hour line. It was something historic, and I felt a twinge of envy that I would not be a part of it.

Having breathed a huge sigh of relief that we had actually stolen a visit in the midst of the craziness to the Sistine Chapel, we casually walked back across the Ponte Vittorio Emmanuele, with no particular plan in mind. En route, we were able to reach the security perimeter, look down the long avenue which fronts St. Peter's, and that was as close as we were able to get. Actually, the Sistine Chapel is quite close to the Basilica, but the security contingent seemed to frown on any ideas that we had to take a short cut from the Chapel to the Basilica. What grumps!

The walk along the Tiber in the direction of the Forum is a nice one, but I would discourage anyone from descending from street level to the river walk. It was a largely unpopulated area, and the people we did see were indigents and rather seedy looking. I also had to sidestep a hypodermic needle, reminding us once again that we were still in a big city, despite it's beauty. It was a pity, because it could be a real showplace (as if Rome needs more good stuff).

We made an executive decision to seek out "The Mouth of Truth" as some filler before dinner. I suppose it is an indicator of my depth of being that my next stop after seeing one of the greatest masterpieces in the world is my desire to stick my hand in a large carved stone mouth just because I saw Gregory Peck do it in Roman Holiday. But, it was still fun, and nobody fussed at us when we took pictures, either! Go in to the little Santa Maria church after this great photo op, make a small donation once inside, and you will be glad you came.

A final walk through the Circus Maximus, the perimeter of the Palatino, and the Forum, some great pictures (another chamber of commerce day), then back to the Nicolas Inn to prep for dinner. Did I mention the bargain price of 3.5 Euros that we paid for one gelato outside the Circus from a freestanding street kiosk? Always "Quanto Costa" when in Rome!

The day concluded with a wonderful dinner at a trattoria not far from the Nicolas Inn. We employed the 15 tables or less rule, and had a great meal.

Back to the B&B to pack up, confirm our car to the airport in the morning with Francois, and wish we just had a few more days in Italy.

One more (mercifully) installment to come to reflect on the trip of a lifetime. Just as soon as I lose my writer's cramp. Thanks for reading.

gravysandwich