Rome & Ostia Antica Trip Report
Dec 3rd, 2006, 11:40 AM
#21
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Tuesday, 11/7/06 – Rome
Left the apartment about 8am & strolled around St. Peter’s Square & then towards the CASTEL SANT’ ANGELO. We timed our walk so that we arrived just a few minutes after it opened at 9am; E5 admission. No line & not that many people while we were there. We bought the English audio tour, E4 per person & were glad that we did, even though we found it confusing to follow at times – sometimes, we were not sure which way to go & if we were in the correct place for the audio we were hearing. But we managed, sometimes asked the employees who were stationed around the inside areas, & discovered a lot of info that we would have missed without the audio. We also timed our audios so we were all listening to the same narrative at the same time - that way we could share comments & the experience. Before purchasing, we wondered whether we each needed our own;, & discovered that we did. I don’t think sharing would work very well. We loved this site; one of our favorites. The tour takes you on a winding upward & downward adventure. The views from the upper levels are stunning – the Vatican, the Tiber, the city. The history is fascinating & the structure is awesome. I haven’t seen many mentions of this site on the message boards & haven’t talked with anyone who toured it. It does not seem to be a prime site. I think the lack of people is because the big tour groups do not include this site - which is good for the rest of us! To me, it is a DON’T MISS site. I think kids would especially like it. There are toilettes & a café; café tables have great views of the city.
Then we decided to reward ourselves – an American meal at the HARD ROCK CAFÉ on Via Vittorio Veneto! Now please believe me, I’m not calling anyone's baby ugly, but just like foreigners visiting the U.S., we were ready for familiar food. We took the #479 bus. The Hard Rock Café was very busy, but it was worth the wait. We were drooling at all of our flavor choices – Bar-B-Q, so many salad dressing choices (not just vinegar & oil), onion rings, French fries, pulled pork – we definitely were ready for & needed this sustenance! Tim had a huge cheeseburger & onion rings; Don & I had a huge pulled pork Bar-B-Q sandwich & fries (with extra Bar-b-q sauce on the side, of course)! It was delightful. Tim bought me the cutest teddy bear in a gladiator costume with Hard Rock Café Rome on his cape. He is sitting on our mantle right now. I’m sure he misses Rome, but he likes America.
With our big full bellies, we took the #116 bus back to our apartment area. The #116 is called the “Tourist” bus by some folks. It is a little mini-bus (not as mini as that cute Smart Car) & it covers a big part of the tourist area. So if one does not care to learn the Rome bus system, the #116 could be used. It is a cheap ride, E1 (good for 75 minutes) just like the other buses. It gives a good overview of the area from Via Veneto to the Vatican. It is slow though; has lots of stops. After learning the Rome bus system, we preferred the faster buses.
OK, that's it. My marathon report on this thread is finished. I am going to post a separate thread on "How I Used the Rome Bus System", & a separate thread on "Pre-trip Planning Tips that Helped Us in Italy", & a separate thread on "Our Observations & Comments about Rome".
Thanks to everyone for your time & attention to the details of our wonderful time in Rome.
Happy travels, Julie
Left the apartment about 8am & strolled around St. Peter’s Square & then towards the CASTEL SANT’ ANGELO. We timed our walk so that we arrived just a few minutes after it opened at 9am; E5 admission. No line & not that many people while we were there. We bought the English audio tour, E4 per person & were glad that we did, even though we found it confusing to follow at times – sometimes, we were not sure which way to go & if we were in the correct place for the audio we were hearing. But we managed, sometimes asked the employees who were stationed around the inside areas, & discovered a lot of info that we would have missed without the audio. We also timed our audios so we were all listening to the same narrative at the same time - that way we could share comments & the experience. Before purchasing, we wondered whether we each needed our own;, & discovered that we did. I don’t think sharing would work very well. We loved this site; one of our favorites. The tour takes you on a winding upward & downward adventure. The views from the upper levels are stunning – the Vatican, the Tiber, the city. The history is fascinating & the structure is awesome. I haven’t seen many mentions of this site on the message boards & haven’t talked with anyone who toured it. It does not seem to be a prime site. I think the lack of people is because the big tour groups do not include this site - which is good for the rest of us! To me, it is a DON’T MISS site. I think kids would especially like it. There are toilettes & a café; café tables have great views of the city.
Then we decided to reward ourselves – an American meal at the HARD ROCK CAFÉ on Via Vittorio Veneto! Now please believe me, I’m not calling anyone's baby ugly, but just like foreigners visiting the U.S., we were ready for familiar food. We took the #479 bus. The Hard Rock Café was very busy, but it was worth the wait. We were drooling at all of our flavor choices – Bar-B-Q, so many salad dressing choices (not just vinegar & oil), onion rings, French fries, pulled pork – we definitely were ready for & needed this sustenance! Tim had a huge cheeseburger & onion rings; Don & I had a huge pulled pork Bar-B-Q sandwich & fries (with extra Bar-b-q sauce on the side, of course)! It was delightful. Tim bought me the cutest teddy bear in a gladiator costume with Hard Rock Café Rome on his cape. He is sitting on our mantle right now. I’m sure he misses Rome, but he likes America.
With our big full bellies, we took the #116 bus back to our apartment area. The #116 is called the “Tourist” bus by some folks. It is a little mini-bus (not as mini as that cute Smart Car) & it covers a big part of the tourist area. So if one does not care to learn the Rome bus system, the #116 could be used. It is a cheap ride, E1 (good for 75 minutes) just like the other buses. It gives a good overview of the area from Via Veneto to the Vatican. It is slow though; has lots of stops. After learning the Rome bus system, we preferred the faster buses.
OK, that's it. My marathon report on this thread is finished. I am going to post a separate thread on "How I Used the Rome Bus System", & a separate thread on "Pre-trip Planning Tips that Helped Us in Italy", & a separate thread on "Our Observations & Comments about Rome".
Thanks to everyone for your time & attention to the details of our wonderful time in Rome.
Happy travels, Julie
Dec 3rd, 2006, 11:55 AM
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Obviously you three had a memorable time in Rome Julie. And I giggled about your going to the Hard Rock Cafe. One evening in Rome during another fantastic dinner I almost got tears and suddenly all I wanted was some food from McDonalds. And I never go to McDonald's at home, lol.
Dec 3rd, 2006, 02:42 PM
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I am going to watch for your thread on travelling the buses, since in our various trips to Rome, we have never taken buses or the metro. Well, except the #110 (which, unfortunately, we gave a negative review - glad you liked it). We usually walk and then take a taxi if it is too far to walk. So your suggestions will be helpful!
Dec 3rd, 2006, 04:57 PM
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LoveItaly, we did have a great time. Funny you said that about McD's. We couldn't believe that we ate there in Italy! We never eat hamburger at home, let alone at McDonalds! Go figure.
travelgirl2, the bus thread is up = "How We Used the Rome Bus System". Hope it helps. We thought it was so much more convenient (obviously cheaper) than a taxi & saved our feet for fun things! Let me know if you have any questions.
Julie
travelgirl2, the bus thread is up = "How We Used the Rome Bus System". Hope it helps. We thought it was so much more convenient (obviously cheaper) than a taxi & saved our feet for fun things! Let me know if you have any questions.
Julie
Dec 3rd, 2006, 05:42 PM
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Julie, reading your wonderful report brought back many happy memories of our trip there two years ago. Ostia was our favorite part of the Roman experience, too. DS, who was 13 at the time, loved it. We felt that a single day wasn't really enough if you were prepared with reading, questions, to take photos, to measure, etc. We wanted to approach the town almost as visiting anthropologists, as you did. It made all the difference in how we viewed what we saw.
