Day 6 - Island of the rich and famous

NOTE: I'm sorry it has been so long since I last blogged - it has been very hard to find internet/time in between the racing from church to church, eating pizza, visiting ancient places, eating pasta, looking at amazing art, eating gelato, and bus travel!! I have however written my blog each day, and am now going to try to upload as much as I can today! Hope you enjoy reading through some of my adventures (now that they are finally up!)

Isle of Carpi and Sorrento exploring

It was another early start today to get the 8:10am ferry across to Caaapri with our local guide and Chris  our travel director. After a short mini-bus ride down to the doc we all boarded the large ferry to head over to Capri. The boat ride was fantastic! The early morning sun on your back and the sea breeze in your hair as you watch the Amalfi coast go by, and the Isle of Capri growing closer! The water was a beautiful Azure colour and reflected the sun like it was dancing. Stunning!

We disembarked our ferry and boarded a smaller local tour boat, which was completely open except for the cloth shade sail over the back. I sat under the shade as I had suddenly come out in a sun rash! Devastated! Next stop would be a Farmacia!

We were taken around the Island to see the amazing limestone structures built over hundreds of thousands of years. Unlike around the Napoli bay, where the ground is mostly volcanic, the Isle of Capri is made from limestone, deposited in the middle of the bay. The formations are stunning, with trees at the top of the sheer cliffs, and with natural arches, through which you can see the blue sky above!

We were taken inside some of the grottos to see the famous red coral that grows under the water level here. Stunning flashes of red could be seen through the crystal clear water, surrounded by the white and grey of the limestone. We saw a grotto full of Stalactites and stalagmites, and when you get in close enough the roof turns a light blue colour (check out the pics!). We also saw a small blue grotto, which when the sun hits the white floor under the water it reflects up through the water as a brilliant, electric blue colour out of the darkness of the grotto. Stunning! We went around to see the exclusive villas owner by the rich and famous, Sofia Lauren for example, who was picked up by helicopter and taken over to the mainland while we were there. All of the stunning villas were perched high, up on the cliffs overlooking the mainland of Italy and the Mediterranean. Not a bad view, however I wouldn't like to have to carry the shopping up the steep steps to the house from the boat!!!! Still, perhaps that's how they work off all the pizza, pasta and wine...??? In that case...

Once we had been around the island we headed back to the port and went via funicular to the actual town square. The funicular took us up the steep hillside, providing beautiful views across the port of Capri and the blue Mediterranean. The town square was full of small boutiques (expensive!)  in beautiful cream buildings. From here you can either simply take in the stunning views  or you could walk down to the gardens and the view points on the other side of the island. It was a lovely, lovely spot, and you could see why people would want to live here, despite the tourists! They were everywhere, taking heaps of postcard perfect pictures (I was too!) and filling up the pizza restaurants and sandwich bars. I sat at the Funicular restaurant and looked out over the port of Capri and across the water. Absolutely beautiful! Just watching people go by and the boats moving around the port. It was a mad house down there! Ferries coming and going, and small local tour boats constantly arriving and leaving full of tourists headed for the grottos. It was nice to sit in the calm at the top of the hill and watch all the craziness below.

After a bit of shopping (I gave in and bought a new watch- it’s for going out I swear, and therefore, a necessity!) I headed down, via funicular, to the port of Capri and had a look around. Due to my sun rash I had to buy a cover up so that I could protect my skin from the sun, and a wide brimmed hat. It’s really cute! And definitely wearable back in Australia, so again another necessity! Not a souvenir!  Anyway… after a couple of hours in Capri, new hat on head, new top on to cover the rash, cortisone tablets taken, and anti-inflammatory gel on rash (yay! very attractive) I met the tour group at the port and we all headed back onto the ferry for the trip back to Sorrento! It was soo hot outside on the deck, in the sun, so many of us sat inside in the air-conditioning.

In about 25mins we were back in Sorrento and at Hotel Corallo. We had two hours for free time and a nap (thankgod!). At 4:30pm we met back up in the foyer and headed to Notturno, an inlaid wood work factory, where we watch a fascinating demonstration of how they make the intricate inlaid wood designs. I got a music box with stunning inlaid wood designs on the top, and jewellery storage inside. It is beautiful! I was very tempted by a small dining table, covered in an intricate design of inlaid wood works. The top flipped over and had a backgammon board inlaid in it. This could be taken off completely to reveal the green velvet of a gaming table top, set into the table. This could also be flipped, once you’d lost all you money, to form a chess table. This top could be taken off and two sides slide out to reveal a roulette wheel and boxes for pieces, and the sides would become the roulette table for betting. It was amazing! I was very tempted, however the €3,800 (€3,300 if you paid cash!) price tag put me off a bit. Devastated! Oh well, I’m happy with my music box! It’s very cute made from black ebony and inset with a violin, music notes and flowers it will be a fantastic edition to my room when I get home!

From here we walked into Sorrento town square for more shopping (stay calm, I did not buy anything – points for me! Although we did have a delicious boysenberry gelato while wandering).

On my walk I discovered my camera is on the way out L the lens covers won’t open completely so please excuse the dark shadow in many of my photos!  Shattered!

After an hour of wandering up and down the gorgeous alleyways, with so many limonccello stores (and sampling many of the local varieties), it was time to (Stumble) hop back on the bus and head to Riccardo's Tratorria/ restaurant (the tTble of Lucullus) where we ate too much food and drank to much wine! Chris had booked the whole back yard area, that was surrounded by lemon groves and lovely greenery which made a fantastic atmosphere. The chef (Riccardo) came out and discussed our lengthy menu, with five appetisers (seafood salad made with fresh baby octopus, Eggplant parma- which was to die for, Caprese salad, a plate full of muscles, and finally ricotta ravioli in a fish and shrimp sauce), a main of local fish oven baked with thinly sliced potato over the top and a small salad, and finally a lemon cream cake that was divine. It was full on! We sat at tables and enjoyed our food while listening to three sisters (who had recently been on Italy’s got talent) sing Italian and old American crooner tunes. It was fantastic. We then had a show by Pulcinella and his assistant, who was hilarious. His character was made following the plague, during which people had to wear masks around to be protected, which then became obsolete following the end of the plague.

 

He was funny to watch as he moved through the group having a joke with some of the people, and pulling people up to dance with them.  The night ended with a conga line that went down through the main restaurant, and out onto the street (the Vespas just dodged around us-thankfully!). It was then back onto the bus and back to the hotel where everyone crashed in bed! A great way to end a great day!

Day 5

 It was an early start this morning. Bags had to be out of our rooms by 6:45AM!! After showering and re-packing my bag (although it magically seemed to have added 5 kgs!) I went down stairs to meet the rest of the group, ready to board the bus.

On the bus our travel director (not tour guide as the word ‘tour’ seems to be the devil in these groups… odd) gave us a fantastic information and safety pep talk. The bus is awesome! Michele, our driver is great and his ‘wife’ (our bus) is brand new and is fantastic. Chairs are comfortable, reclining and moveable!  They can move sideways to give people more room! It’s fantastic! AND AIR CONDITIONED! Halleluiah!

It was lovely driving through the Italian countryside, looking at the sunflower fields (used for the oil) and fields of solar panels. Fantastic!

 

The contrast of greens was amazing with produce and flowers, and of course vines. They’re beautiful, lining the hillsides and valleys with perfect lines of green leafy grapes. Perfecto!

It was amazingly different countryside depending on the way you looked. Mountains with exposed rock faces or old quarries to the right, and beautiful fields of flowers or vineyards to the left. Amazing and beautiful!

We arrived at the beautiful seaside town (well it was before Vesuvius made it about 700m away from the beach!) of Pompeii around 11:30am. We hoped off the bus, donned our great looking Trafalgar radio lanyards and earphone, and met our tour guide Enzo. A bronzed, southern Italian that was a fantastic wealth of knowledge. After a short “pee pee” stop we were off and into this ancient city that had been excavated out of the volcanic ash and mud. It was amazing to see the gladiator training hall, the theatre, the old red light district (including the paintings that advertised the ‘services’ to the sailors that would come into the port) and the city centre. It was incredibly how well preserved so much of the city         still is. Even the graffiti from the children that would use the theatre in Pompeii prior to Vesuvius erupting. Small carvings of boats and a gladiator etched into the stone walls, preserved by the ash for so many years! They were as clear as day, as if someone had just done it yesterday. Amazing!

It was mind-blowing that these were the streets that ancient  romans were living, breathing, walking along, living their lives. It was truly incredible. Take a look at some of the pictures that will show you things that I just have no words to describe!

We had a lunch and shopping stop, in which we were able to try the local limoncello! It was awesome! There was limoncello, meloncello, ‘choco-cello (well, that’s what I called it!). After stocking up on awesome 50%+ alcohol (yippee!) and having a fresh wood-fired pizza for lunch, it was back on the bus, and on the way to our next stop – Sorrento!

I can now understand why Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula is called ‘Sorrento’. The feeling in  Aussie Sorrento is similar to the Med-side town on the cliffs. It’s a bit of a beachy, chic town that is soo beautiful! Perched on top of two cliffs, which used to be separated by a small stream that cut a valley into the volcanic rock to make the two hills and is now bridged up, are many soft orange, pink-red, cream and golden houses which lemon trees everywhere! This peninsula of Italy is where true LEMONS come from! It was amazing

 We arrived at our hotel, Hotel Corallo, and had some time to unpack and relax prior to heading down the Amalfi coast to Positano! What a town! It is built in between cliffs, and led all the way down to the beach. The winding roads were very narrow and stopped halfway down and headed further south, therefore there was only foot traffic down to the beach. As you walk down the roads to the beach you are surrounded by boutique shops selling limoncello and beachwear, and above you have a canopy of beautiful flowering bougainvillea and right at the end a burst of jasmine. With the sun shining through the small gaps it made for a light purple light that lit the path down to the beach. Stunning! We saw a fascinating church that was gorgeous.
 

            

(Above - view from our hotel room!!)


The beach was not a beach like home! No sand! Loved it! No sand everywhere and all through your bags, and on your feet no matter how hard you try to avoid it and wipe it off! No sand = heaven! The water was crystal clear and cool.

After plunging my feet into the Mediterranean I began the climb back up to the mini-bus drop off point at the top of the tiny village. On the way back I looked through the lovely boutiques and limonccelo shops, with fascinating bottles shaped like Italy or female bodies or lemons! Fantastic! Despite being tempted to buy all my Aussie summer wear here, I resisted! Points for me, I must say. The prices in Positano are sky high (well according to my budget!). For a plain white, medium length cover up top for the beach it was about €70!! Ouch! So yes, I resisted temptation, thankfully, so that I could buy more things elsewhere! I’ve decided that rather than buy lots of knick-knacks I will only be buying keepsakes (well, that’s the plan!) Currently I’ve only bought a painting from Roma! So far…

 

 

After our free time to explore Positano, and paddling my feet in the Mediterranean,  it was back on the mini-buses and back to Corallo for dinner. Unfortunately, the winding roads of the Amalfi caught up with me on the way back to Corallo and I didn’t feel up to eating the onslaught of food that was coming. Instead I had a simple bowl of pasta! Delicious! The other group members chowed down on seafood salads, made with fresh octopus and lettuce, Napolitana pasta and a lemon cake. It all looked amazing!  The meal was finished off with some light music (thanks to the local wedding taking place in the hotels cliff side, outdoor function area) and a stunning sunset (picture) We will be up early tomorrow as we are taking the boat across to Capri – Pronounced Caaapri, not CaPri. Sounds like fun!                                                                                                                                                  

                 

Day 4 History is all around us!

 

Last night I attended our Trafalgar welcome function and dinner. It was great! We had a bit of an introduction by our travel director, Chris. A wonderfully enthusiastic and passionate guy who is simply a wealth of knowledge. His enthusiasm and energy is infectious, making you want to learn and see as much as you can in Italy, and soak up the local culture.

Following the information session, we all got onto the bus for a taster trip around Rome, seeing all the major sights, including the Colosseum, the war memorial and the ancient city.

As we travelled around Chris discussed the importance and some of the history surrounding each sight. It was fascinating. Prior to our departure from the bus, he informed us that we would be starting our day tomorrow at 7:30am, so we could get into the important tour group line to get straight into the Vatican museum prior to its opening to the general public.

After our 'Introduction to Roma' bus ride we headed back to the hotel for a buffet dinner or traditional Italian fare. It was delicious. I sat with a young, Australian couple who was also on the tour, that had been in the south of Italy for a relatives wedding. It was nice to sit and talk over the sights we’d seen and our excitement for the next day.

After a well needed night sleep, it was up and out to the bus (after being checked that you had our shoulders and knees completely covered) and around to the Vatican Museum. We put on our lanyards with a wireless radio receptor and single earphone, so our guide can speak into a microphone and we could hear it, no matter where we are – awesome! The Vatican has commissioned a single company to make their  wireless radios, and so we couldn’t use our sexy, bright red, Trafalgar ones - damn! Instead we got to use a bright green one with blue head phone. Woohoo.

Anyway, we picked up our local guide, Colletta. She was wonderful! She was again a wealth of knowledge and history which she discussed in detail as we went along. We entered into the Vatican museum through the new, modern door built a few years ago, and through the metal detectors. Our first stop was a magnificent spiral stair case (more like ramp) used to get the early Popes up to their quarters. As part of a Trafalgar Tour we are one of only two tours that have access to walk up this amazing structure. It was fascinating to walk up to the top of the “stairway”, a circular ramp that snails its way  up a turret of the Vatican building, directly behind the papal apartments (check out the pics!) This grand ‘staircase’ was commissioned by an early and powerful pope, as he wanted a way to get up to his quarters without having to walk, thus the ramp-staircase. It is wide enough and high enough to enable his chariot and horses to carry him upwards. Ladies, I give you the first official lazy man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We then walked through the museum, from top to bottom, thus minimising the crowds we had to encounter. The collections were absolutely astounding, with Etruscan bronze statues, swords, shields and vases that were all in perfect condition. We the headed down to the hall of tapestries where we met the “barbarians”, as Colletta called them. The crowds were insane! Wall to wall people in this beautiful place did take a bit of the shine away from it. We walked through ceiling to floor, intricate tapestries that depicted famous paintings and sketches from famous artists. We then entered the hall of maps. These maps are again, floor to ceiling, and were amazingly intricate and accurate, considering they were painted prior to the times of google maps, and satellites. These two halls were to intimidate people coming to visit the popes of ancient times, Carlotta explained. Kings used to come to seek permission for things, from the Popes in ancient times, as although they were Kings, the Popes had a higher power. These Kings would come to the Vatican as the rulers of their countries (big headed), and doing it as only because they had to. The halls filled with the maps of their own countries, more intricately drawn/painted than they had ever seen and the halls of tapestries and gold, marble and bronze statues with amazing intricately decorated walls and with paintings of gods and past popes looking down at them from the roof, would intimidate them, so that once they actually saw the pope they would once again realise who was really in power. Fascinating.

 

 We then entered into the Sistine Chapel. “No photo, no video, no talking” as the member of the Swiss guard told the groups entering. It was absolutely amazing to see the two Michelangelo masterpieces. Fascinatingly, Michelangelo was commissioned out of spite. He carved statues, he was not a painter. They were hoping that he would fail. Thankfully, he didn’t and he created the roof of the Sistine chapel, which made him one of the most famous Italian painters of all time. He was then commissioned towards the end of his life to paint the alter wall. These two paintings enable you to see the transition Michelangelo made during his lifetime, into different styles of painting. This amazingly intricate painting, depicting people being saved from purgatory to the blue skies of heaven, was one of the last Michelangelo painted. In the right hand, bottom corner you can see a cardinal who had offended Michelangelo in some way, in purgatory, with the ears of a donkey and a snake wrapped around him (the snake is biting a, well… sensitive part of the cardinal). Upon seeing this the cardinal complained to the Pope of the time (a rather modern thinking pope) and said that Michalangello should be punished and that he should change the painting. The pope simply laughed it away. This just shows the power  and respect that Michallangello had in that time.

We exited the Sistene chapel, through a secret special tours only corridor, and went straight into St. Peter’s Basilica. There are not enough words to describe what is the biggest church in the world. The intricate detailing on the walls and roof, the grand bronze columns and canopy built over St Peter’s tomb. The glass ‘coffins’ of past popes that have been beatified, and the amazing mosaics on the walls, that looked like paintings. Once you got close to them you could see the hundreds of tiny pieces of stone that had been used to create them, which enabled them to still be shining brightly, full of colour now.

After taking in St. Peter’s Basilica we moved back out to St. Peter’s square and had some time for lunch and to get a few souvenirs. Interestingly, you can buy souvenirs from a particular shop, and have them blessed that night and delivered to your hotel. I have to wonder who blesses them, and whether they are all put in a room and all blessed at once, or they are handed to the person that blesses them and they are quickly blessed individually in the packet. I would love to follow some purchases to find out how this process is carried out.

We ate a slice of pizza and had a Galati to cool off, before heading back to the bus (parked in the underground parking space created to hold all the millions of people that attended the pilgrimages and special events at the Vatican.

From the Vatican we headed out to the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine (used to parade through after defeating another army in battle. A fascinating building, still standing after about 1,800 years (I think)! Seriously! It’s crazy!

We once again skipped the (4 hour) line and went straight through thanks to our timed entry tickets from Trafalgar, still with Colleta leading the way! It was fascinating to learn of the ‘entertainment’ that was shown here (including the morning executions, and then the Gladiator games in the afternoon).  You can still see where the slaves would work under the ‘stage’ to get those to be executed, the Gladiators and the animals they would fight ready for showing. They would put them in cages and on trap doors that would open to let the animals out to kill those to be executed and the Gladiators. I also walked up the ancient Roman steps to the second level (middle class) to get a birds view of the stage area.

We then had some free time to shop for souvenirs and to explore the amazing Colosseum. We were warned to watch out for the gypsy families who come to ask for help from you as they will generally also be robbing you at the same time!!! Eep! Thankfully, I didn’t see anything like that. However, others had seen a man being chased down by the police, who retrieved a bag from him, and then he took off with a smile. Interestingly the police just let him go… perhaps it’s a pick your battle type of thing… or “I’ve run enough to get him, I’m not going to chase him again…He’ll be back!”.

We got back onto the bus with Michele and went back to the hotel for a well earned rest break! Surprisingly, I had a very sore lower back! I had been warned that the cobblestoned streets can cause you to have a terrible back until you get used to it! I feel that on this trip I will have many occasions to get used to it!!!

After  a nap, and a Spritz (Italian aperitif), it was back on the bus and off to the centre of Rome to meet Colletta (who had had a wardrobe change- stunning!) who took us on a walking tour through the centre of Rome, to the most famous sights! We walked to the Trevi Fountain (Yes, I tossed a coin in it! One, over the right shoulder to wish for to come back to Rome someday-fingers  crossed!), then down a beautiful street (less tourist travelled) full of some amazing old house fronts, and tiny Piazzas to make this walk a magical one. We then went to the Pantheon. What an amazing building, with the oculus and the dome! The dome is made completely from poured concrete. They’ve done composition analysis on the concrete, and have found that the Romans used more rock (heavier) based concrete for the bottom of the Dome, and lighter, more pumas based concrete towards the top. The oculus is amazing! It is not covered, but open! So if it rains… it rains in the church! It was so that the gods to eat the smoke from the burning of the sacrificed animal that had been caught. It was a beautiful building that contains Raffael's tomb, and his wife.

 From here we went to Piazza Nervona! Stunning and a wonderful show of Italian life is the only way to describe it. This Piazza is surrounded by beautiful apartment buildings, tratorias and gelatarias. There was a market in the centre with artists and caricature drawers and fruit shops, which was lovely to just wander through. Following this we  moved to the restaurant that we would be eating in tonight – Opera. Situated just near the bridge to the Castle of the Angels. The food was beautiful, and like everywhere in Italy, it was plentiful. We were all full after our antipasti of a small eggplant parmesan, prosciutto, cantaloupe, mashed potato deep fried in a light batter and several other yummy things. However then came the pasta, two types- one with a Napolitano sauce and rigatoni with truffle sauce, which tasted like it had butter and sautéed truffle which had been chopped very fine. The food was soo good! But we still weren’t done! Then came the Napolitano pizza, that had been cooked in a wood fired oven….. annnnd then dessert! Tiramisu. Now I’m not a coffee lover, but man! This tiramisu was delightful, rich and creamy separated by soft cake layers, and a hint of coffee towards the end of the palette. Delicious! Om nom nom.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

After dinner we headed up to the bridge to the Castle of the Angels to watch the final light from the sun set over Roma, with views of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Castle of the Angels. We were then treated to a small display of fireworks directly off the bridge! A fantastic end to a fantastic (busy) day in ROMA!

 

 

 
 

 

 

Day 3: Just Chillin'

Day 3
Time: 3:46pm
Temperature: 29 Celcius

Today is the day our tour will be starting!

I read the message posted in the front foyer regarding the meeting/welcome dinner tonight and the warning regarding this tour being fast paced (what!??!), and to take it easy today.... I must admit after all the walking done yesterday I'm happy to just have a leisurely day in Rome.
Following breakfast(fresh fruit and cereal) I headed out to the streets of Rome to take in a bit more of the city.
I am not trying to be a negative Nelly here, but they seriously need to do something about the public transport! I thought of heading to a shopping area for some relaxing retail therapy, only to find out that in order to get to many of the shopping districts I needed to catch 2-3 buses, and maybe a train. Yes, I know that's not that bad but when you're just wanting to chill out for the day, and so on, that task seems rather daunting. Besides I'm sure there will be plenty of time for shopping in the next three and a half weeks! Instead, I decided to simply look around the local area, wandering through the winding streets in the sunshine (it's another beautiful day again!). It was lovely.

After a while, I found a nice little Italian restaurant to have some lunch (pasta again. I swear it's addictive. There's just something about it!) and a relax as the world rushed by. While I sat contemplating the world (yeah right! More like sat and obsessed over how amazingly delicious the food was) a nearby table was growing with guys in fine suits. As a new one arrived the waiters would set another place at the table in anticipation of the next. Despite not ordering anything, food appeared quickly out of the kitchen. Beautiful salads on toasted bread, and plates of half pasta and half vegetables (nothing I could find on the menu). The owner/manager of the restaurant kept coming out and chatting with them while smoking his cigar.  I felt as though I had just stumbled upon a small sect of the Italian mafia... Perhaps they were having their Wednesday lunch meeting? Discussing who needed to be seen about 'things' and who was ok. Perhaps they were discussing the next 'big job' and how they were going to get around the police.... (!!)


Perhaps they were food critics!... or perhaps they were simply a bunch of old friends who eat lunch together on a Wednesday... I'm going to stick with the Mafia idea... way more interesting!

Following my long lunch, I walked back to the hotel where I am relaxing on the roof top garden. Perhaps I'll head down to our balcony (it's huge!) and look out to the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica... decisions decisions... first world problems.

M

Live your life as time flies!

Day 2

Temperature: 30 °C

WHAT. A. DAY! Sooo much walking! So many amazing things seen!

I began the morning exploring around the hotel, meandering up and down the cobblestoned streets and stairs (so many stairs!). It was a beautiful day, with perfect blue skies and not a cloud to be seen! The sun was warm, and I may have even picked up some colour. Come on winter tan! You can do it! The city streets smelt of jasmine flowers and fresh fruit... basically it smelt like summer!

I’ve decided I absolutely love watching the traffic in Rome. Not only does it seem that road rules are only a suggestion, but parking rules as well. The term double parked is the norm here, with multiple cars parked behind angle parked cars. I must admit if I had a red car like the one in the photo, I would totally park it like that! I mean come on, it's within the lines and not obstructing traffic! Definitely legal.

 

The Vatican City wall was within a few minutes walk from the hotel. It was a formidable brick wall Cyprus trees over hanging it. After following the wall along the road, in what I hoped was the direction of Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square) I saw a water fountain. Rome has many fountains like this which bring up the spring water from the aqua reservoirs below the city. This water is safe to drink (you're basically buying it in the shops if you buy water) and is cold and refreshing. I must admit it is a bit odd filling up your water bottle from a water fountain on the Vatican Wall.

 

On the corner of the next street I spotted the columns of the Piazza San Pietro. It was just tucked down at the end of a street, no biggie. The beautiful white marble columns towered over everything. It wasn't until I got closer (and through the people spruiking their 'skip the line' tours) that I saw the line... It was insane! I had heard that people can wait about 4 hours to get into the Vatican, and like the naïve person I am, I thought that was just an exaggeration.... Well, I can tell you, IT'S NOT! This line went forever. It extended its way out of the Vatican building through the column walkway under the statues of saints and out into the entrance of the Piazza. It was crazy! Just meters and meters of people standing waiting to enter. Thankfully my tour includes a trip to the Vatican and the Vatican museum on Thursday, with skip the line privileges (THANK GOD!). I walked along the columns and out into the centre of the Piazza. It was magnificent to say the least. Although I am not a religious person, I must say it took my breath away and gave me goose bumps. It was definitely a sight to behold. I walked over the cobblestone pavement to the grand obelisk in the centre. From here I could take in every detail of the surrounding buildings and monuments. The architecture of the main building itself was amazing, with intricate details adorning the front façade, and statues standing on the roof that seemed to either be welcoming or guarding this sacred space.

There were so many religious people there too (yes, I know, duh! But I was still surprised) in their various uniforms. It was fantastic to see. Despite the huge line of people, snaking its way through the columns surrounding the piazza, and the couple of hundred or so people simply wandering through the centre, it was strangely peaceful. Unlike other monuments in Europe that I have visited the Vatican was quiet. It was as if everyone were whispering and silently taking in this magnificent place.

 After our Vatican visit in the sun, it was time to sample some of the local cuisine - Gelato. What better way to enjoy the Italian sun than by standing watching the tourists join the line for the Vatican tours eating a true Italian Gelato. These small gelato/ deli/ bottle shop venders are everywhere in Rome, especially near major landmarks. If you want to drink it, eat it or slurp it, they probably sell IT!

 

I then walked back following the Vatican wall, to the hotel for a short pit stop prior to heading off the meet my Crypts and Catacombs tour group at Piazza Barberini. I decided to get the train from Cipro (Musei Vaticani) station, the apparently 'close' station. Just follow the Vatican wall around to the other side of the Vatican and badda-bing, badda-boom you're there. Right? Wrong! Well, kind of. My map neglected to show elevation data. THANKS! My walk included stairs, a walk basically straight up a hill for what felt like 20minutes, and down the other side (which wasn't so bad). Surprisingly, I also kept feeling as though I was headed in the wrong direction, and with time constraints (I needed to be at Piazza Barberini at 2:15 to meet the group) the pressure started to build. Eventually I found the station, after asking a local and following them out of Roman suburbia to the subway station. After buying a daily ticket (€6) and boarding the train, I shortly arrive at Piazza Barberini. Unfortunately, the beautiful Fontana del Tritone was surrounded by large fences as it was being refurbished, but the Piazza was still nice. I found a quaint Pizzeria and had a light lunch (trying to avoid the inevitable Italian weight gain reported by everyone I know that has visited Italy!!!). It was lovely, with homemade bread and fantastic olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

At 2:15 I met my tour guide Barbara (pictured with Microphone) at the Fontana del Tritone, along with the rest of the tour group. Due to the sights visited on this tour being religious sights, no photography was allowed, and therefore I have no photos of the crypts or catacombs to show you. However I will do my best to describe them :)

Our first stop on the tour was across the road from the Piazza Barberini, the Crypts of Cappuccini. After a short but very informative discussion regarding the history of the Cuppuccini, we walked through the museum and down into the crypts. These amazing crypts have been decorated with human bones from Capuccin monks. Cappuccin monks are members of the Franciscan order of monks. This decorative method is thought to have originated in France and brought the to the Cappuccin monks by one of their brothers. The ornate decorations were fascinating and included clocks, archways, and full skeletons of monks still in their 'habit'. These bone decorations have not been moved since their installation. Today, this decorative design is illegal, and as such, if a bone is to fall from the walls or roof it can not be returned to its original location. It must be buried in the ground. Each room has a message to convey to those viewing it. The Cappuccin monk's message was clear - live life to the full as "time flies".

Our second stop on the tour was outside of the ancient city walls, La Catacomba Di San Callisto. Built in the early second century, located on Via Appia Antica, this is where early Christians would bury their dead. According to Barbara, people were not buried within the city, as Romans worried about decomposing bodies contaminating the underground water supply and the 'shadow people' (ghosts) that are brought out by the activities and movement of the living. Christians have buried millions of people in these catacombs, including 16 popes and many martyrs. Barbara explained that if the underground tunnels of the catacombs were put together it would connect Rome to Florence. The catacombs were named after the deacon Callixtus, who was commissioned in the third century to be the administrator for the cemetery. From this point onwards it became the official cemetery of the church of Rome.

Prior to heading underground, Barbara discussed the history of the secret symbols used by the Christians for communications as they were originally not able to openly profess their faith and would paint or carve the symbols in the catacombs. The main symbols seen in catacombs were the Good Shepard Praying (sheep on shoulders of Jesus- representing Christ the Saviour and the soul that he saved), the monogram of Christ (the first two Greek letters of the Greek word for Christ - Christos, woven together. Put on tombs to identify the dead as Christian) and the Fish (the epitome of the symbol of Christian faith. IXTHYC [fish in Greek, said Ichthus] which when arranged vertically represent the first letters of Iesus Christos Theou Uiòs Soter - Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour). Another symbol that I saw often when in the catacombs was the anchor, the symbol of salvation indicating that the soul had successfully reached the port of eternity. It was absolutely fascinating to hear the history behind the catacombs and these symbols used centuries ago.

The catacombs were used for burying the dead until the 5th century when the church returned to burying people exclusively above ground. When the Barbarians came to Rome, they destroyed many monuments and raided various places, including these tombs. However, unlike many other places in Rome, there were no valuable items in the catacombs, and the Barbarians started selling the bones of martyrs and popes to the church to make money. The popes of the late eighth and early ninth century ordered the removal of the relics from the tombs and relocated them within Rome, including under the Pantheon. After this, the catacombs were completely abandoned and overtime the entrances became hidden. In the last century the exploration of the catacombs was done by Giovanni Battista de Rossi who is considered the founder and father of Christian Archaeology.

 

Down below the ground the maze of catacomb tunnels is amazing. They are built from volcanic rock, which has solidified, creating what looks like concrete tunnels that run far beneath the ground. Along the walls of the tunnels and within the small crypts off the tunnels (for family plots) were empty rectangular holes, called Loculi. This is where people would be buried, sealed, ready to be resurrected and taken to the afterlife. It was eerie down in the cold, dimly lit tunnels. The only sound was that of the various tour groups discussing the crypts and the echoing footsteps through the tunnels. The architecture of the tunnels was incredible, considering the lack of excavation tools and that at the time people were only able to spend 15-20 minutes down there due to lack of oxygen. Some of the family burial crypts were decorated with colourful Christian symbols of Christ and the anchor. There were many small crypts along the walls. These were for children or babies. A sad fact of ancient times was the high rate of child mortality. This just reinforced the message of the Cappuccin monks. Life is short - LIVE IT!

 

The final stop on our tour was Basilica San Clemente. St Clemente, the third successor of St Peter in Rome, is considered a martyr, with fourth century accounts speaking of his forced labour in the mines near the Black Sea, and his missionary work there. This prompted Roman soldiers to bind him to an anchor and throw him into the Black Sea. Sometime later, it is said that the water receded on the 23rd of November, revealing a tomb built by angels from which his body was recovered and moved to the Basilica San Clemente.

Until the middle of the 19th century it was thought that the present day Basilica San Clemente was that mentioned in 392 AD, as a 'church in Rome [that] preserves the memory of Saint Clemente". However in 1857, Fr. Joseph Mullooly, then the Prior San Clemente, thought he heard running water under the Basillica floor. No one else could hear it. Mullooly, one night, couldn't sleep so went into the Basilica and began pulling up the marble floor. He uncovered not only the original, fourth century basilica directly underneath (which the current basilica was built as a replica), but also an even lower level containing the remains of a first century building. This building upon building is not uncommon in Rome. In ancient Rome, to build a new building where another one was, they simply imploded the building into the ground floor, covered the rubble with dirt and then built a new building on top of the old. Hence why people describe Rome as a "lasagne of history", with layer upon layer, upon layer.

Entering the present day Basilica you are hit with the beauty of the Basilica roof. A wooden roof decorated with gold paint glistened in the light from the stained glass windows high above the intricate green, red, yellow and white marble floor. The intricate paintings on the roof extend down the front wall, depicting Christ standing in the tree of life that has many branches extending out. Below this are the sheep, or Christ's followers. It was amazing how detailed the paintings were and how well they had stood the test of time. In the nave of this Basilica stood a great marble canopy over the tomb of Saint Clemente. This was brought up from the lower level Basilica, and a replica was taken down to replace it. Going down the stairs to the fourth century basilica was amazing. The original paintings depicting Saint Clemente's miracles in the nave of the church were still relatively intact, and vibrant. The basilica was exactly the same as the one above, however it had a strange feeling about it, being dimly lit by underground lights. We ventured further down, to about 50ft below ground level to the remains of a first century apartment building and Roman alleyway. The dark rooms of the house were still intact, and the brickwork was amazing. The floor was made of dirt, as it was above. It was here that the sound of running water was evident. In a small room off the alleyway was a river of cold, clear water. Barbara discussed how this was once used as a coin mint, and the spring water was used to cool and wash the freshly made coins. It was this water that Fr. Joseph Mullooly could hear from above.

Resurfacing from the first century building, through the fourth century basilica and back into the present day Basilica San Clemente makes you wonder what else lies beneath the bustling streets of Rome. It is a reminder of how young Australia and various other countries around the world are, and how amazing the history of this eternal city is, especially when you can walk an alley of first century Rome. To think a gladiator and ancient Romans may have walked exactly where I just did is amazing.

We made our way back to the Piazza Barberrini where our tour group dispersed, with a little more understanding of the history of this fascinating city. I took the train back to Cipro station. After another long walk up and down the hills of Rome I arrived, exhausted, at the hotel, ready for a carb hit! Bring on the PASTA! I had a Spritz aperitif at the bar (see picture) and then dined at the beautiful hotel restaurant on handmade red wine Tagliatelle sautéed in butter and pine nuts. All washed down with a glass of local red wine. Fantastic end to an amazing day!

Tomorrow will be free time for more exploring and then the welcome dinner for the Trafalgar tour! YAY!

 

M

 

Day 1 - planes, planes and more planes

 

Day 1

Temperature: ~23°C

Local Time: 10:30pm

 

Buonasera!

 

After many hours of flying, multiple stopovers (Kuala Lumpur and Dubai) and soooo many aeroplane meals, I have made it to the first stop of my Italian adventure - Rome. We landed at sunset, which cast a beautiful golden light over the already stunning countryside. It was just as expected, with tiny towns encircling winding roads, which ran between perfectly laid out fields of yellow, gold or various shades of green. Snow-capped mountains glistened a golden-pink colour above a small patch of fluffy white clouds. There was hardly cloud in the sky, except for a faint wisp here or there.  Hopefully it stays like this!

 

 

 

After leaving the plane and following the crowd into the transfer monorail to the main terminal, we were greeted by the lovely sounds of a crowded Passport Control. Long non-EU Passport lines, if you could call them that, and only four of the ten booths open made for a great start. Don't you just love passport control! Tired and pushy people, crying children ... ahh, the joys. With no ropes to guide passengers into lines it seemed people were just moving into any available "gap" and forming a crowd, right up to the yellow lines of security where they split into three queues. Each time another plane landed a new flood of people would arrive, who would try to simply flow into the middle of the chaos. Needless to say people were on edge. As the flood of new passengers arrive the people on the outside of the crowd would huddle as close together as possible. Much like empire penguins huddling for warmth during a blizzard, they would face their back to the in-coming queue-hoppers, forming a barrier. Good luck to you if you decided to simply stand on the outside of the group. "The line starts back that way!" and "You can't start here, go back!" were commonly heard around the crowd.

 

Eventually as the line grew into the preceding corridor, the floods of people died down, and the 'crowd' actually started to move. Let's just say the time spent navigating through Melbourne football crowds was well spent. As there were no actual lines, you need to be sly, moving quickly and silently into any gap you could find ahead of you. If you simply stood still and were 'nice', you didn't move, evidenced by the lovely Australian family who simply let the people in, and were still standing basically were we had all started when I finally made it through the gates.

 

The hour of waiting to move through Passport control was not wasted! It meant the bags were ready to grab off Baggage carousel 7 when I arrived. No traumatic waiting for your bag to come along that converor belt, constantly wondering whether it actually did make it to your final destination or whether it has been lost in the crazy world of baggage handling. No sir-ee!

 

 "Is that it? No. Is that is? Omg my bag is lost forever, I just know it.... oh wait, that's it! Horary! Holiday saved!"

 

It's amazing how incredibly happy the sight of one bag can make you. I get so excited I jump around a little, I could quiet happily break out into a victory dance of sorts, if the threat of being taken by security to have my mental status checked (who knows if I would actually pass!) or, let's face it, the total embarrassment of being the person that victory dances because their luggage arrives. Anyway, slightly off topic...

 

So, thanks to passport control the anguish of waiting for my luggage was avoided (yay!) and it was smooth sailing straight through the taxi spruikers, and into the next (legit) taxi in line. If you're looking for a legit taxi over here, it's plain white with a small "TAXI" sign above it. If the sign is illuminated, it's free (same as Australia), if not, move on! In Rome you can get a Taxi from the airport to anywhere in the city centre for €48. The taxi driver doesn't need to put on the meter, and shouldn't (so if they do say you're only going to the city centre), and you're off! It's great! The taxi was fantastic, with huge windows that took up most of the door. You could take in as much  of this amazing city as possible! (Well as much as I could see in the dark anyway). Zooming along the freeway was amazing! Let's just saying I think the speed limit of 110 is just a guide or recommendation, as are the dotted lane lines. Oh and indicators are only if you wish to actually leave the freeway or enter it. If you wish to move between 'lanes', no worries! If you haven't yet picked a lane or can't decide which one you want to use (that's me, all the time!), don't stress! Just go half and half until you have! No drama. Thankfully as it was night time so the streets were relatively empty (except for the hundreds of cars squished along the curbs. Much like Paris, if there's a space along the curb and you feel like your car will fit, you can park there).

 

The driver was very nice and once we were closer to the hotel he started talking about the area. Out hotel, Il Cantico, sits within walking distance of Vatican city, in the shadows of the great "atican Church". As we rounded a corner, there it was. The great dome of the church, lit up like a statue. It was beautiful! A fantastic green-blue colour, with a great sense of grandeur. It was captivating to say the least.

 

After about 25 minutes we arrived at the hotel. It is a nice, obviously new hotel, with simple, yet functional, rooms. It is here that I will start my tour with Trafalgar on Wednesday night, with the welcome dinner.

 

Time for bed! Exhausted! Looking forward to waking up in the eternal city tomorrow, ready to explore!

 

Ciao!
M

Below - pictures of dinner at Il Cantico Restaurant.

 From chef. Not sure what it is - but yum! Was slightly like a small toasted spinach sandwich and a cream cheese that had capers finely sliced through it... I think.

Smoked tuna carpaccio (over lettuce)