Italy - pt. 3 Rome, Ostia Antica, Nemi and home

Rome

Day 1

So we planned on going to Ostia Antica this day which was a short 3 stops on the train from where were staying so thought it was a good day to sleep in.  We get train passes, getting off at the stop for the ruins and it’s closed Monday.  We head back to the train and take the train to Rome and get off at the Colosseum.  Holy cow, it is so much larger than it appears in books, pictures, movies.  I was really impressed by the height of the walls and the labyrinth of the lower maze. 

 As you enter the Colosseum 

The Arch of Constaintine

Really incredible views, we stopped by a sandwich/gelato truck for a snack (yum Pistachio gelato!) and to debate going to Palatine hill or the Forum.  The Forum won out.  Absolutely incredible to see and to think you’re in the same church and walking the same roads as the Romans did over 2,000 years ago. 

 snack truck

 overlooking the forum

After the Forum we walked around Rome and found a group of young adults sitting around a fountain drinking and singing songs.  There was a café in the square so we sat down for food and drink and listened to them sing and laugh.

This was an early night for us as we got back to our hotel by 8pm and just relaxed, playing games and watching some TV before bed.

Day 2

The Vatican was our plan for day 2 in Rome.  We walked up and the line was enormous.  The wait was about 3 hours to get entrance tickets. There was a bunch of people trying to sell tours and after some discussion among ourselves it’s exactly what we did.  We ran over to be included in the 11:30 tour which was supposed to be a 2 hour tour but ended at 3 so 3 ½ hours.   We highly recommend doing the tour here rather than self guided or audio.  Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the history behind the pieces as well as the Church significance (or sometimes historical leader like Napoleon and Mussolini). I think the best part about our guide was that she took the extra time to show us the picture gallery which isn't usually on the tour.  Such awesome things housed here so if you plan on a tour of the Vatican try to get our guide (pictured below with blonde hair, holding a stick with a scarf tied to it) or ask your guide if they include it.

 Our guide

 The last Supper silk tapestry is HUGE and in the picture gallery

 one of the first stairways

 Bacchus 

The pine cone garden

 St. Peter's

 prepping for the Pope the following day

The Sistine Chapel was a surprise.  We passed through into the back area with benches on the walls and just sat and looked up and the images appeared 3D. Pictures aren't allowed or I’d have tried to capture the 3D like quality of the figures on the ceiling (the prophets and sibyls).

St. Peter’s Basilica is not to be missed.

After the Vatican we grabbed a sandwich to split and were “given gifts” by a man and woman sitting by the food truck who then asked for money.  We gave them some change and we walked away.  They want you to pull out your wallet so they can see it to pick pocket you later.  Don’t do it, better yet don’t accept the “gifts” say no thank you and walk away. Gypsies and pick pockets are the norm so be aware, don’t fall for the conversation.  PSA over.

From there Don wanted to find a particular store so we walked 2 miles (making it 7 miles for the day so far on top of the 9 miles walked the day before) only to find it had closed. As Americans living in the suburbs that walk an average of 1.5-2 miles a day my feet couldn't take anymore of the cobblestone streets so Don flagged a taxi to drive us to the Pantheon.  

Thank goodness for the taxi because we were a LONG way from the Pantheon which looked like it was built yesterday.  Really was stunning and as I sat in a pew Don went to look for the store in Piazza Navona that sold Chess sets.  

 Pantheon entrance

 directly under the open dome

 dome from the inside

He came back about 10 minutes later to take me down there.  It was beautiful and had cafes and shops.  I sat outside at one of the cafes on the corner ordering us some cheese and wine while he went to get that chess set.  He came back and a guy had settled in across the street to play music.  He started out with the Beatles Let it be and then also played Sting, Cyndi Lauper and many others.  He was really, really good.  We walked around the fountain while reading the history of the location and eventually I bought a Pasta maker to bring home.  It was then time to walk back to the Pantheon to catch a Taxi to a train station in Rome to meet up with everyone for Wendy’s birthday dinner.

my phone did a weird filter thing here

a picture of the Piazza Navona hanging in the restaurant that night for dinner with everyone

The restaurant was in Wendy and Jean’s old neighborhood in Rome.  I wish I remembered the name of the restaurant they had really good food there too.  I say that a lot but so many places cater to tourists so it’s just not good and overpriced. The baby wasn't feeling super celebratory so we all took turns trying to get her to sleep.  She finally fell asleep in my arms and holding onto Don’s finger which was so cute.

Someday it'll be us holding our own baby

Wendy, Emmy, Jean and Harvey

We got onto the last train of the night and went back to Ostia.  Our plan for the next day was once again to go to Ostia Antica.

Ostia Antica

The city, yes city of ruins was so vast we didn't even scratch the surface.  The place could take a week to see it all even if there tour guide of suggested paths.  The nice thing in these ruins is it’s more like a park.  While there are roads you can follow you can also just go off the paths and explore, unlike most other places which guide you along paths.  We spent a few hours here then went back to the hotel to meet up with everyone to drive to a mountain town called Nemi.

 The amphitheater

Nemi

So the drive to Nemi was interesting.  It’s just over an hour drive there and since Don couldn't get the town to come up on his phone he plugged in the destination as Lake Nemi.  Unfortunately, that’s exactly where the phone was taking us and by the time anyone spoke up we had long since passed the road up the mountain to the town.  Reroute on the phone took us up a very narrow old Roman back road to the town,  The whole while hoping it actually went through or we’d have to drive down the mountain in reverse because no way could a car turnaround let alone the van we in.  Luckily it did go through and we found parking.

Nemi is known for its wild strawberries which are small, sweet, and unaltered.  They were awesome! We had strawberry tarts with custard and cream and I wished I could eat like 6 of them.  They were so tasty.  They also had strawberry/blackberry granita that Wendy had and that was also good made out of the fresh berries.

 a panoramic view of the town

 Lake Nemi 

 Where we shopped

Jean, Wendy, Max, and Harvey

After eating we went to do some shopping.  It was the last evening we’d be in Rome so we bought some jarred goods and dried mushrooms to bring home.

After going to dinner we said our goodbyes and got back to pack the last few things we’d bought into our luggage.  We had an early start the next day to get the 4 of us back to the airport and return the rental car.
The flights home were 24 hours for us and even worse for Jean and Harvey who ended up staying an extra night in Rome then having to take a plane to Amsterdam where they were for about 18 hours. Sure hope they made the next flight back to Atlanta.