We had a great time on our honeymoon, and really enjoyed exploring Rome. We babbled about it at great length with Dad on Saturday… for most of the afternoon. I’m going to scribble down at least quick notes about the trip and what we saw now, and hope to add more detailed posts later. I’ll link off to our photos when we get them up on flikr.
On to the capsule summary…
Day Zero (Thursday/Friday): Begins in Fresno, 4 am. Dad shows up, we load the truck, and head to the airport. Flight to Dallas, Chicago, London, Rome. Interesting events: Entertainment from Dallas to Chicago; security, boarding passes, and no gate numbers in London, traveling with crown officers escorting an illegal immigrant back to Rome. Landing, customs, met by driving service agent, the ride into Rome. First exposure to Italian driving, hotel booking issues (do you want two singles?), the room, collapsing for a nap. Brief exploration, finding the grocery store, sacred cats, picking restaurants and the luck of tourists, back to the hotel, sleep for the night.
Day One (Saturday): We decide to start with the longest walks first, so later explorations can be shorter when we’re more tired. Getting our bearings, to the Spanish Steps, long walk east; cool lunch (salami and egg pannini, toasted, and spinach and cheese pannini toasted), witnessing drinking water and filling our bottles, Triton plaza, closed Planetarium, the wrong museum of Rome, bus tour of the city, the right Museum of Rome, back up hill to the Spanish steps, pictures, night walk back to Trevi fountain, dinner (meeting the cool pair of tourists), gellato, fountains outside the Pantheon (the pair from dinner reappear; good conversation), piazza Navona, to bed and collapse.
Day Two (Sunday): Espresso and cappuccino on the Campo di Fiori, great breakfast, viewing the Pantheon, taxi to the Appian Way, buying a great sandwich from the grocer, walking away from town about a half mile, seeing the villa with the bath complex, peacefully eating lunch, walking back toward to crypts, great views, Emperor Maxintenius’s(?) county villa (from the road), showing up to the crypts, two bus loads of English speaking tourists encourage us to wait for a second tour, the crypts, back to the Appian Way to catch the bus. Wait, we have to buy tickets, they won’t take cash? The long walk back, from mile markers 3 to 1, into the San Sebastian gates. Beautiful quiet walk, the baths of Caracalla, track and field event, Circus Maximus and joggers, around the corner… hey, the mouth of truth. Across to Trastavere, incredible pizza, drag home to collapse. Our room has been moved, and the new one is beautiful. We’re woken by rain burst; Jennifer laughs at the throngs fleeing the piazza. Daily Show international and sleep.
Day Three (Monday): A lighter day; I get up early and head down to breakfast, which is vast and good. Return with croissant for Jennifer, who remains asleep. A quiet morning reading while she sleeps. We explore the via de Oro (right outside our hotel) for rings and explore the quarter near us. A tasty lunch results from a moment of panic. Then we move on across to the left side of the bridge and head up to the game store Jennifer researched in advance. It’s very cool; we return with Struggle for Rome. Rest on a bench near the Vatican; watch a homeless guy taunt the police. Visit the cats, shop for sandwich fixings for the hotel. Return to the hotel, make dinner, eat, sleep.
Day Four (Tuesday): Hotel breakfast, tracking the elusive bus 280, riding to Pyramide, getting on the first train to Ostia, switching to the second, smooth run to Ostia. Along the path, refill water, enter Ostia. Incredible day; lots of ruins, mosaics, lots to see. Return late, eat left over dinner fixings, sleep.
Day Five (Wednesday): Tour rescheduled while I shower; we decide to do breakfast and hit the Vatican. Basement (Tombs of the Popes), St. Peter’s basilica, the ropes and service, Pieta, mail a postcard to Jennifer’s grandma. Hit the museum, it’s half closed. Animal room, some statuary, a few rooms, then into the long halls, passing art, the map room, and into the Sistine Chapel. Emerge into fresh air, head out. Went back alternate route, got crappy pizza. Siesta, head over to Cul De Sac, Jennifer gets mistaken for Italian while I get cash, we’re sat next to obnoxious/drunk/wealthy students abroad, eat a great meal (meat and cheese platter, smoked tuna, and artichoke pie) and leave while the students break glasses and get drunker.
Day Six (Thursday): Tour day! We’re up early; eat breakfast and head into the lobby to wait for our guide. She’s a bit late and up front about her disorganization. We wander out the door across the street to pick up day long bus/metro tickets. Then we head the few feet to the original piazza Navona entrance, get some backstory. Wander into the piazza Navona, hear about its past, wander into the church on the square. Visit the piaza around the corner (w/ Cul De Sac from last night), quick discussion about the speaking statues. Long wandering, come upon the Jewish Ghetto. Get told about it’s history; (gate fees, water fees, restrictions, flooding, etc.) enough to make me angry. We wander into the ghetto, hear about its current gentrification, out onto the bridge to the island in the Tiber. We hear about its history, the cults of medicine becoming Saint (?) [also medicine], the hospital on the island, use for plague isolation. Get pointed at ring ideas. Walk back into the city, Jennifer mentions hunger, see the Pantheon, discuss column raising schemes, head inside and witness the occulus (under overcast skies), around the corner for lunch. Into the basement, see the old walls, hear about development requirements, enjoy tasty lunch (including deep fried and seasoned artichokes), cross to the Jesuit church. View the elephant supporting the obelisk, notice the butt turned to the Jesuits, catch the bus to the forums. Church behind the forums, look through fence, head down and into the forum, purchase ticket to forums & coliseum, walk through forums, egg and dart, gigantic basilica of Maximus, cross to the coliseum, blow past the line w/ our previously purchased tickets. View underside of coliseum, hear about entry/exit, go to elevator– one of two in service. Head up, view from mid height. View the incorrect reconstruction prepared for Hitler’s visit, wander around and view the strangely clear and well drawn graffiti. Head back down, catch the packed metro to termini, then 1 stop further to the Michaelangelo’s church. Tour it, view the solar calendar marker, paintings, and finish off the church. Wander out to settle up with Julie (?), catch the bus back to the cats, wander looking for rings as it starts to sprinkle. Head along the lane to the Campo di Fiori and find the right ring store. Buy our wedding bands; emerge as the sky cuts loose. We hurry back to our room; I foolishly wave aside umbrella salesmen and we’re drenched before we reach the room. We shower and settle in; have a short nap. I head out, mentioning our departure in the morning to the hotel attendant (who sets up a taxi), and pick up limoncello, chocolate bread, and 3 pizzas, and bring them back to the room. We feast, watch some TV, and sleep.
Day Seven (Friday): A very long day. We get up at 6:30 am to catch the 7:30 taxi to the airport. Check in, grab some coffee and pastries, settle in to wait. Flight to Chicago (much less cool, smaller, we’re in the center, and no personalized screens); 2 hour delay for our LA flight; Jennifer’s attempts to reschedule connection to Fresno, onto the plane. We hit LA; the pilot announces gate for Fresno connection. While we’re taxing, the Fresno plane takes off a little early. No one to greet us as we leave the plane. The guy at the counter makes no effort to help us and directs us to AA lounge. Head to the lounge– they have 1 person to reschedule all the missed connections for the flight. We run, and run, and run, and barely catch new flight. Coordinate w/ Dad, make it home, collapse exhausted.