Rome

This last weekend Warren had a work conference in Rome. Of course I tagged along and we made it a long weekend in this amazing city. We spent Friday discovering the ancient Roman sites, starting with the Colosseum. 

There were typically several phases starting with animals fighting animals, gladiators fighting animals, and lastly gladiators fighting each other to the death. Entry to see the fights was free, sponsored by the government as a way to show their power, keep the masses entertained, and establish a sense of patriotism. 

Included in our ticket was a visit to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Everywhere we looked throughout the city were ruins, but this site had some of the best. 

The Romans invented the archway and used it often in their construction. This one was built by slaves who were forced to carve across the arch the story of their people being conquered by the Romans. 

The Pantheon (now a Christian church) was originally a temple to the Roman gods. It has an oculus (hole in the center of the dome) that allows light to stream in. There are small holes in the floor to allow for drainage when it rains. The Romans thought of everything.

Midway through our walking tour, we stopped at Alberto Pica for gelato. This place is known for a special type of gelato with rice in it. Somehow the rice stays crunchy and delicious. I got pistachio and rice with cinnamon, an excellent combination. 

We then headed to Saint Peter in Chains church where we saw the chains known as the ones used on Peter when he was brought to Rome as a prisoner. The relic is featured in the glass case within another glass case in the photo below.

This church is also known for a statue of Moses by Michelangelo. It is distinct because of the horns on Moses' head which comes from a misuse of the word "horned" rather than "radiant". Michelangelo knew of the misinterpretation but deliberately created his statue with horns.  

Our first few meals in Rome were quite disappointing, so we asked our Airbnb host for some recommendations. They suggested this seafood restaurant near our flat called La Caletta! I got the risotto with mixed seafood and we also tried the calamari with zucchini. Both were amazing!

We spent most of the day Saturday touring Vatican City. We started at the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. I wasn't super into the museums but I did love this map room. The entire museum was so crowded and hot that it made it much less enjoyable. 

The Sistine Chapel was incredible to see in person. The Creation of Adam section, which it is famous for, is impressive but I was even more impressed by the entire painted ceiling and walls as a whole. I can't imagine the backbreaking work involved over the four years it took to create this amazing work of art. 

This door (aka "The Holy Door") to Saint Peter's Basilica is cemented shut from the inside and is only opened by the Pope during Jubilee years for pilgrims to enter through.

Saint Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world. Saint Paul's Cathedral in London would actually fit inside it. Our access throughout the church was limited because chairs and barricades were set up for a special event the following day. But we were still able to stand in awe at what we could see. 

We had lunch at Giggi's, another recommendation from our Airbnb host, and were delighted to finally have some decent pasta! I got spaghetti carbonara and it was so good I went back the following day for the same dish. 

Our walking tour ended at the bridge outside the Castel St Angelo. Statues of angels with various weaponry line this bridge.

After hiding from the sun for a few hours in our flat, we headed out to the Trastevere neighborhood for dinner and another walking tour. We got pizza at Dar Poeta. It was another excellent recommendation and something we wouldn't have been able to find on our own. Warren's pizza had ham and potatoes and was definitely the better pizza of the two. Mine had eggplant and parmesan and was still very tasty.

Sunday morning we went to the super crowded Saint Peter's Square to hear the Pope's message that he gives when he is in town. Sadly, my good camera died but we were at a great angle to see him and we got a few photos on our phones. I am really glad we went because this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Pope. I just wish we knew Italian so we could understand what he said. 

Our final meal in Rome was a banana split at Giolitti's. I mainly got this sundae for the amarena cherry on top. I love those things and was disappointed when I couldn't find a jar to bring home. Oh, and the gelato was good, too. 

Since Warren was in a conference for the first part of our trip, I was able to spend some time in the city by myself. Since I love churches (and Warren maxes out at 3 per trip) I went to five churches in different parts of the city. All of them were beautiful but I really liked San Maria Maggiore. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is incredible. 

On my way back from San Sabina church, I noticed a line of people looking through a hole in a locked door. I waited my turn and was really impressed by the perfect alignment of Saint Peter's Basilica dome. There was even a red carpet leading up to it (not pictured...it proved to be a difficult photo to take, especially with a line of people behind me). 

I loved how all the tourist shops were selling these bobbleheads of Pope Francis. I was tempted to get one for a friend but they were 15 Euro! A bit pricey for a gag gift. 

I also walked through Piazza Navona, which had several really interesting fountains. Rome has loads of amazing plazas and Piazza Navona is one of the more famous ones. 

Besides having insanely hot weather the entire weekend, we really enjoyed Rome. We were able to walk to all the big sites (which was nice since the public transport workers strike 3 out of 4 Fridays a month). Even though we spent several solid days there I still left feeling like there was so much more to do. I hope we are able to go back again to see more of the amazing churches and eat more gelato!