Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:19:26 -0800 (PST)
Subject: A legend proven false!
Buon giorno,
It was a long weekend, and I'm back in Europe -- Rome this time, and in fact
I'm about to leave to go back to the airport for my flight home!
Its been a quick trip, quicker than my previous 3-day trips to Europe,... but
nicely accomplished :)
About the subject line first: on my previous visits to "The Eternal City", I
had thrown a euro coin over my shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, and as most of
you know according to legend, if you do that then it guarantees a return visit.
Well, on my LAST trip, I did not do that. So before leaving I told a couple of
you that I may not actually reach here this time! Well, my plane did not crash,
and I arrived safe and sound in Rome on Sunday morning 8 am!
It was 11am by the time I reached my motel, after customs (went through with no
questions asked), changing clothes/freshening up etc, and taking the Leonardo
Express from the airport to Termini train station in the city, then walking to
my motel.. So I left the motel around 11:30am or so.. going to two places that
I've never been before.
Rome is a very compact city, very walkable -- I've mentioned that in my
previous trip reports -- but in such a small area there are so many sights it's
overwhelming for a first-timer! Well, I'm a fourth-timer and it's still
overwhelming! I wasn't able to make up my mind at first where to go, but
finally decided to go to "Terme di Caracalla" -- the "Baths of Caracalla".
They're somewhat-well preserved ruins in the ancient city -- next to Circus
Maximus and Palatine Hill. Never been there before, never even heard about them
before until reading my tourbook on the plane ride this time. The entrance fee
was 6 euros, with another 4 euros for the audio guide.. and I did not get the
latter. That was a mistake, because there weren't too many signs around and I
really did not get anything out of it. The other tourists there all had audio
guides and were listening intently inside each "room" -- I was walking through
pretty quick. It seemed interesting though -- the old main bath house was still
recognizable, at least by its shape, and there are a lot of pieces of marble
mosaics that are lying around. The grounds were also nice, a quite place away
from the noise of the city..
But I without the audio guide I didn't "get" much out of it. I left in less
than an hour and walked to the Palatine Hill, with a pizza lunch to-go along
the way (surprisingly good considering it was bought from one of those touristy
roadside carts).
The ruins at Palatine Hill were everything that Termi du Caracalla was not! I'd
never been here before either, always wanted to go but one thing or other
always kept me away in the past.. This time, I made it!
Its the emperor's palace, and much better preserved than many of the other
ruins in Rome from that time. But I especially liked the views from up there!
Well, more on that later...
It is huge, and a little confusing to go around without a good map of the hill.
I wanted to see EVERYTHING -- but that meant backtracking a lot of places, and
sometimes, even forgetting "Did I walk through here before or did I go by the
other place?" But I did roam all over -- there are just too many hidden
surprises that I think of other people there missed by not exploring further,
going into a small corridor to come across a site of what was probably a bath
[i.e. swimming pool] or a bedroom ... or climbing up on a couple of the columns
to see a much better view of the city below, along with all the ruins at Foro
Imperiali! Just fantastic! I will say though that I'm very grateful for the
weather all day -- without it I couldn't have explored as much as I did. In the
end, I'd rank it as one of the best sights in all of Rome, provided one takes
the time to go into that crevice or upstairs into a dark stairway!
Basically linger.
One of the highlights of Palatine is the view from up there -- I can imagine
someone of the later emperors looking out to see the Colloseum, Circus Maximus,
and the imperial forum... all directions! Today, you can see all that plus the
domes of all the major churches including St Peters Basilica. Also up Aventine
Hill and neighboring Baths of Caracalla.. and the theater of Marcellus which is
another place I hadn't been before! (there's just SO MUCH in Rome!)
Anyway, after coming down from there I walked by the southern end of Foro
Romano and around the Colosseum to the metro stop, then decided to see some of
the "newer" attractions.
I thought, "Spanish Steps then down to Trevi then across to Pantheon and Piazza
Navona and Vatican before going back to the hotel". Sounded like a good plan to
round out the day.
Plans. They never work.
Along the way the metro stopped at Barberini station (one stop before Spagna --
Spanish Steps) and a HUGE crowd of people were standing on the platform, so I
got out before they could get in! Alright, fine.... from here, Trevi Fountain
is about a 1/2 mile walk, so I went there first. Hung around and did the usual
gelato thing from one of my nostalgic favorite shops in the piazza... DID NOT
throw a euro into the fountain (Legends! Hmf!) and after lingering there a bit
started walking to Piazza Spagna.
Did another usual gelato thing (except this time it was a tiramisu not a
gelato) and started walking up the steps, went up a little more than half way
and changed my mind and came back downstairs again. I thought I'd go to the
Piazza de Popolo.. When I came down I saw the metro sign for Spagna, and
changed my mind again, deciding to go to my motel for a "free" restroom break
before going any further.
So I got on the train and came back to the motel.. and thats when I realized
how sleepy I was!
It was about 6pm, and the sun was still out. Thought I'd take a 1-hour nap and
go out in the evening... Set the alarm on my cellphone for 7 and dozed off to
sleep in the nice comfortable bed..........
I was even more sleepy than I thought, the alarm kept ringing and re-ringing
every 10 minutes and I never woke up until 4am! The cellphone is out of battery
and I'm charging it now while typing this mail on my laptop...
Its now 7:15am and almost time to get ready and head back to the airport for my
flight home.. so I'll close off here. Until next time,
Ciao e buona sera/notte to all you Americans, and buon giorno to the Indians
and buona sera to the Aussies,
-me.
(p.s. trip pictures will be up on the website in a few minutes)
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