"A life time is not enough" is what they say about Rome; I (Adrian) would say about four and a bit days and you are not doing too bad. Rome was a great city and easily the best so far with so much to see and do, and boy did we see and do it.
Trevi Fountain, just pops put of nowhere, the Spanish Steps surrounded by bling shops, the Pantheon standing for 2000 odd years and looking strong, and that was just in the afternoon we arrived.
Our first full day was spent at the Papal audience, the Vatican Museum and St Peter's Basilica and Square. The heat was monsterous, but we hung in there to see Pope Benedict, and what a reception he received - it was like being at a rock concert as the Pope mobile did its circuit. He then proceeds to give his speech in no less than five languages. The pilgrim groups were all thanked, our favourite was the the Catholic Mothers' League from Wellington, New Zealand, and an hour and a half later you are all blessed and on your way again.
But just in case you missed them there, the crowds are all waiting for you at the entrance to St Peter's Basilica (including surprisingly sneaky Asian tour groups). What is amazing is that once you are in, you wonder where everyone has gone, the place is massive and just swallows everyone (capacity 60,000 people!). The Pieta by Michelangelo was just amazing, as was pretty much everything in here.
Day 3 (aka the 'day of ruins') was all about the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Palatine. An underwhelming audioguide later, we were left standing in the middle of a whole pile of (admittedly very well decorated) rocks. These ruins just suffered a bit in comparison to those we had seen in Turkey, Ephesus particularly. The Colosseum was another story though. The sheer size of it and the fact that it's still standing is pretty impressive. Amelia really liked the diagrams of the pulley systems that lifted the animals up to the main ground - the plastic lions and tigers just made it.
A bit of a change of plans late in the afternoon meant we visited Rome's cathedral and the 'Scala Santa' - the holy steps that Jesus walked up in Jerusalem. You are only allowed to walk up them on your knees.
Day 4 was a bit of a mishmash. We went to a church which has a big round wall relief sculpture of a face. If you put your hand in its mouth and it chomps down on you it means you are a liar. Luckily both of us escaped unscathed. On the way back from that we walked past the Circo Massimo. Most people think the Colosseum was Rome's biggest stadium, but it was actually this other place (literally translated, 'big circle'). Each competition consisted of seven laps, and at each end there was a structure that dropped a big wooden egg and wooden dolphin respectively after each half lap. Not quite the same as the flag system in Formula One!
Later that day we went to the Borghese Museum, a bit of a strict affair where you have to book the day in advance and are only allowed two hours visit. Amelia loved seeing some famous paintings she had studied at school and uni, and some of the other sculptures (such as this amazing one of Apollo and Daphne). While we were wandering around that night after dinner we saw a big modern art/dance/performance installation thing in town, complete with a boxer, swimmer, and guy rowing strung up and moved across the square above our heads (10m or so). There must have been at least a hundred people involved in creating it, with only another hundred or so watching.
All in all, Rome was great. Staying at a campsite out of town with a pool was a stroke of genius, and we haven't blown the budget too badly (a few expensive dinners out didn't help though). So, if the coin I threw in the Trevi Fountain means anything, I'll definitely be back.
Day 3 (aka the 'day of ruins') was all about the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Palatine. An underwhelming audioguide later, we were left standing in the middle of a whole pile of (admittedly very well decorated) rocks. These ruins just suffered a bit in comparison to those we had seen in Turkey, Ephesus particularly. The Colosseum was another story though. The sheer size of it and the fact that it's still standing is pretty impressive. Amelia really liked the diagrams of the pulley systems that lifted the animals up to the main ground - the plastic lions and tigers just made it.
A bit of a change of plans late in the afternoon meant we visited Rome's cathedral and the 'Scala Santa' - the holy steps that Jesus walked up in Jerusalem. You are only allowed to walk up them on your knees.
Day 4 was a bit of a mishmash. We went to a church which has a big round wall relief sculpture of a face. If you put your hand in its mouth and it chomps down on you it means you are a liar. Luckily both of us escaped unscathed. On the way back from that we walked past the Circo Massimo. Most people think the Colosseum was Rome's biggest stadium, but it was actually this other place (literally translated, 'big circle'). Each competition consisted of seven laps, and at each end there was a structure that dropped a big wooden egg and wooden dolphin respectively after each half lap. Not quite the same as the flag system in Formula One!
Later that day we went to the Borghese Museum, a bit of a strict affair where you have to book the day in advance and are only allowed two hours visit. Amelia loved seeing some famous paintings she had studied at school and uni, and some of the other sculptures (such as this amazing one of Apollo and Daphne). While we were wandering around that night after dinner we saw a big modern art/dance/performance installation thing in town, complete with a boxer, swimmer, and guy rowing strung up and moved across the square above our heads (10m or so). There must have been at least a hundred people involved in creating it, with only another hundred or so watching.
All in all, Rome was great. Staying at a campsite out of town with a pool was a stroke of genius, and we haven't blown the budget too badly (a few expensive dinners out didn't help though). So, if the coin I threw in the Trevi Fountain means anything, I'll definitely be back.
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