I’m sorry for the fact that there has been a large gap between this post and my last, but the idea of this post seemed a little big to comprehend. That is because, what can you say about Rome, it is seen time and time again in books, films and is one of the central stops for the travel blogger. So the question that resonated with me was, how was I going to write this, how was I going to make it my own? To put it bluntly I do not have the foremost knowledge that a PHD art historian or general historian has, nor do I know the ins and outs of the catholic church, but what I do have is a general knowledge of what Rome was like for the average traveller, without the fancy manipulation that occurs in books and films. For example I am aware that in most films that there would be no scaffolding for restoration work on any monument at all, and sadly there was, including a closed Trevi Fountain, but that is the general consensus that if something is weathering it has to be conserved as soon as possible. So this was my general impression of the city, at the peak time of year, swarming with travellers.
The first condition to which we are all aware of is the fact that Italians are extremely relaxed people and do not do anything in a rush, far from it in fact, so my arrival and departure at Fiumicino airport had to be a more timely affair than you would originally presume. But other than that the flight in was gorgeous, you could see the obvious Italian landscape stretching out before you, as you flew over the sea and possibly the river Tiber before turning inland and to the airport. During my stay I managed to tag along with my friend and stay with her Italian family who live there, this I can safely say was a complete bonus, they knew the ins and outs of Rome, helped us buy tickets for the train, tram and metro and all together made you feel so much safer because you knew you were being looked after. But on the downside it did mean that we weren’t staying in the centre of Rome, which at first may be a bit of a let down, which meant we only visited Rome for a total of three days. However, once you understand that you are now in the mountains outside of Rome, which you can faintly see on a clear day, surrounded by olive groves and in a place more untouched by tourists you realize how beneficial it can be.
As we were only in Rome for about three days it meant that we couldn’t see everything, and I wouldn’t want to. I love the history, museums and art that litter the city, but simply walking around and siting in Piazzas for a time and enjoying the scenery was nice enough. That and the fact that in summer Italy is humid and hot, since I’m from northern England that was definitely a challenge. But another helpful tip saved us a lot of hassle, by simply bringing a water bottle with you, the amount of water fountains throughout the city meant that you could always have some water on hand. You could argue the point that why go to Rome if you aren’t going to see anything, well we did, but nothing which would take hours to queue for, which I’ll warn you, it would. We couldn’t bear the queue to see the Vatican museum, which already was across St Peters square or the queue that ran down the street to the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) which I believed was so popular just because it is seen in Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck’s film, ‘Roman Holiday’ my theory stemmed from the fact that all small stalls seemed to have some sort of picture or calendar to do with the film and Audrey. Despite these setbacks, there were some places that I just loved, such as that Pantheon, which was simply grand, heaving with life and the mix of Roman and catholic. Castel Sant’Angelo, also topped my list not only because I got in free thanks to my trusty letter that said that I studied Art History (if you receive a letter from your university which explains that you study Art History or Architecture you are allowed in free, there is also a smaller discount if you can prove you are under 18 and can be available in most museums and attractions) but also because you saw some of the most fabulous views of the city. The final impressive stop for me was the Piazza de Popolo (Square of the People) It was such a grand area, leading in from the north gate and seeing down the three main roads in the city, including the Via del Corso, which ended at Mussolini’s monument, which was a grand site in itself (despite it’s overly grand and slightly fascist appearance) However I do wish that I got to see more of the ancient city, such as a trip into the forum and Colosseum, so I would simply advise that you have to start your day early, or dedicate enough time to wait to see some of the areas, as I would have loved to go inside the Vatican museum again. The final time we visited the city was at night, in which the dynamic changed completely as there was less heat and less tourist style hustle and bustle. Restaurants also opened tables outside on the street so it was lively and fun. We visited the apparently new tradition of the Trillussa Village, where swarms of locals set up pop up restaurants, bars and shops along the shore of the river Tiber, the food was amazingly good and the fun chat between the Italian family I was staying with and the owner who they were friends with made you feel part of the event. (See link for the event) https://www.facebook.com/TRILUSSAVILLAGE
It’s obvious why it’s called the ‘Eternal City’ as it’s culture spreads through numerous time periods and is peppered with an eclecticism, from Roman, to a few sections of Gothic, the Renaissance, Baroque, Romanesque style mosaics to contemporary, while remaining at a distance you could if you want, walk the length of the city in a day.
Despite my short bursts of time in the city I loved being able to delve into the culture of the romans, staying outside the city meant that their English may not have been that strong but also meant that you felt a part of the country rather than in the city which is basically for the tourists. We also took a trip to the beach, which was heaving with the locals, we got to experience the Italian summer that was as fun and easy going as you can imagine. One experience that I couldn’t encourage you to do more is to go to one of the bars in the city or just outside first thing in the morning, don’t do what the English typically do by sitting and eating for an hour, but order a croissant and a cappuccino or espresso and stand at the bar as the Italians do, the coffee and pastry’s are delicious and the quaint fast paced meal will help you get in the mood for a full day of site seeing.
For me the trip didn’t just signify a trawl around the advertised sites of the city but also I managed to feel part of the culture, whether sipping homemade limoncello, trying to order food with an Italian accent and hoping for the best when all Italian you know exits your mind, enjoying the food which incidentally all seemed to taste good to me and get to walk around outside the city. I think it’s a shame if you spend all your time stuck in the centre of Rome without managing to see what life is like away from the dedicated tourist. I would absolutely go back in a heartbeat as I’m completely in love with the place, despite the fact that the queues were long, the heat was intense, the metro could get a little scary and crowded and the Trevi fountain was a paddling pool at the time (so lets see if I can go back since I couldn’t throw in a coin.) But because of the fact that I felt such a part of the place, in some ways, I at least hoped that I felt like Princess Ann, seeing all of the sites of Rome that are only known by someone who lives there.
My next post: at the moment I am thinking of Bowes Museum in County Durham, I’m volunteering there at the moment and find it such a fascinating place, it will either be on one of the exhibits or the museum itself.
Hugs-
Sand Beneath My Feet 