Ancient Rome

We set out at 9:30 this morning. Today we were once again attempting a walk to the ancient section of Rome. Our course took us past the Area Sacra, one of the many reminders that there are Roman ruins and foundations under most of modern Rome and some areas like this one have remained ancient.

This time I was navigation-perfect and got us to an overview of the Area di Tito, the lower section of the old city, in 15 minutes. To access this area, one goes up the steps of the Campidoglio. For my female readers, who may be disappointed, but not surprised, by the lack of male anatomy in my photos, I give you this collection of Roman athletes. Sorry ladies, these guys weren’t very well endowed. I have a new theory about the downfall of Rome.

Once inside the old city one starts to get a feel for the pulse of life here two thousand years ago. There was obviously much pageantry and the two beautiful triumphal arches in the Area di Tito, the lower town, are testimonial to that.

Only the bare bones of this once vibrant city remain, but like the picture below of an original door, this is enough to send you back in time.

The upper part of the city is called the Palatine Hill. It provided the prime view for the Circus Maximus and the construction of building here, like below was dominated by tuff brick buildings . This area also has a wonderful collection of umbrella pines that give respite from the hot sun, one that was once again beating down on us today.

As a tip to future travellers - and a reminder to myself - we bought our 12E tickets that include all sites here, just off Via dei Fori Imperiali, where the lines were insignificant compared to those at the Coliseum. Once you finish touring the ancient city, you skip the enormous line at the coliseum and enter in seconds with ticket in hand. BONUS! One never tires of the walk around this massive area where so much history has been played out in movies.

The crowds were still pretty impressive today, with lots of touring school kids - man, I never had a field trip like this! But some things never change and it was amusing to see how bored the kids were by their guide’s futile attempts at “culturefying” them - think I made up that word. We were able to retrace our route to the hotel without error and arrived back by 12:00. We had a bit of a time line today because Tony and Jackie had booked a guide to take them to the Vatican. Dawn and I decided to give this one a pass, since we’d visited the Vatican in ’09. So, before they left, we all sat down for a pizza lunch in the Campo. There is now a daily market in this square and it is directed at tourists with fabulous collections of coloured pasta, packets of herbs and sets of oils and seasonings on display. You need lots of room in your suitcase, which is a problem for us.

While taking a stroll after lunch, Dawn and I came upon a photo shoot featuring this attractive couple.

Dawn and I then spent a quiet afternoon at the hotel, much of it up on our totally deserted terrace - with such shabby views. Just kidding! When Jackie & Tony returned from the Vatican, we celebrated Tony’s birthday and watched the sun go down for our last time in Rome.

For dinner this evening, we headed across the river in a slightly roundabout route - oops again - to the Taverna Trulisso. Jackie heard a recommendation for this restaurant on TV in Canada. It was definitely a happening place and currently they were featuring a truffle menu. I was the only one with a taste for this musty mushroom and I went for it via beef with truffles. Wow!

By this point, we all have the feeling that Italian cuisine doesn’t pull at our heart strings like French cuisine does. It’s good food with minimal presentation skills and there doesn’t seem to be a great variety. For better wine here, we’ve been paying a lot more than in France. These, I hope are objective observations. Sorry Italy!

When we got back to the hotel, in half the time it took to get us there, we returned to the roof, enjoying the warm evening and the environs.