Ups and Downs on the Hills of Rome

 

 

 

 

The centre of the universe (in its time) is a living museum. You don't have to go to any museums in Rome to find interesting ancient artifacts to look at. You just go out your front door and turn left or right or go straight ahead. We were staying next door to the Termini train station which meant we were connected to everything in Rome by train, metro, or bus. We were on the edge of the historic centre so we could walk to most of the sights we wanted to see if we felt like it. From the incredible beauty of the largest cathedral in the world, St. Peter's Basilica, to the Vatican Museum where Popes over the years have collected an art collection that rivals all others, to the majestic grandeur of the Roman Colosseo and Forum, to the numerous piazzas where fountains like the Trevi create a gathering place for tourists and locals alike, there is never a dull moment in this city. We went down into the Catacombs, saw the city from the top of St. Peter's, walked up the Spanish Steps, visited the oldest domed building the Parthenon, and dropped into a dozen or so ornately decorated cathedrals. Castel Sant'Angelo, the Capitol, the Quirinale, as well as the immense Vittorio Emmanuelle monument (nicknamed 'the typewriter') in Piazza Venezia were all quite impressive but we also enjoyed exploring the cobblestone streets of old Trastavere in the rain looking for a popular restaurant called Dar Peola Pizzaria. The checklist in Rome is long and we again found ourselves enjoying long wandering walks through the narrow old streets past tiny cafes and quaint shops even more than the tourist sights.

 

Although there were many 'ups' during our stay in Rome, we also experienced some real 'down' moments. Elaine had her wallet stolen on a bus which made for some really panicky moments as we called to cancel cards and ensure that our trip (and our finances) weren't in jeopardy. I had my favourite cap stolen on top of St. Peter's Basilica of all places when I put it down while taking pictures. We realize that we need to be hypervigilant since we are walking targets as tourists but every once in a while you let your guard down and you can so easily get burned. We have to tell ourselves that these things happen in Winnipeg as well so life must go on. We left Rome with many good memories tempered by a few anxious moments (or days) when the world wasn't quite as beautiful and safe as we had assumed it was.