I stood at the edge of the Piazza’s overlook, with a view of the entire city of Rome unfolding before me. A breeze rippled through the air, and the sun illuminated the spread of domed basilicas. I felt young, invincible, yet vulnerable and unfulfilled. Lovers melted into the benches, children skipped carelessly, and the world felt at peace. But what are words to hold a moment captive? Words cannot adequately describe my experiences in Rome, or more generally of this semester, but writing something inadequate is certainly better than writing nothing at all.
I should begin by telling about my travel buddy for my latest adventure. I have mentioned my friend Tara before, who is from Scotland and studying Law here at Leiden. We both decided that after the stress of exams we deserved a trip somewhere. We tossed around ideas for a few days, and less than a week before our departure decided on Rome. The history, culture, reputation, and beauty of the city appealed to both of us, and it has been on my wish list of places to visit for quite some time. Our flight and hostel-booking was all last minute, and despite the timing we were still able to find some good deals.
June 5th finally arrived, and Tara and I met up and walked to the train station. I managed to pack everything for a 6 day trip into my small carry-on backpack; I am getting good at this “consolidate your life” concept. Our flight was easy and short, as was catching the train from the airport to the center of the city. We made our way to our hostel, Rome City Hostel, which is a bit outside the city center in a quiet university neighborhood. It was early evening by the time we were settled, and we made our way to the metro station with the aim of finding the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. Our first stop was a corner café that served Espresso and incredible baked goods. Nobody spoke English, and I quickly learned that “duo” is two, and “bellissimo” is beautiful. The older man who was the owner of the store struck up a conversation with us in Italian, which I could get the gist of from my understanding of Spanish, translate to English for Tara, and respond in Spanish. With the help of hand gestures and patient repetition of words, we were able to piece together a conversation. We downed our espresso standing up at the bar, said “grazie” and promised to return “domani.” We spent the evening wandering the streets of Rome. Our first stop was the Spanish Steps, which we nearly missed because of the packs of people littering them. Eager vendors shoved pinwheels, postcards, and roses in our faces. Put off by the crowds, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain, which was as equally packed with tourists flashing photos and tossing coins. We made our way to a restaurant tucked away on a quiet street, and enjoyed our first Italian meal. I had ravioli in a vodka sauce, with bread and cooked greens. The servers were friendly and the food was delicious. Properly satiated, we made our way to Piazza Colonna and then climbed the Spanish Steps for a beautiful view of the city at night.
June 6th: Our first full day in Rome started early. In an effort to beat the crowds and the heat, Tara and I got up early and were queuing for the Colosseum at 8:30. We bought a three-day “Roma Pass” that included free entry to museums and free transport, and did an audio tour of the massive stadium. The size of the structure was overwhelming. The Colosseum is the best-preserved ancient structure in Rome, and its fame is well deserved.
As the heat intensified, we began to feel trapped in a stone oven, and were glad to find some shade on top of Palatine Hill nearby. I had downloaded some podcasts about the various sights in Rome to my ipod, and these helped us make sense of the crumbling ruins that sprawled before us in the Roman Forum. We walked through ancient vineyards, found old temples, and got some great views of the Colosseum from a distance. We stopped for lunch from a street vendor, sat in the shade and enjoyed gelato and watermelon. After lunch, we went to the Capitoline Museums to see some beautiful sculpture collections. We ordered espressos at the café, which were given to us by the young barista “free, for you, because you look so nice.” We walked across the Tibur River and crossed into Trastevere. We visited the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, which had beautiful gold mosaics and interesting chapels. With the intention of finding a park to sit down in for part of the afternoon, we began to wander in the direction of public gardens. Our walking led to a closed botanical garden and an “off the map” walk through residential Rome. A bit fatigued by the end of our walk, we were rewarded by a pizza dinner on a patio back in Trastevere. To end the evening, we stopped at Piazza Navona for gelato and street entertainment. By the end of the day we fell into bed, having walked what felt like the entirety of Rome.
June 7th: After our exhausting first day, we decided to have a slower pace for the day. We slept in, met people in our hostel over breakfast, got out espresso at the corner café, and headed to the 2nd largest basilica in Rome, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. Unfortunately, we only were afforded a quick glimpse inside, as we were confronted by a security guard who informed us we were “too exposed” to enter the church. Tara and I stared in disbelief as we examined our outfits for the day- summer dresses that came to the knees, with cardigans over the shoulders. The few inches of knee showing was apparently too much for the holy environment to handle. Disgruntled, we left and began to wander to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was beautiful and impeccably preserved. The morning continued on bad footing, however, as 2 other churches we were interested in seeing were closed.
We found lunch at a random café, and, vowing to set the day right, made our way to the Villa Borghese. We found a café tucked into the trees and enjoyed iced coffees in cushioned wicker chairs. Our tired feet deserved the rest, and our minds cleared as we chatted. A nearby pond beckoned to us, and we rented a rowboat and enjoyed the scenery.
We found a quiet spot in the shade and read for a bit, then made our way to Piazza Napoleone for the incredible view that started this entry. We got a sandwich from a street vendor and sat down in the middle of the Piazza to drink in the sights and sounds. After a while we made our way down the hill towards the Piazza del Popolo, and stumbled into a museum showcasing the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. It was small and a bit disappointing. We walked in the direction of the Spanish steps and found a café that offered table service drinks and pastries. We headed back to the Piazza to watch the sunset. Back at the hostel that night, we hung out with some of the guests, who were from all parts of the world- the Dominican Republic, Quebec, Alabama, Mexico, Argentina, and Slovakia.June 8th: After our frustrating experience getting kicked out of the basilica on Monday, we were determined to avoid the problem a second day. I loaded up my bag with black pantyhose and a sweater, and we headed to the Capuchin Crypts near the Barbarini Station. Upon arrival, however, we were not properly clothed, and apparently the bones would take offence at the visibility of my knees. We searched in vain for a toilet for me to change into my black hose, and eventually decided to repay the bones a visit later in the afternoon, when the crypt re-opened. In the meantime we headed to the complete opposite side of town to the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, where the Pope had resided in the past. The sculptures inside were beautiful, but there was a service of sorts going on so the ambience wasn’t ideal.
We wandered in the direction of the station, and stumbled upon a garden restaurant that had a 3-course lunch deal for 10euro. Tara and I decided to eat in proper “Italian style” by taking a few hours in the mid afternoon for lunch. Our table overlooked a Roman wall, and we enjoyed bread, a pasta dish, a meat dish, a vegetable dish, and coffee. The meal was one of the most enjoyable we had in Rome.
After enjoying our siesta, we went back to the Capuchin Crypts, this time properly attired, and marveled at the creepy display of bones. Femurs hung from the ceiling to create a chandelier, hip bones were fanned out in a symmetrical design, and mummies clothed in monk’s robes gripped crosses, their yellow teeth and shriveled eyes warning us of death. Despite the haunting atmosphere, it was a strangely peaceful experience. A placard in the last crypt read “What you are now we used to be, what we are now you will be.” Nothing like death to set you on a positive note for the day!
Our main attraction for the day was the Galleria Borghese, a gallery located in the middle of the sprawling Villa Borghese. In order to visit the museum, you must make a reservation a day before. We were given a specific time of entry, with a reservation number that was required for entry. We took a walk through the park and ended up at the gallery in time for our entrance. The gallery was beautiful, with painted frescoes and ceilings, paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael and sculptures by Bernini. After our visit, we decided to go “off the guide book” once again in search of dinner. We discovered that the best way to find authentic experiences while traveling is to get as far away from a tourist attraction as possible, ideally equally as far away from a large metro station. Our plan succeeded, as we stumbled upon a restaurant the served cheap, but incredible food. For under 10euro we enjoyed pizza, wine, and bruschetta. We were sitting next to two American guys, one of whom works in Rome making travel guides for tourists. He assured us we had come to a good place, and pointed out that everyone else in the restaurant was Italian, which is a sign that you have found authenticity.
June 9th: Our last day in Rome was reserved for visiting the Vatican. It was an all-day experience; as a pass to the museums enabled you to enter over 5 separate buildings, each with many rooms and diverse collections of art and sculpture. The museum experience reminded me of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC- daunting. It would take days to truly see each painting or room, so we had to be on an express tour. We both bought the audio guides, which brought the rich rooms to life. My favorite was the Raphael Room; every wall and the ceiling was painted in his hand, and were of Bible scenes or parables and allegories of wisdom and life. The Hall of Maps was impressive as well, and the Pinoteca was by far my favorite collection.
I have to admit, I was disappointed by the Sistine Chapel. Not because the art wasn’t incredible, but because of the hoards of people, the noise, and the security guards admonishing people for using cameras and such. We managed to find a seat and gaze up at the incredible ceiling. I was overwhelmed by the vast expanse of space, with each square inch carefully painted by the hand of a genius. It was one of the most beautiful displays of human creativity I have seen.
After spending nearly four hours in the museums, we headed outside for some gelato and to go to St. Peter’s Basilica. The sun was intense, so thankfully the queue was moving quickly to get into the Basilica. I have never felt so small in a building before. The Basilica is incredible- vast, expansive, beautiful, overwhelming. Thousands of people were inside, and yet it felt open and airy. The sculptures were terrifying and huge, the altar towered over the crowds, and the dome stretched up towards the heavens for what seemed like eternity. I was touched by Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, La Pieta, which I had just enough time to see before the basilica began closing down for mass. Having had our fill of religious art for the day, Tara and I headed back to Piazza Navona for one last meal in the city we had fallen in love with. We sat on a bench and watched the busy piazza for close to an hour, talking about all the incredible experiences we had had, and trying to convince ourselves that we were alright with heading back to Leiden. We made a promise to ourselves to return to the eternal city, a promise which I hope to fulfill someday.
