A pale tincture spread through my bedroom window; the promising springtime sun was rising over Rome, above the pastel apartments.ย I had set my alarm for 6:45, but I kept hitting the snooze button because I was lost in a dream of something I couldn’t quite grasp. I finally rousted myself from bed around 8:30, threw on my clothes and went down to the basement of the Beehive for a breakfast of cappuccino, a cheese omelet, toast, jam and some vegetables, courtesy of Daniele.
I took my sweet time getting ready and finally left the hostel after 10:30.ย Straightaway, I headed to the Roma Sightseeing Bus, but I had to wait for three buses before I could fit on.ย An Irish couple sitting in front of me said, “It’s not really hop-on and hop-off, is it, if you have to wait in line forever to get on, and if you have to wait for three buses before there is a seat!”ย I heartily agreed.ย A maintenance guy was running around repairing things on the bus and people were getting testy. This was the first place I’d been where the hop-on hop-off concept didn’t work.
As we sat waiting on the bus, I could see The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs, dedicated to Christian martyrs, known and unknown.ย It was built inside the ruined frigidarium of the Roman Baths of Diocletian in the Piazza della Repubblica. These public baths were built by Emperor Diocletian around A.D. 300 and sprawled over 30 acres; in these, up to 3,000 Romans could bathe at once. They functioned until A.D. 537, when barbarians attacked and plunged Rome into the Middle Ages.
Built in the 16th century following an original design by Michelangelo Buonarroti, other architects and artists added to the church over the following centuries. During the Kingdom of Italy, the church was used for religious state functions.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri
The bus took us past the Colosseum and around Circo Massimo, the giant arena from where 300,000 spectators once watched chariot races while the Emperor looked on.ย Lying in a natural hollow between Palatine Hill and Aventine hill, it is Ancient Rome’s oldest and largest racetrack.

Colosseum

Circo Massimo

Circo Massimo
We continued riding past the impressive Il Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia. Nicknamed โThe Wedding Cakeโ for its gleaming white marble and tiered levels, this large altar was built between 1885 โ 1925 to honor Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy.

stop 6 on the hop-on hop-off bus

Il Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia

Il Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia

impressive building

another impressive building
I finally got off the bus at Stop 6 near the Vatican at 11:30.ย I walked around looking for a cash machine, got cash, then tried to find a restaurant.ย One man at an empty restaurant pulled a small table a few inches away from another couple and beckoned for me to sit there.ย I motioned that the whole restaurant was empty, so I wouldn’t sit there.ย He said those were all tables for four, so I walked out.
The restaurant I finally settled on, Opera Restaurant, had an outdoor table right under the menu, so passersby kept stopping to read the menu over my table. The service was atrocious.ย Waiters never asked what I wanted and were serving people who’d arrived after me.ย I was so annoyed.ย It took forever to get a drink of sparkling water.ย I ordered just the water and gnocchi with tomato basil sauce, very bland. I really hate how some establishments have an attitude about solo diners, trying their best to either ignore them or make them feel unwelcome.

gnocchi at the Opera Restaurant
Fortified with lunch, I made my way across the Tiber River on Ponte St. Angelo.

Tiber River

Tiber River
Castel SantโAngelo is a cylindrical fortress that lies on the banks of the Tiber River. Emperor Hadrian commissioned the Castel, also known as Hadrianโs Mausoleum, as a resting place for himself and his family.ย The structure was used as a papal fortress in the 6th century due to its proximity to Vatican City. At the time of its construction between 123 โ 139 AD, it was the tallest building in Rome.ย Today it houses the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo.

Castel SantโAngelo, also named Hadrianโs Mausoleum
I took my skip-the-line ticket and went to the Roma Sightseeing Office and was given a voucher to enter the Vatican Museums between 1:30-2:15.
St. Peterโs Basilica, one of the holiest Catholic shrines in the world and an important pilgrimage site, was built above the burial site of Peter the Apostle.ย The Basilica, completed in 1626, was designed by numerous artists, including Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Michelangeloโs famous dome was inspired by the Pantheon and the Duomo of Florence.
The Basilica overlooks St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican’s central square, laid out between 1656 and 1667. Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, it resembles a giant keyhole with two semicircular colonnades to represent the welcoming arms of the church. Caligula brought the 25-meter obelisk in the center to Rome from Heliopolis in Egypt.ย It was later used by Nero as a turning post for chariot races in his circus.

St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square
I was surprised to find I was able to enter the Vatican Museums easily, after a short stop at security.ย First I wandered through the Pinacoteca, the papal picture gallery.ย The collection is made up of around 520 paintings arranged in 18 rooms based on chronology and school, from the so-called Primitives (11th-13th centuries) to the 19th century.ย The collection holds several masterpieces by major artists from the history of painting, including Giotto, Fra Angelico, Melazzo da Forli, Perugino, Leonardo, Cranach, Raffaella, and many more.
I stepped outside to see a faraway view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

view of St. Peter’s Basilica from within the Vatican Museums

view from the Vatican Museums
Then I dove in with the crowds to the Egyptian mummies and tombs, statues and Egyptian gods as animals, as well as Sumerian writing, all from 3000-1000 B.C.
Leaving the Egyptians behind, I walked past a Roman sculpture and outside to a sprawling outdoor courtyard.

Roman bust

Pinecone Courtyard
I continued on through the Greek and Roman Sculptures and more, which I will write about next week, continuing my long walk within the Vatican Museums. A presto!
After the Greek and Roman Sculptures, I was able to glimpse a view of the city.

view of Rome from the Vatican Museums

view of Rome from the Vatican Museums
When I finished at the Vatican Museums, I walked the long avenue back to the bridge.ย I didn’t feel like dealing with the Sightseeing Bus again, so I took a taxi to the hotel which cost me 18โฌ with tip.

Via della Conciliazione

Tiber River & Ponte St. Angelo

sculptures on Ponte St. Angelo

sculptures on Ponte St. Angelo

Ponte St. Angelo
I ate a lovely dinner at Ristorante Regina right around the corner from the Beehive.ย I had the Tourist Menu: Red wine, meatballs, roasted potatoes, and the highlight, tortellini in meat broth.ย Its humble appearance didn’t do justice to its delectable taste!ย For dessert, a bowl of fruit was served.
I chatted with a couple and their young son from California. The man told me that there were 7km of exhibits at the Vatican Museums, according to the guide they’d had; this didn’t surprise me at all. When I told them I’d be going to Florence, they said it was a small city with a lot of people packed into it.ย The family was returning home the following day.

Ristorante Regina

wine at Ristorante Regina

Tortellini in meat broth. Humble looking but delicious!

Rome near The Beehive
After dinner, during which I dropped a meatball onto my lap, staining my white shirt with tomato sauce, I returned to the Beehive and rinsed my shirt, then walked to Roma Termini Train Station.ย I visited United Colors of Benetton, where I got a cute top and a scarf with golds and greens it.ย Then I returned to my room to get cozy, ready to meet Mike at the airport early the next morning.
I would leave Rome after only skimming the surface in two days.ย One would need a full week or more (maybe several) to see and experience Rome properly. If I ever went back again, I would go during the coldest and most miserable time of year, when the crowds might be thinned out. I certainly would avoid Easter week, when I spent most of my time fighting my way through hordes of people. ๐
*Steps: 13,524, or 5.73 miles*
*Thursday, April 25, 2019*
**************
On Sundays, I post about hikes or walks that I have taken in my travels; I may also post on other unrelated subjects. In this case, my intentions for my trip to Italy were determined before I left home. One was to use a different Italian word each day.ย My word for today was โA presto,โ or “See you soon.” The other intention was as follows: Pick up any book you have on your shelf.ย Turn to page 79.ย Pick the 4th sentence on the page and write that sentence at the top of each dayโs journal entry. Then brainstorm any ideas that come to your mind related to that sentence.ย Write a travel essay using that sentence as your topic sentence.
The sentence I wrote in my travel journal was this: โA pale tincture spread into the study window; the pinched little winter sun was rising over the earth, above the neighbors’ buildings.โ This is from a short story called โSome Other, Better Ottoโ from the collection Twilight of the Superheroes: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg.ย Again, I modified the sentence and used a version of it to describe my second morning in Rome.
the ~ wander.essence ~ community
I invite you all to settle in and read posts from our wandering community. I promise, youโll be inspired!
- Sheetal, of sheetalbravon, wrote about her nine-hour visit to the Vatican Museums in Rome.
Thanks to Sheetal for sharing her experience at the Vatican Museums. ๐
It is an undeniably beautiful city, Cathy. The fact that you didn’t get along relates to too many other people finding it so- one of those negatives of tourism. Your photos are still fabulous. ๐ ๐ I love that opening line. I did once write down a sentence with intent to follow it up, but forgot all about it. Perhaps I’ll try it with my current read. Hope you had a good weekend and you’re mobile again soon.
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Yes,Jo, it is a beautiful city, but overflowing with tourists sites and tourists. I made the mistake of trying to do the “touristy” things when I would have enjoyed more just wandering randomly and making frequent stops at cafes! Live and learn.
My weekend was okay. I’m now out of my walking boot and working back into walking, and I have Pilates today. Also lots of exercises to get my ankle back to normal. I’m trying to take it slow, but you know how that goes. ๐
Give the random sentence a try. I like even better finding a line of poetry that I like and weaving that in. Less randomness, but more fun. ๐
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Cathy, I was so excited to see this post, you know Iโve been waiting forever and you didnโt disappoint me. I seriously had no idea that there was so much of Rome I didnโt see. Tripping through the museum was like walking down memory lane and you clicked amazing pictures especially of the Egyptian section. My camera just didnโt do justice. Now Iโm eagerly waiting for Part 2 . Also, thank you for the shout-out, thrilled! Have an awesome day๐.
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Thanks, Sheetal. My experience through the Vatican Museums was much more cumbersome than yours seemed to be, but I got through. You’ll see in my next post about it Sunday. ๐ You have a great day too!
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On my many trips to Rome I never managed to get to the Vatican Museum. Remiss of me, I know, but one day I may manage to tear myself away from the attractions of street-life Rome, eating and drinking and walking around looking at history with my mouth agape and eating gelato. You captured a lot with your camera, as usual.
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In my opinion, Mari, you were wise to do what you did in Rome, and I wish I’d done the same! I would never again go to the Vatican Museums, and I would spend my days as you have done: enjoying the street life, eating and drinking and walking around, and eating gelato!
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I wish you had better experiences there with restaurant staff, bus personnel, and crowds. I’m really drawn to your advice, Cathy: go at the coldest and most miserable time. I think I’d enjoy that. Generally, I prefer cold.
Your photographs are wonderful–such clarity. I wonder if the church was built inside Diocletian’s structure because Diocletian was a famous (infamous) persecutor of Christians. I know you had some good encounters, certainly. And what you saw–treasures of the European and Mediterranean world. Only there could you behold them.
I look forward to your continued excursion in the village on the Tiber. And in real time, I hope you’re really well.
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I usually like the cold too, Christopher, but now, the older I’m getting, I get a little tired of being chilled. I have always hated heat and humidity though. That has never changed. I wish we could experience 60-70 degrees year round! Haha.
I didn’t know that about Diocletian, but that would be a comeuppance for him, wouldn’t it?
I’m sorry I didn’t either leave myself more time in Rome, or skipped the Vatican Museums altogether. Oh well, we live and learn, sometimes the hard way. Enjoy your Tuesday!
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I tried your experiment – my sentence would be โBut Angel Dream was the wrong thing, the wrong thing by a mileโ. I donโt think Iโll be using that! (From The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.)
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I LOVED the Poisonwood Bible, but it’s been so long, I can’t remember it much except for the general story line. As for your sentence, since sometimes one is so hard to work with, it might be better just to open a page at random and find a sentence you like. Who knows? Or you could change the subject or verb or adjectives and use the general sentence structure. Lots of ways to play. I have fun doing such things, but that’s me. ๐
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I found The Poisonwood Bible very hard to get into and almost gave up. Then suddenly I got gripped and now Iโm almost finished it.
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Good, I’m glad you ended up liking it. It was one of my favorites. ๐
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There is so much amazing history and architecture in this post. I wouldn’t know where to look first. Our strategy when going to very popular places is to stay for several days. We find the crowds don’t build until mid morning and by late afternoon it’s thinned out a bit, which makes it much nicer for wandering and exploring. Perhaps in a city like Rome it might always be busy but I suspect our theory might still work.
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I was in Rome for two days, but could have used more. I was in the Vatican Museums in the late afternoon, and the crowds were definitely not thinned out, as I’ll write about this Sunday. I felt like we were being herded through like cattle. It was one of my worst travel experiences ever! But maybe if it hadn’t been Easter week, your plan might have worked. ๐
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You have captured Rome so well in your photos Cathy, but Iโm sure you would need much longer in this beautiful city. I only had 2 days back in 1990 even then the crowds were there.
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That’s for sure, Pauline. Maybe it’s impossible to ever find no crowds in Rome.
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Maybe now….๐ฑ
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That’s true, but as it’s in total shutdown, I’m sure no museums or restaurants are open. The restaurants would be most missed by me!
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So many businesses closing, I wonder if they will ever recover
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I’m afraid for many businesses, especially restaurants. Having no more restaurants would certainly ruin our quality of life. ๐ฆ
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Our whole way of life is due to change. Thank goodness we are in the digital age for communication
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Yes, I think you’re right, although I hope the change doesn’t last forever. I still hope to travel, and eat out at restaurants, eventually.
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We now just do short trips and weekends away around our local area, but I will look forward to getting out again, whenever that may be…
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Me too! ๐
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Absolutely loved this blog. The photos you captured, the words you wrote, tremendous! Felt like flipping the pages of a physical travel journal!!
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Thank you so much, RAK. I’m glad you enjoyed coming along on my wanders. ๐
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