Semana Santa: Rome

All roads lead to Rome.  And that’s a good thing because a European fling would not be complete without it.  We rode in by bus during a thunderstorm and found our way to Trastavere where we would be staying for our week in the legendary city. 

Legendary not in the least was the food: pizza, everywhere; and then… more pizza.  The Romans know how to eat!  For being so amazingly simple (often only a single topping, if that) the pizza has a truly unique flavor; a combination of much coveted old family recipes for sauces and dough, wood-fired to perfection and laden with local cheeses and farm fresh produce toped with spice-infused olive oils, and all worth a gladiator fight to the death. 

After pizza, we strolled through Trastavere, a trendy neighborhood built on one of the seven hills constituting the city layout.  It was an eclectic mixture of ancient architecture with modern conveniences. Every street was lined with pizza cafes, clothing shops, leather stores, art galleries, gelaterias, and specialty wine and cheese rooms.  From there, we crossed the Tiber on a bridge that had a spectacular view of St. Peter’s dome in the distance.  Ten minutes later we were in the heart of the ancient city.

A park we found in our neighborhood

The view of St. Peters from the bridge by our apartment.

There are no words to describe how incredibly magnificent the Colosseum must have been in ancient times.  Having been deserted and even used for hundreds of years as mere storage space while slowly crumbling to bits, it still takes one’s breath away to walk inside.  Most impressive was the extensive system of underground pathways that served as waiting areas for elaborate events and performances, some even requiring the flooding of the entire floor in order to have real sea battles!  

The adjacent walk atop Palatine Hill gave immense context to the city’s ancient governance, with its many extravagant buildings for ridiculously lavish purposes, all for the personal life and enjoyment of the Roman royalties.  Walking further into the city center, we passed magnificent government buildings of this last century, as well as many public statues and monuments each representing a significant time, person or idea.  The average Roman must be very aware of their legacy!

Eventually, we made it to Vatican City.  The Vatican is built on one of Rome’s seven hills, and St. Peter’s dome is surely an icon.  We took a guided tour that helped to piece together the history of the site and the relationship it has had with the Romans.  Of course, the Sistine Chapel was incredible.  We also enjoyed the crypt under St. Peter’s and the various museums housing everything from sculpture to carpet, crystals to parchment, and a whole array of theologically significant items both ancient and modern.

Aside from sight seeing, we got in plenty of leisurely time.  Rachel’s older brother Aaron was there with us, and we spend many hours just wandering streets, sitting on river banks, and revisiting leather stores to flirt with temptations over some slightly overpriced wallet or bracelet.  We even found a cat sanctuary!  Literally, in the middle of downtown, an entire city block of ancient ruins cordoned off to the public is being used to provide shelter for stray cats. We made many stops by here!

Can you spot the kitties?

With minds full of history, stomachs full of pizza and gelato, and hearts full of new memories, we wrapped up our Spring break in the ancient city, and headed back to Barcelona to show Aaron our home!