2 May
This morning we tried to get away a bit earlier. After our pleasant coffee and croissant breakfast, we walked to the bus station at Termini. We were thinking of going to the Pantheon, but impulsively got off at Piazza Venezia when we saw the impressive, but rather grotesque Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele 11 (Vittoriano) , erected at the turn of the 19th century to commemorate Italian unification. We came across the Trajan Market complex, a crescent of ancients shops and arcades which are still being excavated and one really comes to realize just how much of ancient Rome is still to be “found”! The tall Trajan Column which was erected to celebrate the Roman emperor’s Trajan's victories, is top to bottom decorated with reliefs commemorating the highlights of his campaigns. Our Rome card covered the Palatine Hill museums and we decided to make use of it (normally 12 Euro p.p.) This was the hill where Rome supposedly was founded. Our ticket covered both the Palazzo dei Conservatorwo and the Palazzo Nuovo connected by an underground passage. We had to leave our rucksack in a safe locker and then proceeded to explore these incredible museums filled with some of the treasures of ancient Rome. We marvelled at the magnificent sculptures and treasures. We even came across the original sculpture of the She Wolf with Romelus and Remus drinking from her. There was a pleasant cafeteria where we enjoyed a very good cheese “sandwich” (big enough to share) and coffee for a reasonable price. By the time we had finished wandering through the two museums, we needed to get outside (our heads were turning!). We decided to head for Isola Tiberina Island in the Tiber. It was a lovely walk down towards the river past Teatro Marcello. We crossed the ancient Ponte Fabricio. This bridge was built in 62BC and is still standing without help from restorers! It was wonderfully peaceful on the island. We wandered through the old Jewish area and eventually got back to the Palatine Hill. We got some great views from the terrace over the Roman Forum we had been walking through two days before. To our surprise we noticed a small replica of the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus on the wall at the square at the museums. We decided to have a look at the Vittoriano and the military museum in the basement was really interesting. We could not find a way to the top from where there is supposed to be an excellent view and decided to head for the Pantheon. We were thinking of taking a bus, but walked instead. This area was called the Cento Storico and there were some fascinating little streets where one got glimpses of local life with the little piazzas where they socialize and eat. The pantheon appeared smaller than we had imagined. There was once again a long queue, but this time people were let in as others leave, so it did not take too long. There was a huge crowd inside and we did not stay long, although the inner space with the huge dome with the hole at the top was very impressive. We continued wandering through the Centro Storico and since I needed a toilet we managed to locate a McDonalds. Coffee and an ice cream was necessary at this stage and after a welcome break, we continued wandering through the fascinating area and aimed for the delightful Piazza Navona with its beautiful fountains. Especially famous is the Four Rivers Fountain sculptured by Bernini. The sun was low and the light magic. Buskers and all sorts of performers and a huge throng of tourists created a very pleasant atmosphere. The piazza was very large and this helped too! Somehow we still managed to walk to the Trevi Fountain, but here the crowd was simply too dense. One could hardly see the fountain and it was a bit of a shock. People threw coins into the pool hoping this would one day bring them back to Rome. I managed to wriggle through to the front to only just manage some pictures! The Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountain of Rome. It is an over the top Barroque masterpiece and completed in 1762. By now we really were exhausted and decided to find a bus towards the Termini Station. From here we still had to walk back to Aria. It was our last evening in Rome and it would be nice to eat out. We decide to try and find the restaurant our lodge ownerhad recommended. Somehow we still managed to find the energy to cross under the railway line and wandered into this area where the university is situated. This was very apparent, because the lot of young people are about and there are all sorts of snack bars and little restaurants. The recommended restaurant was still closed and we decided we cannot wait. We found a pleasant pizza place (Pizzeria il Grande) with a cosy interior and friendly staff. Soon we were enjoying great pizzas and local beer. It was a lovely meal and really not too expensive, since this was very much a local area. By the time we got back to our room, we were beyond tired!! We showered and soon crashed. What a day. Wonder how many kilometres we had walked????

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