Rome!! Rome, Italy!

A place I read about and others may visit. A distant place with plenty mystique as all of Italy has to me. I am in awe….the seat of the Roman Empire. All the history, religion, sensuality, art, power and romance….I’m in awe.

I’m also here!

A bit beside myself, I have to pinch myself and make sure this isn’t a dream. Or a dream within a dream. Even at that, it seems dreams come true.

As the taxi driver is driving us in from the airport he points out a portion of the wall that once fortrused the once powerful city. Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared to photograph the moment.

Finding the ‘hotel’ was a bit confusing and surprising. The taxi drop-off was 20 meters away from the Hotel and it took me about 40 minutes to find it!!! WTF, you may be saying. But, a hotel doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a sole building with a reception area, nice couches, plenty of window area to look out or a dining area. Nope this hotel is located on the 2nd floor (that’s the 3rd floor in America). There’s an intercom at a wrought iron gate at the sidewalk that you must place a request for entrance at, and the door is electronically unlocked and then you enter and find the elevator.

Oh, by the way, there’s no signage to tell which floor is this particular hotel. Another thing of this experience is that I had to leave my room key at the desk each time I left the ‘hotel’. Retrieve it when I return.

Rome…

That is a hotel. It’s not the Holiday Inn, Radisson, or Best Western. All the rooms are like walking into a floor room at IKEA. Nothing wrong with that….but IKEA does a great European business. I must check into their stock. It seems that a family bought the floor and subdivided it into rooms, with a business lounge/breakfast area on one far end and call it a hotel. Hotel 938 to be exact.

At the time, I didn’t think to take a picture of it but here’s a picture from my bedroom.

Too much to see in one week….once again it was a fine example of my poor planning, and I spent months!!!! I mean months planning this European trip! It might seem simple if you’re just looking at spending a week or so in just Rome for a whole trip….but this was part of a much larger trip than such a simple tourist jaunt.

I find the above photo confusing. I’m not sure which side is UP!!! Most of my time in Rome wasn’t confusing….it was very interesting.

I’d go to the Colosseum

I’d go the The Vatican

Visit the Pantheon

I went to this wishing fountain….The Trevi Fountain

I may look a bit isolated or alone….but I’m not!! It’s so friggin’ crowded I had to rush this at the steps leading down to it. I hope my wish is in the works of coming ‘true’.

Oh!!!! I can’t forget the Forum!!!!

I really can’t put this into words…. The experience over looking and walking the Forum was….well, I was dead tired and didn’t want to leave! It’s where Ceasar was originally buried and now there’s only a crypt for him. Extremely simple and unpretensive. Without a guide or a tad of Italian, I wouldn’t have known what I was experiencing. I could’ve come back for a second day…but I did 6 miles walking. Enough!

When In Rome…

I just wanted to give you a bit of a heads-up for what’s gonna be happening here shortly. So much to write about!!!

I did something I should not have done….it was actually an accident. Here it is below.

I had just finished talking with ‘security’ in the Sistine Chapel about the ‘No Photography’ rule. And I was observing all sorts of brave idiots video and photographing over the watchful eye of armed security and I thought….hmmmmm how about a selfie with the ceiling in the background. Damn ‘flash’ went off on my phone and I panicked and blended in with the crowd. At least I think I blended in, I didn’t get hauled off.

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But, my favorite thing I do everywhere I go is to go where the tourist don’t go….

Meeting people, eating local cuisine and generally experiencing day to day life discovering is what I call a great visit.

Yes, I’ll hit a few of the highlights….here will be the Pantheon, The Colosseum, The Forum, and The Vatican, St. Peter’s Square and Sistine Chapel. But, I won’t visit St. Peter’s Basilica. Why? Exhaustion.

I’ll be back!!!

Peace, love, and beaches,

John

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