Today was supposed to be the Colosseum but because we got n
o sleep last night we sleep in and get going around 11am. First metro stop is Spagna which is the stop for the Spanish steps. The steps were actually a gift from the French, but are called the Spanish steps because the Spanish embassy is near the bottom. We sit and ponder the steps, well Mike isn't sure what the fuss is about, and watch the people around us. A short walk away is the Trevi fountain. We are not sure why it's famous, but it is a beautiful fountain with a sculpture of Neptune and four horses. If you throw a coin over your left
shoulder it means you will come back to Rome. Two coins means you will find love in Rome and three coins means you will get married in Rome. Shona threw one coin in order to come back (Mike at this point isn't convinced about coming back to Rome). We find a take away pizza place, which interestingly charges by weight but still fills the hole. Next on the agenda is one of the most impressive and awe inspiring structures in the world - the Pantheon. It is an architectural marvel because it was built around 120AD and it has a perfect dome made of concrete (a Roman invention) for the roof. The height from the top of the dome to the floor is also the same a
s the diameter of the semi sphere to an amazing degree of accuracy. All the architects of the famous basilicas around the world studied this dome before designing theirs. It is also one of the oldest buildings in the world. There is a hole in the top of the dome (an oculus) to let the light in. This means that rain does come inside, but due to the holes in the floor it washes away. Clever huh! From the Pantheon we head to Piazza Navona which is a massive rectangular space filled with three different fountains
(the middle one being water from Angels and Demons) and artists. From the King Tut mime, to the painters and cartoonists there is heaps to see and browse around. Wandering a city like Rome can be interesting and cheap - perfect for a backpacker's budget! Eventually we meander through the Roman backstreets, past some fantastic scooter parking to find ourselves at Castel Saint D'Angelo again. We are interested in seeing this castle
because it has a secret passageway to the Vatican which was built for their escape should it be required. It is also the end destination for Angels and Demons. These days the castle is a museum showcasing it's different uses over the years - castle , prison and fortress. It also has some amazing views of the Roman skyline, so we soak up the sun as we sit and ponder for a few minutes. The last stop of the day is to Piazza del Polpolo which has 3 churches around it. One is the earth church from (you guessed it) Angels and Demons. We cover up from shorts and singlets to sarongs and T shirts to enter the church. We imagine they must be annoyed with the countless number of tourists doing what we are doing, walking into the church, finding the right bay and taking a photo, before turning on our heels and
wandering out the door. I guess they would get slightly more donations now compared to what they did back then though. This square is funnier than Piazza Navona because it is full of Indian guys trying to sell a red rose. They come up to you and say "here is a present for you lady". You say "no thanks" they get in your way and say "it's free". Yeah right, as soon as you take the rose they follow you asking for 5 euro or more. At one point a guy won't leave Shona alone so she says "Would you f*ck off" because they were not accepting the polite version. Strangely he got really offended by being sworn at "I'm just doing my job". We found it rather funny that they feel that they can be completely obnoxious, ignore your requests and keep getting in your way, but swear at them and it's not nice. Poor little dittims :-) After this fun we head home via the metro and bus to our quaint little private room with en suite. It is really nice and would be the next best place after Zurich to get sick. Dinner is Mike's choice of a kebab from a place just by the metro stop. It's nice and clean and the kebabs are good.
o sleep last night we sleep in and get going around 11am. First metro stop is Spagna which is the stop for the Spanish steps. The steps were actually a gift from the French, but are called the Spanish steps because the Spanish embassy is near the bottom. We sit and ponder the steps, well Mike isn't sure what the fuss is about, and watch the people around us. A short walk away is the Trevi fountain. We are not sure why it's famous, but it is a beautiful fountain with a sculpture of Neptune and four horses. If you throw a coin over your left 
shoulder it means you will come back to Rome. Two coins means you will find love in Rome and three coins means you will get married in Rome. Shona threw one coin in order to come back (Mike at this point isn't convinced about coming back to Rome). We find a take away pizza place, which interestingly charges by weight but still fills the hole. Next on the agenda is one of the most impressive and awe inspiring structures in the world - the Pantheon. It is an architectural marvel because it was built around 120AD and it has a perfect dome made of concrete (a Roman invention) for the roof. The height from the top of the dome to the floor is also the same a
s the diameter of the semi sphere to an amazing degree of accuracy. All the architects of the famous basilicas around the world studied this dome before designing theirs. It is also one of the oldest buildings in the world. There is a hole in the top of the dome (an oculus) to let the light in. This means that rain does come inside, but due to the holes in the floor it washes away. Clever huh! From the Pantheon we head to Piazza Navona which is a massive rectangular space filled with three different fountains 
(the middle one being water from Angels and Demons) and artists. From the King Tut mime, to the painters and cartoonists there is heaps to see and browse around. Wandering a city like Rome can be interesting and cheap - perfect for a backpacker's budget! Eventually we meander through the Roman backstreets, past some fantastic scooter parking to find ourselves at Castel Saint D'Angelo again. We are interested in seeing this castle 
because it has a secret passageway to the Vatican which was built for their escape should it be required. It is also the end destination for Angels and Demons. These days the castle is a museum showcasing it's different uses over the years - castle , prison and fortress. It also has some amazing views of the Roman skyline, so we soak up the sun as we sit and ponder for a few minutes. The last stop of the day is to Piazza del Polpolo which has 3 churches around it. One is the earth church from (you guessed it) Angels and Demons. We cover up from shorts and singlets to sarongs and T shirts to enter the church. We imagine they must be annoyed with the countless number of tourists doing what we are doing, walking into the church, finding the right bay and taking a photo, before turning on our heels and 
wandering out the door. I guess they would get slightly more donations now compared to what they did back then though. This square is funnier than Piazza Navona because it is full of Indian guys trying to sell a red rose. They come up to you and say "here is a present for you lady". You say "no thanks" they get in your way and say "it's free". Yeah right, as soon as you take the rose they follow you asking for 5 euro or more. At one point a guy won't leave Shona alone so she says "Would you f*ck off" because they were not accepting the polite version. Strangely he got really offended by being sworn at "I'm just doing my job". We found it rather funny that they feel that they can be completely obnoxious, ignore your requests and keep getting in your way, but swear at them and it's not nice. Poor little dittims :-) After this fun we head home via the metro and bus to our quaint little private room with en suite. It is really nice and would be the next best place after Zurich to get sick. Dinner is Mike's choice of a kebab from a place just by the metro stop. It's nice and clean and the kebabs are good.
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Sorry to tell you this Shona - but that is your right shoulder not your left one!
ReplyDeleteShona is blonde -she threw it right but wrote about it wrong. Great to see that you're reading the blog so carefully mind you!
ReplyDelete