The Eternal City...Roma

Bonasari form Roma (Good evening from Rome)

Monday, June 29: What a wonderful day we have had today! We have been to ancient times and back through the middle ages, the Renaissance, the unification of Italy, the world wars to the present. How fantastic it would be to be able to teach world history in this city. Can we say daily field trips? I’m game!

The journey through time and history was all done on foot….over 10 miles today…our “dogs” were definitely barking at the end of the day. The kids were great…no complaining that I heard. Rome is “built” for tourist. You can find water fountains all over the place. The water is cold and very tasty, especially in very hot weather.

Our first stop today was the Church of St. Peter in Chains. This is the location of the actual chains that held Peter while he was in jail under the Emperor Nero (of course there is no absolute way for us to know 100% that these are the chains but the tradition say they are…they’ve said so for close to 2000 years). Next to the display of the chains is located Michelangelo’s Moses. My heart was beating so fast I was so excited that I finally have seen this masterpiece up close! Pictures do not do it justice…he is massive. Like David, the details on Moses are awe inspiring. After we all took in the splendor of this church we headed to the Colosseum.

We were not accosted by “gladiators” this time wanting us to take our pictures with them. I learned by lesson with Daphne and Jacob last time I was here…ask how much before you snap shots! It is so nice when you have guides and reservations!!!! We can bypass the queue and get wonderful commentary and lessons as we view the monuments. Our guide today was Fausta. She was extraordinary to say the least; very knowledgeable and considerate of everyone’s needs and desires. We had headsets where we could hear her commentary as we walked along. We did not have to be right “on top of her” and stop every few minutes to hear what she had to say. Talk, listen, walk…see more stuff…definitely the way to go!

The crowds were not as bad as last time; picture taking and viewing was much easier than I experienced before. Everyone was commenting on how crowded it was but truly it could have been worst…it was also very hot but not as bad, thankfully as 2005.

We walked along the ancient roads of “downtown” Roma when we toured the Forum. It is amazing how deep the ancient city was compared to the modern one. Years of floods, sediment deposits and rebuilding result in a city of layers. A great deal of recycling has been done as well. Medieval folks need marble or metal…go get it from a ruin in the forum or some other ancient site. The streets were very narrow from what we could tell from what was left of the cobble stones (oh, my aching feet and ankles!). Imagining the triumphs of emperors past along these streets is a lot easier now that we’ve seen them. Ancient temples were consecrated and turned into churches; other ruins have been turned in to other buildings. We saw one building that had an ancient foundation, a medieval tower and a Renaissance façade. It has recently been renovated to include all of the modern conveniences of electricity, water and internet. This building was and still is Rome’s city hall…AMAZING! We have no idea what old is in the US. We tear down things before they have the chance to get old.

Another stroll through the back streets of Rome, to get the real feel for the city away from the traffic, found us in front of the Pantheon. I was grinning from ear to ear; this is my favorite ancient building. Built by Hadrian in the 2nd century it is the oldest temple/church that Rome has. Last time I saw it only from the outside, and then at night. Not only did we see this magnificent structure in the daytime we got to go inside! Breath taking does not describe it!!! I am amazed at how well preserved the building is. The oculus is the only window (hole in the dome) and yet it was very bright inside. The mosaics, sculptures and architectural features again are mind boggling…to know this was build 1800+ years ago with such primate technology to our standards…wow.

A traditional Italian lunch…PIZZA and water from the foundation and of course…Gelato!!! And we’re off to St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican was closed today due to the celebration of St. Peter and Paul…today was the day that Peter was crucified. Peter and Paul are the patron saints of Rome so it was not only a religious holiday for the Vatican but a civic holiday for Rome. Anyway the Basilica was opened in the afternoon. This was iffy when we left this morning on our tour but Matteo called ahead and found out that the Basilica was opened. Fausta continued with us and got us all on the right bus to the Vatican to save our aching feet, thank you, grazie! The commentary continued as we viewed the pope’s tombs. We were able to see John Paul’s and many others…how special this was. Up in the Church the crowds were well spread out. I was able to get some good pictures of Michelangelo’s Pieta. Why people have to be so destructive and she has to be behind bullet proof glass, I don’t know. After we said “Ciao” to Fausta and Matteo asked us what we wanted to do next, we all almost in unison said “HOTEL” We were hot and exhausted…it was then that we found out how many miles we walked. On the subway “home” to an ice cold shower and some relaxing time before a special dinner with music and entertainment. Great food, a funny singer…he brought practically our entire group into the performance in some form or fashion. He sang to Melissa and I. Some banged the tambourine, others were lip-synking and giving all the expressions…fun time for all.