Vaucluse Dreamer

After the chaos and shock of Naples, we were a little concerned that we would feel the same about Rome, the next stop on our little winter trip.

The fast train to the city was a delight, and as we pulled into the station, we girded ourselves for the walk to our apartment, not really knowing what to expect. I had some memories of visiting the city with the boys nearly 20 years ago, and I remember a strong sense of having had a lovely day, but beyond that I really couldn’t remember much.

We emerged from the station and immediately the city felt different, the early evening light turning the buildings a pale gold and the sound of parrots squawking as they flew between the trees along the roads. Almost immediately, we felt the earlier stress of the day slip from our shoulders as we walked past incredible buildings, along quiet streets to where we were staying.

When we finally turned onto the road, and stood in front of the huge wooden doors to go into the apartment block, we were faced with a view of the Colosseum, pink in the evening light at the bottom of the street and a stunning obelisk at the top. There was no doubting we were in Rome and we instantly knew we would enjoy it.

That first evening, we took a walk to see the Colosseum, lit up against the night sky, and (having had more than enough of eating in restaurants) bought some ingredients for a simple supper at the flat , whilst we planned the following day.

Originally, we had thought that we would book tickets to see the Sistine Chapel and Colosseum, but decided we’d rather just spend the day walking around the city to see some of the sights, taking the time to get a sense of where things are and to just enjoy ourselves.

So that’s what we did, pulling on our comfy walking shoes, grabbing a tourist map that had been left by the apartment owners and heading out for what turned out to be the most perfect day, which left me head over heels in love with this beautiful city.

Our day started with walking down the street to the Colosseum, which even by 9am was buzzing with visitors, all queuing to get in and explore. We had toured the site when we visited with the boys, so instead of going in, we walked around the outside, taking in its scale and splendour, marvelling at how it has survived the millennia.

When we had visited before, the archaeological area and Palatine hill behind the Colosseum had been openly accessible, thronged with visitors even in late October. Understandably, it has now been closed off and fenced, I imagine as much to protect the site, as to increase revenue, so we took a path to one side, skirting the site and getting a view across it from the various viewpoints.

It’s a vast and amazing sight, the ruins of the ancient buildings and the columns and arches giving a real sense of what this area would have been like at the height of the Roman Empire. The detail in the stonework is incredible and I can only marvel at the skill of those ancient masons who spent their days creating these masterpieces. I wonder what they would have thought, if they knew that 2000 years later, people would still be in awe of their work.

At one point we walked along an ancient piece of Roman road, the cobbles worn smooth by years of feet shuffling across them, yet some still had a very distinctive ‘V’ carved into their surface. We couldn’t help wonder what these signified, perhaps a way of marking the road number? It gave us something to think about.

We emerged from this peaceful, contemplative area to the side of the Vittoriano Emanuele II memorial, an awe-inspiring, white marble structure topped by dramatic statues. A huge monument, home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which now has a lift that gives access to the roof, which must have amazing panoramic views across the city (if you don’t mind heights).

Crossing the chaos of the roads that skirt this incredible structure, we disappeared into the network of narrow streets to explore the heart of Rome. We took our time, stopping regularly just to stand and stare at something that caught our eye, sitting in a café watching people pass; locals scurrying to appointments, visitors taking it more slowly, like us.

The square outside the Pantheon was a buzz of noise, the tables at the cafes in the sun filled with people, whilst those in the shade were empty, still chilly in the January shade.

We walked through to the Piazza Navona, sitting on a marble bench in this elegant, Renaissance space with its stunning fountains and beautiful buildings. Musicians were playing and as the melody danced around the buildings, we watched couples dancing too. It was hard to drag ourselves away, but we had more to see.

We wandered through to the historic bridge across the River Tiber to the Castle Sant’Angelo, originally the historic resting place of Hadrian, it was later used as a fortress and castle by the Popes…

And from there started to walk towards the Vatican City and St Peter’s Square. Even from a distance this is an awesome sight, the dome of the basilica, and the statues topping the porticos around the ‘square’ dominating the skyline. I can only imagine the impact this must have had on pilgrims, as they made their way to this holiest of Catholic sites.

It is a beautiful place and was much quieter than when we last visited, although the queue to get into the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel snaked its way into the square, the babble of so many voices muted in the open space of the plaza in front of the Basilica. It’s hard to explain the size and majesty of this site, but you feel it as much as see it, if that makes any sense at all.

We took a different road back to the river, passing a building decorated with elegant Art Nouveau designs that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the streets of Paris..

Before crossing back into the city and heading back to sit in the Piazza Navona with a toasted focaccia sandwich that we had bought for lunch.

Refreshed we headed on again, making our way through what appeared to be the centre of the Italian government buildings…

To the Trevi Fountain, which even in winter is packed with visitors all trying to throw their coin in the fountain, guaranteeing they will return to Rome. Apparently an average of 3,000 euros per day is thrown into the fountain, which is recovered and used to support a supermarket for the city’s poorer families, so even if your own wish doesn’t come true, you will be making a difference for someone , which is always good.

It’s understandable why it’s such an attraction. The finely carved white marble statues are beautifully formed, with the turquoise water making it gleam. It’s easy to stand and marvel at the workmanship and Baroque design, whilst doing a bit of people watching too.

From here we walked on to the Spanish Steps, which always makes me think of Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday, climbing them to the church at the top, where we stood and marvelled at the skyline, with its higgledy-piggledy mix of rooftops, church towers and domes, with St Peter’s dominating them all .

I couldn’t help but start thinking about why the skylines here and in Paris are so special and so different to London and other UK cities I’ve visited. It struck me that it’s the purity of them. They are pretty much as they have always been, unimpeded by modern high-rise glass structures that inevitably tower over the traditional buildings, reducing their importance in the environment. There is real elegance in the old skyline, and I can’t help but love it.

By now, the sun was starting to get lower in the sky, so we began to make our way back to the apartment, passing quirky buildings, including one with grotesque stone faces framing its doors and windows…

Before walking past the Papal University…

And back to the Vittoriano Memorial, where we climbed the steps to take a last look across the city…

Heading back to the Colosseum via the Circus Maximus, the ancient chariot racing and entertainment venue, now an open space below Palatine…

By the time we walked back up the road to the Colosseum, the stonework was glowing gold in the late afternoon sun (and our faces were glowing pink too)

It had been the most perfect day in the most incredibly beautiful city and we had walked nigh on 18km to experience Rome as we had wanted to experience it. If you want to follow the route we took, you can see it Here on Komoot

I had been overwhelmed by its beauty, style and character; the busy-ness, noise and chaos of some areas and the gentle peace and open space of others. We may not have physically been into any of the sites, but we got a real sense of the city, its layout and history. The way ancient Rome sits with the Renaissance and modern Italy too. If you fancy a little snippet of our walk You can see it here

It’s an absolute joy and I don’t need to throw a coin into the fountain again as without any doubt, it won’t be too long before we’re back.

So now, we’re on a train heading to Genoa, to hopefully catch a connection to Ventigmiglia, before crossing back into France for a final night at Menton.

It’s hard to believe this trip is nearly over…