A Week in Rome
January passed in a blur as we settled back into our rhythms in Thessaloniki. Christmas was almost over when we got back and we vowed not to miss it next year since it's the most festive time of year here. New Year's was amazing - one big party all over the city with people going from one street party to the next and bands playing and people dancing. We loved being able to participate. But come February it was time to hit the road for a short break in Rome. We're trying to keep to a schedule of not being home more than two months at a time. There's so much of Greece and Europe we want to see while we're based here in Thessaloniki!
MONUMENTAL ROME
The absolute first thing we noticed about Rome is that it is massive - not in size but in stature. Unlike anywhere we've ever been, everything is just huge! The buildings, the piazzas, the Egyptian obelisks everywhere, the walls and the gates are all just oversized. It made us feel very small in a way maybe the church anticipated when they built them. Piazza del Popolo was a prime example.
And of course Vatican City is arguably the biggest monument of them all.
As a result of the scale of the place, it took a few more days to feel at home than in many cities. Capturing the feel of the city took time just wandering and finding the smaller, out of the way places. The crowds, tourists, students, and locals alike, make the center and the areas near major sites challenging but if you walk a bit further it gets quieter and you can see people going about their daily lives. Restaurants are where you can truly take a deep breath and feel more at ease. Although, I will say, Italians don't seem to linger over food and drinks the way Greeks do and we found ourselves somewhat missing that pace. Romans stand up to drink their coffee for Pete's sake! There are hidden gems all over Rome and we found a bunch to share with you.
TRASTEVERE
We based ourselves in Trastevere for our week stay, the neighborhood just across the Tiber River from the city center. It has good tram and bus connections to the other side and most major sites but more importantly it's filled with neighborhood restaurants, small winding cobblestone streets, and it's quieter than the city center. Feels more like a neighborhood people might actually live in!
Our first day we wandered the small streets of Trastevere and explored the churches and the Janiculum Hill.
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere has the most beautiful mosaic floors and painted wooden ceiling.
The views from the Janiculum Hill were spectacular as well as the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola and Tempietto del Bramante. 
We ate many of our dinners in Trastevere, searching out some places off the main square area where we would not be so crowded. We did often make reservations, very unusual for us but necessary. Artichokes were in season and the fried ones are very popular. The focaccia is different than other places, thin and crispy. Of course we ate pasta constantly and tried each of the four famous Roman pastas but Pasta Vongole will always be my favorite, along with whole fish. This one was salt roasted and delicious. And we can't forget pizza! Whether at a pizzeria or the "al taglio", it was delicious. 
COLOSSEUM, ROMAN FORUM, & PALATINE HILL
We had a beautiful sunny day to explore the ancient Roman areas. There is a LOT to see and we really had to prioritize what we visited. Even then, we walked over 15k steps! Our main priorities were the Colisseum and the Palatine Hill. We did pay to get onto the floor of the Colosseum but we opted to just view most of the Forum from the hill and didn't spend time visiting the temples. The Palatine Hill is really a beautiful park and garden and we found the ruins of the palaces and homes interesting. 
Entering the Palatine Hill by walking out and around the corner to the Portale del Vignola gate save a lot of time and it's a great way to climb the hill through the park.
The views from the Palatine Hill are amazing! You can see the Capitoline Hill in the distance and the whole Forum stretched out below you.
While packed with tourists, this really is a not to be missed area of Rome.
UNDERGROUND ROME
What to do on a rainy day in Rome? Explore all of the underground sites, of course. The most famous underground areas are the catacombs but we opted for three more off the beaten track attractions. Before heading out, though, we stopped into Campo de' Fiori for coffee and to ogle all of the amazing produce and products.
San Nicola in Carcere
Unfortunately, this church was undergoing renovations (as are so many things, constantly, in Rome) so we couldn't go underground but the outside was just as fascinating. You can see the repurposed columns from three ancient temples that they used to build the walls of the church.
Case Romane del Celio
Next we headed to the Caelian Hill. Adjacent to the Colosseum, the area has been a residential area since Roman times. 
The Case Romane is a series of underground Roman apartments that were excavated in the 19th century. In the 2nd century, it was a home, then it transformed into apartments with shops on the first floor (3rd century), then it became one home again (4th century), although the street between shops was preserved, and finally it was abandoned to build a basilica above it (5th century). As a result, it was encased intact for almost 1300 years. There are two stories underground that you can wander through and we had the place to ourselves. 
Saint Paul and Saint John lived here in the 4th century and were martyred and buried here. There is a small altar where the family that lived here worshiped them after their death.
It may not look like much in photos but it was so cool to walk on a buried Roman street underground.
Basilica di San Clemente
My favorite of the three sites we visited, this Basilica is built over a 4th century church, which was in turn built over a first century Mithraic Temple and a large public building. As you descend two stories below ground, you travel back over 2000 years. There are beautiful frescos preserved in the 4th century church.
As you descend again to the lower level, you can hear water running and everywhere there are lights, moss is growing on the walls. It's very eery and I was alone down there among the huge ancient blocks of stone! 
Finally, you are able to see where the waters are rushing through from the spring that still runs below ground here.
It was so fascinating, I was sorry Scott missed it but his limit for "old blocks of rock" is not as limitless as mine haha! We'd both agree though, Underground Rome is a great way to spend a day.
ROME AT NIGHT
We only ventured back into Rome proper a couple of times to see the city at night.The first time was to see the Trevi Fountain. Apparently every other tourist in Rome had the same idea!
But it was a beautiful night with a full moon and walking back across the Tiber River was worth it!
The other time was to go to Piazza Navona, the huge square considered the center of Rome by many. 
We wandered off the square into the back streets and found a great bar. When we asked our waitress for a restaurant reservation she walked us down to her favorite place and we had, arguably, the best meal of our trip. Its was a wonderful taste of local Rome.
BORGHESE GALLERY, DORIA PAMPHILJ GALLERY & FREE CARAVAGGIO'S
Perhaps the hardest thing to decide when visiting Rome is which galleries to see. There are seemingly endless options. We aren't huge museum people in general so we skipped the big ones like the Capitoline and Vatican museums and chose house galleries instead, which are more interesting to us.
We took one warm, sunny day to go up into the Villa Borghese gardens on the Pincio Hill. It's a vast park with formal gardens and paths, fountains, a huge green stadium lawn, and a lake with boating.
In the midst of this is the Borghese Gallery. Housed in the Villa Borghese Pinciana, it holds some of Italy's masterpieces like Bernini's sculptures "The Rape of Proserpina", "David", and "Apollo and Daphne". 
The rooms were also incredible, especially the ceilings. 
There were also a lot of really interesting sculptures with multiple colors of marble.
My favorite painting, yes there were a Caravaggios, Raphaels, and Titians but these guys looking like they were going to reach down and grab us were the best.
While the Borghese is amazing, our favorite by far was the Doria Pamphilj Gallery. This is one of the most beautiful house museums we've seen anywhere and the sheer number of paintings and sculptures in this private collection rivals many museums. It was amazing there were so few people here. I think this is a truly hidden gem in Rome.
The galleries are amazing but, for us, the fact it is still privately owned and the heirs live in one wings of the massive house is astounding. The rooms are so richly decorated and well preserved, I hope more people go so it can remain as it is.
There are any number of churches in Rome to see sculpture and paintings by famous artists, we chose these five. It's easy to mark them on the map and just stop in when you're passing by.
San Luigi dei Francesi
This was probably the single best. Not only does it have an amazing coffered ceiling but also the Contarelli Chapel, housing three Caravaggios that are specially painted for the chapel with each one reflecting light as though it is coming through the window above.
Sant'Ignazio of Loyola
We stopped in here for the amazing ceiling and also the "dome" that although flat is painted to appear like a real dome with an oculus. I had to "borrow" the dome picture as mine didn't come out (don't tell). It also had the most amazing altar with "twisted" marble columns.
Sant'Eustachio
We stopped into this church for Caravaggio's "Madonna of Loreto" but the church itself was under renovation. The painting is unique for its realism, Mary having dirty feet and all.
The Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli
Michelangelo's statue of Moses is here. Created between 1513 and 1515, it was designed for the tomb of Pope Julius II. It's unusual for the horns on Moses' head that are believed to stem from a translation error of the Vulgate Bible, where "rays of light" were translated as "horns".
THE HILLS OF ROME
I can't end without mentioning the hills of Rome. It's one of the magical things about Rome - all of the viewpoints to look out over the amazing architecture of the city. We've already shown you the Janiculum, Capitoline, Palatine, Caelian, and Pincio hills and we did walk the Esquiline Hill accidentally, alas no photos. It was a really cool neighborhood of huge stately homes and a large park.
The last we visited was the Aventine Hill and the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden). The views from here were spectacular, down across the Tiber and all the way to St. Peters and the Capitoline Hill and its Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. It's also a great place to get up close and personal with the umbrella-shaped Italian Stone Pines that are such an iconic symbol of Rome.
Until our next trip! Thanks for reading.
This featured blog entry was written by mrb430 from the blog Arrr Adventures.
Read comments or Subscribe
