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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

“WHEN IN ROME . . . .”


 Certainly we have all heard the proverb 'When in Rome...' but do you know it’s origin and true meaning? 

The phrase is derived from a medieval Latin phrase which is attributed to St. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan who lived in the fourth century AD and wrote the proverb in 387 AD.
St Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan
The original Latin proverb was, ‘si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more’ which means ‘if you are in Rome, then live in the Roman manner’.

A visit to Rome was a 2 night portion of an eight day trip I  concluded a week ago with my daughter Tamie, daughter-in-law Trista and family friend Heather.   

Part of our eight day adventure also included a three-night cruise from Barcelona to Rome on the Norwegian Epic. For my complete review of the Norwegian Epic click here
4,100 passenger Norwegian Epic
Cruise ships do not dock in Rome. The port for Rome is Civitavecchia.  This sea port is located on the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west-north-west of the center of Rome.  Civitavecchia is a working port with over 30 docks.  On the day of our arrival we docked at pier 25, one of the farthest away from the port entrance. 

Depending on your method of transportation the trip from Civitavecchia to Roma Termini Train Station will take somewhere between 1 to 1.5 hours.
Route from Port of Civitavecchia to Rome airport

Rome, the capital city of Italy, lists a population of 2.8M however, that grows to 4.3M when you include the entire metropolitan city, making it the most populous metropolitan city in Italy

The history of Rome spans 28 centuries. Roman mythology  dates the founding of Rome at around 753 BC but the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe.

Rome is also ranked as the 14th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in all of Italy.

Our eight days of travel would only include 2 nights in Rome, certainly not enough time to see or experience all this historic city has to offer but enough time to realize a return visit would be a must.

First order of business after disembarkation in Civitavecchia, was making our way to the Civitavecchia train station.  We were holding confirmed train tickets to Roma Termini Railway Station, the main train station in downtown Rome.
Map of the Port of Civitavecchia
 
Map of Port of Civitavecchia



Although the distance between the port and the Civitavecchia Train Station is only 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mile), the trip would take us 30 minutes.  First, we boarded a free port shuttle bus that transported us from dock 25 to the Largo della Pace Service Center (also known Porta di Città).  

Largo della Pace Service Center
Welcome booth at Port of Civitavecchia
Port bus - white / CSP City Bus - Green
From here you need to transfer to the green CSP City Bus. They operate every 10 minutes at a cost of $2 Euros.  

Note: Be sure you have Euros on hand as they do not take USD or credit card.

We arrived at the Civitavecchia train station at 7:40am.  Our pre-purchased train tickets were for the regional train #2335 scheduled to depart Civitavecchia at 8:42am and arrive into Roma Termini Train Station at 9:42am.   
Civitavecchia train station
At the train station you will find a very small restaurant area serving coffee and pastries but nothing resembling a typical American breakfast.  They also have a very small sitting area.

Small food area inside Civitavecchia Train Station

Inside Civitavecchia Train Station

Seating area inside Civitavecchia Train Station

Seating area inside Civitavecchia Train Station
When the train arrived we only identified one first class car.  I had purchased first class tickets but somewhat skeptical as there were no seat assignments on our tickets.  When we boarded the first class car there were NO seats available.  A quick check of the car in front and the car in back revealed that ALL seats were taken.  All four of us, plus many others, would have to stand. It was evident that they sold many more tickets than they had seats.  

Note:  I would not buy a first class ticket again as you don’t have an assigned seat and you may end up standing anyway.   

I was going to complain to the conductor but no one ever came around to check for tickets.


 

We arrived in the Roma Termini Train Station at 9:48am.  We took a taxi from the train station to Residenza Montecitorio, our accommodations for two nights. 
Map showing Roma Termini and Residenza Montecitorio locations
We took a taxi to our hotel and after checking in and dropping our luggage, we made our way to the Spanish Steps.  They are located about 700 meters (0.43 mile) from our hotel and the walk took less than 10 minutes. 
Spanish Steps / 174 steps

Our rainy day visit to the Spanish Steps


From here we walked to Piazza Barberini.  My Rio2Rome app  indicated this to be another 8 minute walk.  This area is stop #8 on the Red Line for Big Bus Rome

Big Bus Rome


Big Bus Rome Route Map
Note: Download the FREE Big Bus Tours app from Google Play or the Apple Store for an interactive companion that lists all of the landmarks, routes and up to the minute schedules for each of the routes offered.  

By the time we boarded the bus at Piazza Barberini it was raining again.  Along with our audio headsets we were handed plastic raincoats.  
 
Big Bus Rome raincoats and new friend from Central Point, Oregon
The bus we had boarded was taking the Red Route.  We sat in the upper deck and thankful it was covered. 
Big Bus Rome / Covered Top deck
Stops on the Red Route included:

Stop #1       Roma Termini Train Station             



Stop #2       Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore

                  Basilica Di San Pietro inVincoli



Stop #3       Colosseum

                  Palatine Hill and Museum



Stop #4       Circus Maximum

                  Basilica of Santa Maria inCosmedin



Stop #5      Piazza del Campidoglio

                  Piazza Navona

                  Roman Forum

                  Piazza Venezia and AltareDella Patria

                  Capitoline Museums

                  Pantheon

                  Trajan’s Column

                  Dorothy Circus Gallery

                  Campo de’ Fiori

                  Time Elevator Rome

                  Trajan’s Market



Stop #6       Vatican Museums

                  Sistine Chapel

                  Giudizio Universale

                  St. Peter’s Basilica

                  Vatican City

                  Castel Sant Angelo



Stop #7       Spanish Steps



Stop #8       National Gallery of Ancient Art

                  Quirinal Palace

                  Galleria Borghese

                  Villa Borghese Gardens



The Red Route takes 2 hours if you remain on the bus.  They also offer a Purple Route, which includes the Catacombs, and a one-hour night tour.



By the time we arrived back at Piazza Barberini we were drenched and freezing.  We made our way to a small little pub/restaurant called Antico Ristoro Barberini and welcomed two rounds of hot coffee and Baileys.
Entrance to Antico Ristoro
Inside Antico Ristoro
Coffee and Baileys at Antico Ristor
After thawing out a bit, though still raining, we made our way back to our hotel, an 8 minute walk.   



For dinner this evening we selected Pizza Ciro

This restaurant is located just a couple hundred meters from our hotel and took us 2 minutes to walk there. 
Entrance to Pizza Ciro
Inside Pizza Ciro

This restaurant proved to be an excellent choice. We were greeted cheerfully and seated immediately. Our waiter was a lovely man, full of personality, who served us with a smile and made the whole experience very pleasant, even serenading us at the end of the evening. Although this place isn't fancy or upscale, it serves quality Italian food at a reasonable price.  Prices for wine carafes were excellent.  Food was also excellent, from the bruschetta with fresh toppings, to the main dish.   
A toast to the day's adventure
Bruscetta appetizer
One of our entree's
The evening ended with our waiter serenading us. Click here to watch the video.  It was a perfect way to end the evening.
Our server serenading us at the end of our dinner



Our last full day in Rome began with an 8 minute walk to the Pantheon. 
The Pantheon


The Pantheon's dome is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Once a Roman temple, the Pantheon is now a church. It is considered to be the most influential building of ancient Rome and is visited by over 6 million people yearly.  
L to R: Tamie Saffer, Trista Sparlin, Heather Harper, Sharon Sparlin

The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotondo

Piazza della Rotondo with Fountain and Obelisk
The Fountain in front of the Pantheon was constructed in 1575 and the obelisk was added in 1711. 
Piazza della Rotondo fountain
Piazza della Rotondo fountain
Piazza della Rotondo obelisk
After our visit to the Pantheon we made our way to a small little restaurant in Piazza della Rotondo area called Cafe Da Claudia,  one of the many outdoor restaurants surrounding the Pantheon.  
Cafe Da Claudia Restaurant at Pantheon

View of the Pantheon from our seats at Cafe Da Claudia


This restaurant offered us a fantastic morning view of the beautiful Pantheon, allowing you to enjoy our breakfast while taking in the beehive of activity around us.  
My order of French Toast with ham/cheese - Tasty
From here we walked less than 10 minutes to Trevi Fountain.  

Standing 26.3 metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. 
Trevi Fountain
Standing in front of Trevi Fountain
 
Trevi Fountain Panorama

There are actually two superstitious legends to explain why people are obsessed with throwing coins in the fountain.  The first says that if you throw a coin from your right hand backwards over your left shoulder, you will definitely return to Rome. 

The second legend, inspired the film "Three Coins in the Trevi Fountain",  says you must throw three coins into the fountain.  The first guarantees your return to Rome, the second leads to a new romance and the third will lead to marriage! 

An estimated 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day. In 2016, an estimated €1.4 million (US$1.5 million) was thrown into the fountain. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy.  
Collecting the coins at Trevi Fountain
Leaving Trevi Fountain we made our way to the Big Bus Rome HOHO. The closest stop to us was stop #10 Piazza Venezia
Piazza Venezia looking from Altare della Patria from the North-West

The bus stop here proved to be a little difficult to find.  The Big Bus Rome stop is actually located at the Theater Marcello bus stop.  As you are facing the Piazza Venezia you will head to your right on Piazza di S. Marco toward Via del Teatro di Marcello.  Continue on Via del Teatro di Marcello to the second Teatro Marcello bus stop.  It is about 500 meters (0.3 mile) to the stop and will take you about 6 minutes. 
Facing Piazza Venezia




Big Bus Rome

Big Bus Rome Route Map
Bus Stop #10 looking toward Piazza Venezia


We got off of the bus again at the Vatican stop #6. The Vatican stop is located next to the Tiber River,  the third largest river in Italy.  The Vatican, however, is located across the river so you will need to walk back to the pedestrian Ponte Sant’Angelo bridge and cross over the river.   
Map for Stop #6 - Vatican
The walk will take about 15 minutes and will be dotted along the way with street vendors, street entertainers and restaurants.  Once you have crossed the bridge continue walking straight and you will see the main road leading directly to the Vatican off to your left.  Allow yourself ample time for souvenir shopping here.
 
L to R: Trista Sparlin, Sharon Sparlin, Tamie Saffer, Heather Harper  with Vatican in the background
 
"When in Rome. . . . ."

Our next top was at stop #8 Piazza Barberini.  This is the closest stop to our hotel and also one of the two stops for the Spanish Steps.  Before returning to the hotel we decided to enjoy a late lunch at the Gran Caffe Roma.  
Outside seating at Gran Caffe Roma
Outside seating at Gran Caffe Roma

This outdoor restaurant is located just a couple blocks up the hill from bus stop #8.  We ordered pizza and drinks.  Food was good and the price reasonable.  The setting was upscale and clean and we found it to be a very delightful experience. 
Gran Caffe Roma Menu


Gran Caffe Roma Menu

Gran Caffe Roma Drinks Menu

After lunch it was a 10 minute walk back to our hotel.  With my foot issue I was ready to put my foot up for a rest while the girls did a couple hours of shopping.  By 6pm we were ready for dinner.  Our restaurant selection for the evening was Angolo Sciarra Bar, just a 5 minute walk from the hotel.  
Angolo Sciarra Bar in Rome


Inside seating Angolo Sciarra Bar in Rome
Indoor seating Angolo Scisrra Bsr in Rome


Angolo Sciarra Drink Menu

Angolo Sciarra Drink Menu

Angolo Sciarra Drink Menu
We arrived during happy hour and enjoyed some fantastic drinks along with a variety of finger foods.  The drinks were creative and the atmosphere was electric. 
Our drinks at Angolo Sciarra Bar
On the way back to the hotel we located the  stop for bus #85 which we would be taking the following morning to Rome Termini. 

Note:  Be sure that you purchase your bus tickets prior to boarding as they do not allow you to buy tickets on the bus.  You can purchase them at any local newsstand.  Our cost was $6 Euros for 4 tickets. 

Purchase bus tickets at any newstand in Rome

We arrived back to the hotel early, giving us ample time to shower and pack for our early morning departure. 



We were holding confirmed reservations with Norwegian Air on a non-stop flight from Rome to LAX.  The trip to the Rome airport would take us a little over an hour and would include a local bus and 2 trains.   

We left our hotel at 6:30am and walked 2 minutes to the bus stop.  Bus #85 left at 6:38am.  The trip to the Roma Termini Train Station took us 12 minutes, arriving at 6:50am.  We then needed to find the track for the regional train #12230 which was scheduled to depart at 7:27am.  That proved to be a little more difficult than it should have been.   

The tickets for the regional train would require that we make a transfer in Trastavere.  After asking directions from several people we finally arrived at track 26.  It proved to be a considerable walk.  

We found this train to have plenty of seating and we left right on time at 7:27am.  The arrival into Trastavere required us to change tracks and board another train.  The second train delivered us to the Rome Airport, terminal T3 at 8:18am.  

Our international flight to LAX was scheduled at 10:10am and we found ourselves checked, boarding pass in hand, by 8:45am.   The Norwegian flight left on time at 10:10am and we arrived in LAX at 1:50pm, same day.  















  












1 comment:

  1. Looks like a fanatic trip!!! I loved Rome want to go back!

    ReplyDelete