There and Back again: Italy – Day 1 through 4

Long before anyone should have been awake we said good-bye to Cooper and were driving to London Stansted airport in the dark on nearly empty roads. It was still dark as we parked in Zone N of the Long Stay Car Park. A bus took us to the airport and after standing in the wrong queue for check-in, we found the right queue and checked our two bags for the flight. We flew Ryan Air, a budget airline in Europe, in a Boeing 737 for the 1.5 hour flight to Rome. The flight attendants were Italian and could speak English very well. We saw our first Italian double cheek kiss there as the two male attendants greeted each other.

After we landed in Rome at Ciampino Airport, we took a bus through what seemed to be the shady part of town and as we neared the central part of Rome, the neighborhoods started looking better. At Termini Station we stopped and walked to our rental apartment, Alex Penthouse. Our friends Mike and Jenna arrived the day before and were meeting us at the apartment at noon, so when we arrived early and rang the bell for the apartment with no answer, we were a little scared that something happened to them and panic mode nearly set in. We followed a random woman into the complex after she got buzzed in by another resident and we wandered around awhile before heading up to the 5^th floor and started knocking on random doors. Mike answered the first door we tried and our group was united.

We dropped off our luggage and prepared for our first trip, The Vatican. First we went to The Vatican Museum and wondered around for a few hours, following the tour path that ended with the Sistine Chapel. After that, we rounded the city walls towards St. Peter’s Square and his Basilica. We stopped that night for dinner at a restaurant near our apartment, followed by a stop at our first gelateria.

One of many pizza stops during the trip:

Ceiling painted by Raphael in the Vatican Museum:

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel:

St. Peter's Basilica:

Vatican Swiss Guard:

Us at St. Peter's Square:

The four of us inside St. Peter's Basilica:

Rays of Light from the dome in St. Peter's Basilica:

Ornate ceilings and more rays of light in St. Peter's Basilica:

A nun in St. Peter's Basilica:

St. Peter's Basilica ceiling dome with afternoon rays of light:

Afternoon light coming through the sanctuary stained glass:

The next day was reserved for ancient Rome. We started with the Palatine, an ancient complex of various buildings that were reserved for the social elite of Rome, mainly Imperial officials and the high-upper class. It was also referred to as the Beverly Hills of Rome. We continued to the Roman Forum, where ruins of important government buildings lined the paths. Next, we walked by the current Capital of Italy, towards the Colosseum. In my opinion, the Colosseum was the high-light of Rome. It was a 2000 year old stadium that seated 50,000 spectators that has mostly survived fire, earthquakes, war and even stone looters.

Us on Palatine Hill:

The Stadium on Palatine Hill:

The four of us at the Palatine:

Temple column remains at the Roman Forum:

Temple column remains at the Roman Forum:

Triumphal arch in the Roman Forum:

Us under a triumphal arch at the Roman Forum:

Outside the Colosseum:

Inside the Colosseum:

Inside the Colosseum:

The next day, we visited the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. After approaching the Spanish Steps, Mike and I decided to race to the top, like a couple of crazy tourists. While he held the lead for most of the race, on the final tier, I seized an opportunity and took the lead until the finish. We then did as most people do, and sat on the steps to enjoy some people watching. We shopped for a while near the steps, and then found a lovely restaurant to celebrate Mike and Jenna’s second anniversary. During the wait for the restaurant to open, we stumbled upon the Piazza del Popolo and got to see some more amazing architecture. After dinner, the subway was closed so we braved the public bus and made it back to Termini, near our apartment.

Crowds at the massive Trevi Fountain: