Breakfast was around 7:30 am. There were a couple other people in the communal breakfast room, which was run by a volunteer (I assume), as all the nuns were currently at morning Mass. I started to wonder why these Catholic travelers, myself included, weren't at Mass instead of eating breakfast (or at least it was likely they were Catholic.) I guess the demands of being a tourist were too great for us, as we needed an early start to the day.
I tried to strike up some conversation with two of the guests, as it was a bit awkwardly quiet and I was also hoping to find out any information that would be helpful to my visit. One of the ladies mentioned that she did not use the bus but walked everywhere the day before, though her feet were now a bit sore. I decided that walking would probably be the best option, plus I hadn't really figured out the bus system.
After eating quickly I heading out and down the driveway, turning left onto Via Delle Fournaci. I'm not too sure why I turned left, as the road went uphill and away from the Vatican and the direction that most of the morning traffic was going in. From what I remember I hadn't devised any plan really, except that I would wander around and hopefully visit the Vatican at some point today or tomorrow. The road continued steeply uphill. I stopped at a high gated wall that enclosed a large number of older buildings. Peering through the slightly opened metal gate I found a collection of buildings, surrounded by trees and long grass. It was dark and peaceful and quiet, especially compared to the street and traffic outside. Though I knew it was against better judgment, I decided to go in, taking a chance that even if the gate did shut and lock, I would be able to find a way out again. It was very quiet as I walked up one of the drives. The only people I saw were a couple maintenance workers. After walking around for a while, I felt it was time to leave. I did not find another way out so I headed back down the drive I came up, and of course when I got to the gate it was shut fast and locked. There was no one around, but I eventually found a buzzer and reluctantly rang it, explaining to the Italian voice on the other side "tourist - I want out please." After a somber pause the gate buzzed open.
It was only later when I returned home from my trip did I discover that what I had wandered into may have been the Pontifical North American College, which is one of the largest American Seminaries outside the US. So the first thing I did in Rome was to get myself locked in on private property belonging to the Church. This was somewhat of a foreshadow to the rest of the day, though of course I didn't know it at the time. I continued further uphill on Via Della Fournaci for a short while, until it got even steeper and didn't seem to have an end in sight, disappearing around corner after corner. So I turned around and headed back toward the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Now I was heading in the same direction as all the traffic. There are many mopeds and vespas, mostly driven by the younger crowd. At one point I noticed an attractive young woman on a moped who seemed to be smiling directly at me as she drove past. At first I was quite flattered, but then decided that I couldn't really tell if it was a friendly smile or if she was laughing at my short pants. The short pants story: I had hurriedly bought khakis before the trip, not wanting to rely on jeans alone, and I definitely wasn't going to wear shorts and be an even more obvious tourist. But I had the worst time finding a size and style I liked, choosing to take a chance on a pair I found that the length would not shrink too much in the wash. Which of course they did.
Via Delle Fournaci funnels into a couple other main roads, at an intersection that was a mass of mopeds, pedestrians, and vehicles. It was organized morning traffic chaos, but everyone seemed to know what they were doing. The moped drivers in particular were undaunted, darting in and out of traffic or often moving as one unit, probably as there is safety in numbers (there is a particular type of fish that do this as a survival strategy, can't remember the name.)
I found the Vatican grounds, but mostly walked around the perimeter observing it before heading off toward the downtown core, which lay on the other side of the Tiber (Tevere) river. Before crossing the river I found Castel Sant' Angelo which overlooks the Tiber. I paid my entrance fee and leisurely toured the castle which offered great views from the walkway on the top level. The structure was originally built as a Mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian between 135 and 139 A.D. It was later used as a fortress and eventually turned into a museum. The name was changed in 590 after a vision of St. Micheal occurred, signaling the end of a plague. (1) In the 14th century, a secret corridor connected the Castle to St Peter's Basilica, which Pope Clement V11 used while Rome was being attacked in 1527. It was during this event that 147 out of 189 Swiss Guard died on the steps of St. Peter's, giving the Pope enough time to find refuge in Castel Sant' Angelo. (2)
For the rest of the morning and afternoon I wandered in and out of Churches and up and down alleys and streets, aiming indirectly for Trevi Fountain. I visited the Pantheon, which is located in a plaza packed with tourists and surrounded by restaurants. Trevi fountain was suppose to be nearby, at least according to signs I found, but I had some difficulty locating it. I was asked several times if I spoke English, I guess I looked enough like a local that tourists thought I would be able to help them with directions. I ended up heading toward what I thought was the fountain, but turned out to be the Palazzo Delle Esposizioni, which is an 19th century neoclassical building that was renovated during the Musulini era. It housed mostly historical military items from what I remember. Actually, the grand steps were the most memorable thing about it, that and the fact that the facade was under construction and mostly covered.
I then headed back the way I came and turned up the Via dei Fori Imperiali, which runs along the ruins of the Roman Forum and up to the entrance of the Colosseum. From street level, the ruins of the Forum were impressive, as you looked down onto what was left of ancient city. The Forum was deteriorating by the 8th century and filled in with debris during the Middle Ages. When the Papal seat moved from Avignon back to Rome in the 14th century, interest in the ruins was renewed. Most of the excavation was finished by the early 20th century. (3)
I tried to buy a ticket but was informed by the men at the kiosk that the entrance for today was free, which included the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum sites as well. I thought that was quite fortunate. I started from the east end and headed back toward the Capitoline Hill which stands at the west end, facing the forum. The Capitoline Hill is one of seven major hills surrounding the Forum, marking the area in which ancient Rome developed. The Forum was the political, economical and spiritual centre of Rome. It was where the Roman Republic originated and where the Senate sat. I took my time meandering between all the debris and ruins, as there was so much to look at and examine. About 30 minutes into the tour a thundershower broke out and all the visitors had to duck for shelter. I sat under a cluster of several small trees, waiting for it to end. Most of the tourists, myself included, had not thought to bring umbrellas and so had to wait another half hour before it stopped and the sun came back out. I continued my tour by heading back up the forum, going back toward the entrance, eventually turning right when I reached the Palatine Hill. By this time the sun was starting to drop under mostly overcast skies, which created a surreal effect of lighting, enhancing the colours of the wet tress, grass and flowers.
The Palatine Hill is the most ancient cite of Rome, legend holding that Romulus and Remus were raised in cave nearby and later founded the city at this location. Excavations have revealed settlements on the hill as early as 1000 B.C, and many of the Emperor's Palaces were built on the hill, which overlooks the Forum on one side and the Circus Maximus on the other. Palatine Hill is quite a large area. I climbed up the steep side, then walked around the top, through gardens and ruins of what was presumably palaces. Not that you really need to know this, but for some reason the only available, unlocked public washroom on the entire archeological site was a small white brick building that housed a tiny one-person washroom, which also happened to be for women only. I was quite reluctant to use it until I saw some other men with no qualms go in. When in Rome...
A recent excavation of Emperor Augustus' birthplace ("The Palatine House," located near the top of the hill) allowed the public to walk among ancient rooms, with partially restored frescoes on the walls. Only after, while back home, did I learn that the famous Lupercal cave of Romulus and Remus was discovered directly below Augustus' house. Early photographs of the cave show a vaulted ceiling richly decorated with seashells and mosaics. (4)
As it was now dusk, I headed over to what I assumed was the Circus Maximus. The first thing I thought of was that it was quite small, for an arena that was called "Maximus." Granted, people were generally shorter in those days, so the scale could be relative, but still, I was expecting something quite a bit larger really. It turns out that this wasn't the Circus Maximus at all, though again I wouldn't discover this until doing a bit more research a year later, and looking back at my map of Rome again. I took some pictures and read a plaque that stood there (though I don't think the plaque even described what it was, or at least I don't remember, but talked about marble walls and where the Emperor and his entourage would sit) and headed down the south-east side of Palatine Hill, taking photos of the darkly silhouetted walls and umbrella pines before the light was completely gone. The path wrapped its way around the hill and joined Via di S. Gregorio, the main thoroughfare that ran past the Arch of Constantine and toward the Colosseum.
The Arch of Constantine is well preserved and surrounded by a black iron fence. I think I had to stand partially in the road to get the picture I wanted. The Colosseum is huge, as you would imagine, and the outside surface of the structure is pitted and stripped of all the marble that once adorned its surface. The Colosseum had just closed, so I walked around its perimeter, taking pictures and talking to the cats that apparently seem to live among its ruins.
I decided to wander back along the road that runs past the forum, eventually turning up one after another alley as I headed toward where I thought Trevi fountain was, as I had been told that it was better to view at night (plus I couldn't find it earlier in the day.) It was dark and raining fairly hard by now, but I decided not to buy an umbrella, as it was Rome, which was suppose to have good weather, plus I figured, how long could it last? I continued up and down alleys, having no idea where I was going and not really referring to my map in any logical way. I knew I was getting lost, but had no idea how lost at the time. I couldn't find street signs, so I stopped at a tobacco and coffee shop at one point to ask for directions, but was intentionally ignored by the owner, who directed his employee not to talk to me as it was clear that I wasn't buying anything.
To get out of the rain, I stopped in a Church (there seems to be one on every block) and was pleasantly surprised to find that adoration was just starting, which was followed by the Rosary and Mass (I even managed to learn a few lines of The Hail Mary in Italian.) The church was small but had a beautiful interior, and it was such a peaceful break from all the walking and sightseeing. After Mass I stepped back out into a slow drizzle and decided to look for a restaurant.
I found a busy, but slightly touristy looking place. The waiters were quite dramatic, or at least one of them was. And the entertainment for the evening involved a spectacular collision between a waiter, his plate of dishes, and the patrons who had just opened the door on him as he was walking past. Surprisingly, they didn't flee and eat somewhere else, which is what I would have done after an entrance like that. They probably have more humility than me. I had noticed that a large table was set up at the entrance which displayed what I presumed was all the items off their menu. It was both impressive and a bit disconcerting as I was hoping that my meal wouldn't be plucked from the table, reheated and sent over to me. Luckily my pizza was brought directly from the kitchen. An older Italian gentleman ended up sitting at my table, as it was the only available seat. We did not speak to each other until after our meals, at which point I learned that he was an Italian businessman who was just in town due to work. He did try to teach me to say 'Grazie' correctly, though I never did quite mange it properly.
After dinner I decided to give up on Trevi fountain and head back toward what I thought was the convent I was staying at. The convent had a 10 pm curfew and it was getting close to 9 pm by now. After several changes in direction and about 20 minutes of fast walking through heavy rain, I arrived at a large open area that was flooded with traffic, taxis, and people hurrying everywhere. It took me a few minutes to realize where I likely was, at which point my heart sank and panic started to set in. I managed enough courage to approach a group of locals sitting under a covered patio having drinks, and they confirmed for me in broken English that I had walked in completely the wrong direction and was at Termini Station on the outskirts of the city core.
Termini Station is just under two miles from where I wanted to be. The advice from one of the locals was to take the Metro north and west across the Tiber, to the stop just above the Vatican. I would then have to walk south past the Vatican for another half mile or so. I walked over to the Metro at Termini Station, but upon looking at the time and not wanting to figure out how the metro worked, I decided to line up for a taxi instead. Luckily my driver knew where we were going, and drove quickly over cobbled stone streets in heavy traffic to get me there in good time. He dropped me as near as he could, and I walked quickly up the street back to the convent, ringing twice to be let through the gate. But I made it back in time with minutes to spare. By the time I got back to my room I remembered that at the start of the day I had meant to withdraw enough money from a bank machine to pay for the room and for spending, which of course I had completely forgotten to do, though I'm sure I passed several ATMs throughout the day.
(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Sant'Angelo
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Rome_(1527)
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatine_hill
Pistol, Castel Sant' Angelo
Forum
Colosseum
Italian Mass
My room at the convent
