All in a Day's Walk December 1, 2006
After a quick trip to the post office we made our way to the Metro (subway) only to find that the transportation workers had called a strike. We went to the nearest bus stop and Surprise, bus drivers are also part of the transportation workers. We had planned on covering some ground today to see several of the sights around Rome and with our travel clock ticking we did what any marathon tourist would do; we set out on foot.
This was a day of seeing the outside of quite a few of Rome’s famous sights. Thirty minutes or so after leaving the train station we were at the Spanish Steps only to find the column between the church of Trinita dei Monti and the steps covered with scaffolding and the steps partially blocked by security tape as they were being pressure washed. One of the negative aspects of off-season touring. The picture which I will put on the web site is somewhat less appealing than the ones you see in the guide books.
Twenty minutes or so later we were at the Pantheon. The Roman “temple of all the gods” is the most well preserved ancient building in Rome. Erected in AD 118 it is thought to have been designed by Emperor Hadrian, our old buddy of wall building fame. It was given to the Catholic Church in the 7th century when the local Christians complained that they were being plagued by demons as they passed by. It was consecrated and mass is still held there today. This also makes this one of the worlds oldest continuously used buildings. We did go inside as access is free and easy. The “crowning” feature is the dome with its oculus (eye) open at the very top of the dome. It was another amazing stop in a city filled with amazing stops.
After a break for a wonderful lunch in a small café off the Piazza Navona, Holly shopped for some Christmas ornaments after which we were back on the road again.
After blindly wandering the back alleys we finally broke out to find ourselves on the banks of the River Tiber directly across from the Castel Sant’Angelo. This massive (the only kind in Rome) structure was originally built to be the mausoleum of; you guessed it, Emperor Hadrian. Since then it has been a bridgehead in the city wall, a medieval citadel and a place of safety for popes during times of political unrest. We skipped the tour but will attest to it being an impressive sight.
By this time it was after 3 and we had been walking since 9:30 so we decided to head home. This is easier said than done in Rome. As we walked we became distracted with all sorts of stuff to look at most of which we have no idea what we were looking at. So we ended up taking a meandering route which took us back by the Forum before finally finding the Hotel Massimo. My guess is we covered five of the seven hills today.
We’re told the metro and buses will be running again tomorrow. Our feet would like to thank the United Rome Transportation Workers for their co-operation and understanding.
This was a day of seeing the outside of quite a few of Rome’s famous sights. Thirty minutes or so after leaving the train station we were at the Spanish Steps only to find the column between the church of Trinita dei Monti and the steps covered with scaffolding and the steps partially blocked by security tape as they were being pressure washed. One of the negative aspects of off-season touring. The picture which I will put on the web site is somewhat less appealing than the ones you see in the guide books.
Twenty minutes or so later we were at the Pantheon. The Roman “temple of all the gods” is the most well preserved ancient building in Rome. Erected in AD 118 it is thought to have been designed by Emperor Hadrian, our old buddy of wall building fame. It was given to the Catholic Church in the 7th century when the local Christians complained that they were being plagued by demons as they passed by. It was consecrated and mass is still held there today. This also makes this one of the worlds oldest continuously used buildings. We did go inside as access is free and easy. The “crowning” feature is the dome with its oculus (eye) open at the very top of the dome. It was another amazing stop in a city filled with amazing stops.
After a break for a wonderful lunch in a small café off the Piazza Navona, Holly shopped for some Christmas ornaments after which we were back on the road again.
After blindly wandering the back alleys we finally broke out to find ourselves on the banks of the River Tiber directly across from the Castel Sant’Angelo. This massive (the only kind in Rome) structure was originally built to be the mausoleum of; you guessed it, Emperor Hadrian. Since then it has been a bridgehead in the city wall, a medieval citadel and a place of safety for popes during times of political unrest. We skipped the tour but will attest to it being an impressive sight.
By this time it was after 3 and we had been walking since 9:30 so we decided to head home. This is easier said than done in Rome. As we walked we became distracted with all sorts of stuff to look at most of which we have no idea what we were looking at. So we ended up taking a meandering route which took us back by the Forum before finally finding the Hotel Massimo. My guess is we covered five of the seven hills today.
We’re told the metro and buses will be running again tomorrow. Our feet would like to thank the United Rome Transportation Workers for their co-operation and understanding.
posted by Gary and Holly Davis @ 12:36 PM
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