When in Rome....Avoid the Romans

The arrangements for our day in Rome....did not go even close to plan. After several changes in plans and then Peg experiencing difficulty with her knee after all the walking (especially Pompei), I ended up on a train to Rome from Civitevechia on my own. Peg knew the walking was going to be just too much for her now swollen knee.

If cost is very important to you, taking the train is by far the best way to go to Rome from the cruise port. It may not be the most comfortable (poor air conditioning, limited seating, etc.). As many web sites will describe, the train station is about 4 or 5 blocks to your right as you leave the port. I bought a train ticket for 9 Euro and found out later that it is good for all trains and busses all day. The person selling the tickets spoke no English (no capiche) and basically waived me off when I tried to ask a question. I did find a uniformed person closer to the platform that was able to describe that I needed to go to track #3. The trains to and from Roma run every 30 minutes and the trip takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. I read it was a good idea to get off at the St. Peter Square train stop (about 3 stops short of the main Roma station) but I didn't do that and instead opted to go all the way in to the main station. I ended up having to get a cab because the main station is a good mile or two from anything else it seems. I had no idea of even what direction to walk in. I didn't study this as much as I wished I had because we were going to have a driver for the day before all of the plans changed.

The cab driver at the Roma station wanted 25 Euro to go about 2 or 3 miles to the Coloseum (at least one other cab driver wanted $50!). I ended up sharing a cab with another couple and before long we were at the Coloseum. The Coloseum is a massive place and a bit overwhelming at first. There are people everywhere wanting to sell you a private tour or some special deal. There are guys dressed like Roman soldiers wanting you to pay them for pictures. A few of us from the ship ended up getting talked into a private tour with about 15 people. If you go in on your own, the line is about an hour long to enter. If you are in a group, they let the group right in and bypass everyone. The entry fee was about 12 Euro and it cost me 25 to be in the group (which included the 12 Euro entry fee) and avoid the line. If you consider how informative the speaker was AND how short your day is going to be, I have to say it is well worth it! I learned in Pompei that if you do not do a private tour guide, you will see all sorts of things but have little idea of (or have to guess at) what you are actualy looking at.

I learned that the Coloseum was actually once all faced in white marble which was later stolen off the structure...leaving the brick and stone structure it is today. I also found out the floor to the arena was actually supported by stone pillars and walls but constructed of wood and covered with sand/dirt. All the wood is gone today of course, but the stone and brick walls still stand. You can see the corridors where wild animals were kept and make shift primative elavators were. It is very erie to see the underground of the arena today. The tour guide pointed out where the emporer, the senate, etc.would all sit. Apparently it was free to attend the happenings in the arena but there was definitley seating sections for different classes of people.

There were two main entrances for the gladiators, both identified by the very tall arched entrances (one on each end of the arena). There are still very small amounts of marble to be found. We walked across one such section of white marble. In one corridor, there is the remains of a white marble life size horse on display....I was amazed to find it was only recently uncovered and carefully excavated in 2008. The horse has no head or legs, but it is clearly a horse... complete with saddle / all pure marble. A single hoof to the horse was also found and is also on display there.

Toward the end of the private tour a few of us from the ship split up and went in different directions. I met Al, Wayne, Wanda, and Nikki from northern Florida and Wayne seemed to know his way around as he had done all of this before. I asked them if they minded me hanging around with them for the day as we were all sort of in the same boat together (a few hours left in Rome, a ship leaving at 8PM, and an unknown train ride of 1.5 hours back to a town I can hardly say much less spell). At this point I had seen the Coloseum, the Forum, and the Arch of Constantine, when everyone decided they really wanted to fo to St. Peters Basilica in the center of Vatican City. While there were so many things to see and do in Rome, I decided that focusing on one thing like the Vatican might be the best idea rather than chasing all over after other sites to see.

We took bus #571 from the main bus stop across the street from the entrance to the Coloseum and in a few miles, we were at the entrance to St. Peter's and blown away by how long the line is. After pondering the idea once again of a private tour guide... and walking right in, we noticed this long, long line moves VERY fast. After wasting 15 minutes wondering what to do we got in line and ended up inside St. Peters Basilica in about 20 minutes! The sites inside are too awesome to describe and the pictures do not do justice to the place. The building itself takes the shape of a cross. There are more alters, statues, paintings, stain glass windows, and other religous scenes inside St. Peters than you can possibly imagine. You literally cannot believe your eyes. At the center of the building where the cross shaped structure....structurally crosses, there are the words at the alter which say ".......and upon this rock, I shall build my church". It was pretty awesome to see and hard to believe. We were all so taken back by the Basilica, Wanda and Nikki insisted we try and get into the Sistine Chapel. In Italian, it is called Sistina Capella.

I was getting a little nervous because now it was 2pm....and we had the 1.5 hour train ride ....and we didn't know where the train station even was.....and we had to leave the Basilica, walk around the vatican walls and up to the vatican museum entrance and go through the museum to even get to the chapel. We went for it though. I would recommend that one NOT go for the private tour idea at the vatican. Just go through the line at St. Peters and make your way to the museum. There seemed to be more groups than anything else at the museum entrance so individuals were actualy moving through quicker! We found ourselves now walking the halls of the Vatican City Museums being more amazed at every turn. It looked a little like the people at the Vatican stole all the marble from the Coloseum! Since most chapels we went through were painted from ceiling to floor, we all became a bit confused as to just where Sistina Capella actualy was! Many of the pictures were taken in the hallways leading to the Sistine Chapel. Once inside, we were all asked to turn our cameras off which I respectfully did, but many people ignored the guards and were snapping away. Of the 138 pictures I took yesterday, none are inside of the Sistine Chapel. It is an amazing place (painted ceiling to floor). I later learned that Michael Angelo worked at the Vatican for 26 years painting the chapel and also many of the works inside the main Basilica. He never finished the Basilica entirely but people he trained did so....well that is what I over heard anyway.

By the time we were done in the museum, it was 3:30 and the train station became our number one priority now as we were out of time. Not too many local people speak English so getting directions became humorous. There were 5 of us asking various people for directions to the train and we at times had 5 different answers! We eventually made it to the St. Peters station and caught the 3:59 back for the ship. We made it in plenty of time but it was no laughing matter for the people I later saw running down the pier as the gangplank was being raised and we were heading for Livorno.

My day in Rome was very hectic. The walking seemed endless and the stairs were countless. The museums at the vatican were numerous hallways really, and you get the impression walking along the way that you will never actually get to....the Sistine Chapel (although we did). The train ride back to the port was so crowded, you were cheek to cheek with those standing around you.....and nobody was getting off the train soon. I was completely beat and couldn't believe what little I saw compared to all that there is to see in Rome. It really did not help that the European Cup Football championship was being played in Rome the night before (always played on neutral ground). Team Barcalona defeated the team from Manchester, England. Thousands came into Rome for the game, most without tickets! They just wanted to be there......as did I, and that is why I went. My recommendation from this learning experience is to start or end a cruise in Rome. By starting or ending a cruise in Rome one can spend a few nights in a hotel and see everything. Visiting for a day and trying to take it all in....well, just cannot be done. You can visit, you just cannot take it all in. If your cruise finds you in Civitevechia for a day, then figure out what ONE thing you would like to see in Rome....and go for it. Be sure to watch your pockets, apparently we have expert pick pockets in Rome, even worse in Spain we hear. We have already heard of two stories on board where people were picked, one gentleman lost $200 Euro, another lost everything at a security checkpoint entering the Coloseum. In the end, I got lucky. I met some great people who sort of knew what they were doing, and we all had fun, but getting around was not all that much fun. The train is cheap.....but you get what you pay for. The people I saw at the dock getting out of Mercedes Mini Vans looked a lot more relaxed than I was (of course they paid $400 Euro for the day compared to my $34 Euro).

I hope to return to Rome one day and when I do a hotel will be involved. As for this visit, Peg made the correct choice in doing what she had to do, and now her knee is all the better for it!