I stayed in Rome for three nights and I’m glad I had the extra day to take it all in. I had a nice fourth floor room with a kitchen, and a balcony to gaze out over the city. It was very close to the Vatican, and I splurged on a early morning ticket to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. This was a “skip the line” ticket, although I still waited in line for almost an hour – not sure how long I would have spent in line with a “normal” ticket. Once again it was difficult to see some of the exhibits with all the selfie taking tourists, but the Rick Steves audio tour made the experience informative and enjoyable.

Entering the museum into the Pine Cone Courtyard sets the tone for the comprehensive collection of art to be viewed. The Bronze Pine Cone is 2000 years old and originally stood near the Pantheon to honor Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Fertility. The Bronze Sphere by Pomodoro was placed in the courtyard in 1990, and has many interpretations – the earth surrounded by the heavens or perhaps the cosmos. The courtyard itself is from the Renaissance period.

After touring the museum, the hordes of people were channeled into the Sistine Chapel, where no photos were allowed. I assumed that photos were not allowed because it is a sacred sanctuary, but a web search revealed the reason. When the most recent renovations took place in the 1980’s – 90’s, funding was secured from the highest bidder – Nippon Television Network Corporation of Japan, in return for exclusive photography and video rights. Those photos rights have since expired, but the ban remains in place. The guards had a hard time making sure everyone removed their hats, spoke quietly, and didn’t take photos. I’m not sure if it was a language issue, but many people continued to take photos and talk loudly.

It was awesome to have the opportunity to view this beautiful historical room, even if I couldn’t take my own photos. I found a seat on one of the perimeter benches, and listened to the Rick Steves audio tour. He explains what the different scenes represent, and how Michelangelo’s painting style changed during the four years it took to paint the ceiling. In spite of all the people, I was able to follow his tour guidance, and move about the room, to take in the grandeur of it all. The colors are very vibrant, and restoring these frescoes was definitely a gift to humanity, even if the money came with restrictions. Next stop was the Colosseum with my 3 pm entry ticket.

I took the metro train to the Colosseum, and once again marveled at how easy public transportation is in Europe. When I travel in The Gambia, I always expect it to be difficult, and when it goes smoothly, it is such a relief. The afternoon was overcast, which made touring the Colosseum pleasant and enjoyable. I let Rick Steves guide me through the ruins, sharing the history and explaining what I was viewing.

The Colosseum was started about 72 AD, and it took less than ten years to finish. It held 50,000 spectators, and is the largest amphitheater ever built. It was actively used for four centuries, when killing was a spectator sport, and the Romans wanted to share the fun with as many people as possible. Fans could enter through eighty ground level entrances, and your ticket was a piece of broken pottery telling you your entrance, section, row, and seat number – and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. The entire stadium could be covered with an enormous canvas awning that was hoisted across with an army of sailors to provide shade – the first domed stadium.

The games pitted animals against animals, men against animals, and the main event was gladiators against gladiators, who were generally slaves, condemned criminals, or prisoners of war. The battles were bloody, gruesome, and cruel, and ended with at least one of the combatants dead. The subterranean passages was the backstage for the games, where the animals were kept in cages, and workers used ropes to raise elevators to bring them to the arena floor.  There were eighty spots an animal could pop out of the floor and surprise the combatants. Colosseum employees would squirt perfumes around the stadium to mask the stench of all the blood.

The Arch of Constantine is situated between the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. It is the largest Roman triumphal arch and was dedicated in 315 AD to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius. Most of the sculptures and friezes were taken from other monuments. After spending the afternoon at the Colosseum, I took the bus back my room, stopping at a grocery store to pick up supplies for dinner. It was nice to be able to cook for myself, eat dinner out on my balcony, and enjoy the evening skies over Rome.

My final day started with the Rick Steves “Heart of Rome” audio tour. One highlight was the Pantheon (which has a separate Rick Steves audio tour), built in 27 BCE and dedicated to all (pan) of the gods (thoes). It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and is one of the best preserved of all the ancient Roman structures. The dome was the largest made until the Renaissance, and is exactly as wide as it is high – 142 feet. It is made from concrete (a Roman invention) and gets lighter and thinner as is rises to the top. It was the model for Michelangelo’s dome in St. Peter’s, and also inspired the Capitol Building in Washington DC.

This was another awesome space, with beautiful architecture, sumptuous alters, famous sculptures and history. There is an Egyptian obelisk outside because the Romans were an eclectic and pragmatic people, who welcomed foreign gods, as long as the citizens paid their taxes and pledged allegiance to the emperor. It has been a Christian Church since the 7th century AD, and in the niches statues of gods were replaced with tombs of famous Italians. Raphael asked to be buried in the Pantheon, and the city fathers were glad to honor the man who had done so much to beautify Rome and the Vatican with frescoes, tapestries, and paintings.

Rome is famous for its fountains, and many are still fed by an ancient aqueduct, called the Acqua Vergine. The Piazza Navona is huge with three fountains, the Fountain of the Four Rivers is in the center. The Renaissance geographers recognized only four continents, therefore this fountain represents: The Nile in Africa, the Ganges in Asia, the Danube in Europe, and the Río de la Plata in South America.

The Trevi Fountain was absolutely packed with tourists, but I did manage to make it to the edge so I could toss a coin over my shoulder into the water. Legend says if you throw a coin in the fountain, your wish will be granted, and also assure your return to Rome. The figure in the center is known as Ocean, symbolizing water in every form, and he is standing in a chariot surfing through his wet kingdom. Winged horses represent the cresting waves, and are led by the Tritons blowing their conch shells.

Some of the other memorable sights on this walk were the Italian Parliament building with a sixth century BCE Egyptian obelisk in front. The obelisk was taken from Egypt as a trophy by Augustus to proclaim his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Tazza d’Oro is one of Rome’s top coffee shops and dates back to the days when this area was granted a special license to roast coffee beans. In the early 1980s, Howard Schultz traveled to Italy and this coffee shop inspired him to found Starbucks. Of course, I had to go in and buy some beans to take back to The Gambia.

The last stop on the walking tour was the Spanish Steps, and another fountain fed by the same aqueduct, called the Sinking Boat Fountain. Because the water pressure was low here, Bernini designed a low key fountain – a sinking boat filled with water. The 138 steps lead sharply up from the Piazza di Spagna, fanning out around a central terrace, forming a butterfly shape. At the top of the steps is another obelisk framed by two Baroque church towers. When I reached the top of the steps it started to drizzle, so that was a good time to find a gelato shop, and hangout under an awning until the short rain storm was over. Next stop was the Forum and Palatine Hill, so I found the nearby metro train station to get there.

The Arch of Titus commemorates the Roman victory over the province of Judea in 70 AD. The Romans required allegiance to the empire, but the Jews refused. After a short but bitter war, the Romans prevailed, and brought home 50,000 Jewish slaves, who were forced to build the arch to celebrate their defeat.

Caesar was popular with the people of Rome because of his military victories and charisma. He gained control of the government, suspended the Roman constitution, and ruled like a king until he was assassinated in 44 BCE.  Though he was popular with the masses, not everyone liked Caesar’s politics, and during a senate meeting, he was ambushed by a conspiracy of senators, including his adopted son Brutus. One by one they took turns stabbing him to death. The funeral was held in the square in front of his gravesite, and his body was burned. Later, Emperor Augustus dedicated the temple in his name, making Caesar the first Roman to become a god.

The sacred duty of the vestal virgins was to be ritual homemakers, tending the temple-home of the Goddess Vesta. The vestal virgins brought water from a sacred spring, cooked sacred foods, and made sure the hearth fire never went out. They took a vow of chastity, and if they served their term faithfully – abstaining for 30 years – they was given a dowry and allowed to marry. But if found not to be a virgin, she was strapped to a funeral cart, paraded through the streets of the Forum, taken to a crypt, given a loaf of bread and a lamp, and buried alive. It is assumed many women suffered this fate.

Palatine Hill is believed to be where the twins Romulus and Remus were found by a wolf. The wolf nursed the babies for a short time before they were found by a shepherd. The shepherd then brought up the twins. When Romulus and Remus became adults, they decided to found a city where the wolf had found them. The brothers quarrelled over where the site should be and Remus was killed by his brother. Palatine Hill is where the Roman empire began.

The Farnese Gardens were created in 1550 on the northern portion of Palatine Hill, by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. The gardens are still beautifully maintained, and the area was a calm reprieve from my hectic tourist schedule. In the grotto under the gardens there is a laser light show that projects images on the walls and ceiling of the frescoes. This light show was about fifteen minutes long, and a perfect end to the day.

Thank you for indulging me by reading my vacation posts. Writing about and sharing photos of the places I visited, evokes childhood memories of my parents yearly trip. Upon their return, my siblings and I, sat through hours of slides about a trip we didn’t get to go on.

Now it’s back to being a PCV – one year completed and fourteen months to go.