Rome: Living History

Rome: the center of ancient and modern Italy, a hub of constant activity, and our second stop. Thankfully, after getting off our early flight and arriving in Rome after a short bus ride that included passing under Roman aqueducts, I received a very good omen in the form of a store right in front of the bus station named 'trombetta's.' No, I didn't end up going in because the food was quite pricey and beyond my poor student budget. 

 

As a city, Rome moves at its own pace. The drivers are crazy, speeding along and trying to get wherever they're going 5 minutes ago. This makes crossing a street an adventure in itself; usually you just have to go for it and run. Avoiding or saying 'no' to ever present and ever aggressive/persistent street vendors also becomes a constant in Rome as they are always attached to the tourist areas. Despite these annoyances and the general over-touristy nature of Rome, it's fun to sit down with a good panini to munch on just to watch the multitude of people from all over the world strolling along to observe what's left of ancient Rome or admire the many street artists display and create their work right on the street. There's a respectful quiet around the ruins even though the city grows and runs around them. It comes from a sense of pride for their history, I suppose, as history infiltrates the very air along with the smells of rose perfume, herbs, and humanity.

 Unfortunately, my budget limited what I got to see of Rome to a certain extent. Access to museums and most of the historical sites' interiors come with fees. However, thanks to the rather central location of our hostel, Rachel and I were still able to take in most of Rome, excluding the Vatican as it would've taken most of the day to walk there.

Being both the closest and probably the most famous monument of Rome, we began our sightseeing by heading for the Colosseum. Along the way we discovered a park built around the ruins of a basilica and Trajan's baths. As we went down the hill from the park, still preoccupied with the baths, I spotted a series of arches standing tall and stark against the sky. Turns out the Colosseum was very easy to find. 

From all the shots in movies I've seen that show the Colosseum, I'd imagined it as surrounded by a constant flow of activity, but it was actually much quieter. Another thing movies and books alike hadn't prepared me for was the size. In your mind, you know it's big, but standing in its shadow lends a whole new feeling to its massiveness. The solemnity and wonder of the moments around the Colosseum experienced a small break when I saw a Christmas tree in front of it. The irony of it gave me a small chuckle. Even though I didn't go inside, the outside view of the building was wondrous enough for me, disregarding its less than pleasant past.

The Arch of Constantine, which was located nearby the ruins of Palatine Hill, was also in the same area. I couldn't see much of the Palatine Hill ruins, but the Arch was magnificent despite being fenced off. Walking on the large cobblestone path around it and looking at the meticulous carvings, some still appearing fresh while others show evident wear, the feel of history was almost palpable.

This feeling was equally powerful at the numerous nearby forums known collectively as the Roman forums. Only a few of the pillars remain standing and have parts of their original exterior. Most of what remains are scattered pieces of columns and arches, as well as the foundations and some of the underground substructures. To imagine it as it was in it's glory days, whole once again and full of life, is to stand still in wonder. Trajan's column, an ornately carved column depicting the history of Rome and its empire stands as a visual reminder of the forums' former greatness.

From the forums, we wandered next to the Vittorio Emanuele monument, which also houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Covered in statues that represent different aspects of Italy's history and unification by Emanuele, the ornate monument apparently has the local nickname of 'The Wedding Cake.' By this time, it was getting dark, so we found a local restaurant and enjoyed a meal of ravioli, with spinach, ricotta, and oregano inside, and meat sauce before heading to our final destination of the night: The Trevi Fountain.

Having to wind our way through several backstreets, our finding of the fountain was even more satisfying. Although more detail is probably visible during the day, the fountain at night is spectacular with the way the light shines through the water onto the sculptures, giving them an extra spark of life. Hopefully that magic, as well as that of the hippocampi, mermen, and Neptune was alive as well as we threw our two coins into the fountain; one for a wish and the other to return to Rome.