Europe 102: A glimpse of an Ancient City

When in Rome... you roam. :) My friend says that you can see more of the city by walking. I have never really understand this not until I get to Europe where almost everyone just walks. And Rome is not something special. Getting around the city of Rome, you would definitely see that it's modern. Well, modern than my small city but somehow sets you in a movie like you were 2000 years ago where gladiators and chariots rule the streets. Since I haven't really done research that much, I mostly rely on the our travel book. Here are five (5) highlights which I think you must not miss when you are in Rome (in no particular order except mine).

St. Peter's Basilica and Square

From the outside, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Well, it's technically, not part of Rome but there's no missing this biggest basilica in the world. When, we first got into the square. I knew it was big but I never KNEW it was THAT big. From afar, you might just consider it just like any other churches. But since I have been to the basilica in Florence (the third largest), I'm got more curious of what “largest” mean... and man, IT IS large. You can imagine its vastness when you see how people looked tinny bit tiny compared to the church. And once inside, you would feel dwarfed beside the sculptures. Not even close to a hobbit with the elves. They looked more like Titan sculptures. Aside from its vastness, the treasure of this place also lies in the works of Michaelangelo from the sculptures to the dome ceiling. I'm not a fan of the Renaissance art but for some reasons which I can't remember, I do recognize Pieta. But since I'm not a fan, I didn't know that it was by Michaelangelo (and he did it when he's 25!). It is also best to really take some time and appreciate his artistic work at the cupola. Just be ready with a stiff neck.

A view of St. Peter's Square from the dome

And since you are already there, you can also get up to the dome to see the view of the square from the top of St. Peter's church. Tip: Go there in the afternoon so that you can take a picture of the view with the day and night mode. There are a lot of beautiful and historic churches in Rome. A 10-minute walk from St. Peters, you can already visit Castel Angelo (very famous from Dan Brown's book), St. Ignatius Church, Pantheon, and some others... just continue walking.

Sistine Chapel

The tour to the Sistine Chapel is part of the tours that Vatican Museum offers. Before you get to the chapel, you will be able to see their vast collection of Roman and Greek artifacts which dates back some ancient years ago. From sculptures, to paintings, to tapestry. We love taking funny pictures and the sculptures at the museum did not escape our crazy eyes. They also showcase some modern arts and paintings from different artists. One of my favorite stops at the museum is the gallery of Popes' vehicles from carriages to actual modern cars, a replica (or original?) of the car used when he visited Manila was also showcased there. Another favorite are the huge wall room paintings by Michaelangelo and Rafael. I'm no artist, I can't barely draw something decent but looking at these paintings, I wish I had that talent.

Poor ancient Roman... Fun shot alert! 

The highlight of course of the Vatican Museum tour is the Sistine Chapel. This chapel is very famous because this is where the papal conclave is held. That means aside from the bishops themselves, through generations, the walls and paintings of this chapel are the only ones who knows what really happens when a new Pope is elected. We just look out for the white smoke. Aside from it's historical importance to the Roman Catholic church, the ceiling and altar also contains the most famous work of Michaelangelo. Looking at the ceiling, our guide was right, the only way he would do such work is to work on his back... and he did it for more than 4 years(!) You can identify some of these paintings as scenes from the bible. One of the famous part is The Creation of Adam, the two images of men (depicting Adam & God) reaching out to each other with their fingertips touching. According to our guide, the chapel has been in the stage of restoration of years and has just opened a few months ago. Unfortunately, you can't take any pictures inside, so you just have to stare above. You wish you could just lay down somewhere and appreciate it that way.

Piazza di Spagna

A view from the top of the Spanish steps

This place is basically a home to the Spanish Embassy. There's really nothing special there. But the place with its famous Spanish steps allows tourists and local alike to just chill (not literally) and enjoy the busy streets where galleries and shops reins. After a long walk, this would definitely be like heaven to your feet. At the top of the steps is the Trinita dei Monti church. This is also a great spot to take a top view picture of the steps down to the lighted busy commercial street.

Piazza di Spagna

Will I be back at Rome? :)

Around the city of Rome, you can find piazzas and usually at the centerpiece, a fountain. The largest of all the fountains in Rome is the Trevi Fountain. You can't miss it since it's also a magnet for tourists. And just like every other fountain, coin throwing is also allowed. It is believed that when you throw a coin on this fountain, you will be back in Rome. But no timeline, it could also mean that it applies to your descendants. If not you, your future kids will be able to visit Rome. Aside from coin throwing, you can't also miss the detailed Roman sculptures around the fountain. It is also a great place to sit down and enjoy the beauty of the water and the surrounding architecture. Just look for a spot where your reverie will be interrupted with a couple doing selfies.

Colosseum

The halls of the Colosseum

And last but definitely not the least is the huge remnants of a great ancient city, the Colosseum. This is like the center for entertainment of the Romans. A stadium whose form of entertainment is not football, not baseball...actually, has anything to do with balls. If you watched the Gladiator movie or any other movies with gladiators in it, this is where they held the fights... man versus beasts... man versus man... a fight to death. Thinking about it, maybe these fights are more bloody and the mortality is higher, but I wonder how much difference is it to the UFCs or boxings of today. Although, you can still see men wearing gladiator costume, they are not there to fight but as a spot to take pictures. This place makes you understand a bit about the ancient culture and life. Given the resources that they have then, it's quite amazing to imagine how they were able to build such structure which still stands... after about 2000 years.

There's still more to Rome that I've mentioned above. And if I'm asked to get back to this city again, I would do it in a whim. Well, not exactly.. I have to settled my work and have proper documents. :D But I wouldn't hesitate to be back and discover some other parts that my feet and eyes have missed.

Ciao, Romans! Ciao, Italy! :)