Sabbaticus Travel Log: A few days in Rome

Infamous Trevi Fountain (1732)

Before we knew it our five months working in NZ was completed, having spent time with family and friends and with summer ending it was time to pack our bags to return 'home' to Sabbaticus in Sicily. With our flights to Sicily being via Rome, and 20yrs since we had last visited, we decided on a short break to enjoy Rome.

Climbing into the airport bus in Rome we saw two vaguely familiar looking faces. After a tentative hello we realised it was the owners (from Auckland) of the only other NZ boat berthed in the same marina and pier as Sabbaticus - such a small world! The bus arrived at Roma Termini, the single largest train station in Europe with 600,000 passengers daily, 29 platforms, shopping centre and art gallery - impressive even when jet lagged. From there it was a short walk to our B&B, a shower (no combat nap allowed otherwise we would never have got up again) then out for a local pizza (what else!) before crashing out.

Oldest Roman Temple - 2 BC

With 2,500 years of history Rome has an ancient core that reflects its long history - the ancient times, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and Modern Era which makes it a city of contrasts and absolutely fascinating with history reverberating all round you. For almost a thousand years, Rome was the largest, wealthiest, most powerful city in the Western world, with dominance over most of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately today, possibly as a result of the economic climate, it looks run down, with broken footpaths and rubbish in almost every street.

The Colosseum

Rome's greatest amphitheater, the Colosseum was started in 72AD and built in only 8yrs! With 80 arched entrances allowing easy access for 55,000 spectators the deadly gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights were staged free of charge by the Emperor for public viewing. The tour guide advised the Colosseum was designed to allow spectators to be seated within 15mins of arriving at the Colosseum. We also learned about the 'recycling' (aka plundering) of marble and stone during the Renaissance that was used to build several palaces, bridges and parts of St Peter's.

Forum Ruins

Visiting the Roman Forum allowed us to stand in the political, legal and religious centre of the whole Roman Empire and attempt to visualise the power and glory of ancient Rome. Here we visited the site were Julius Caesar's body had been cremated, with a Temple erected in 29BC in his honour. In Palatine Hill we saw ancient Rome's most exclusive neighbourhood, covered in ruins from the 1st century Imperial Palaces.

With more churches in Rome than there are days in the year there were plenty to view as we strolled around. The city of Rome surrounds the Vatican City which is the world's smallest sovereign state and is home to the Pope and

Gruesome scenes

Interior St Peter's

St Peters Basilica, Italy's biggest and most spectacular church is located in Vatican City. The dome at 136m, designed by Michelangelo is the tallest in the world. With one of the world's greatest art collections in the Vatican Museum's it was stunning to see the statutes, massive tapestries and art depicting scenes from the times. One of the highlights was the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo spent 4 yrs (1508) decorating the entire 800 sq mtr ceiling with episodes from the book of Genesis. His grand finale was returning 22yrs later painting the Last Judgement on a 200 sq mtr wall - this is still powerful, vibrant and awe inspiring today.

While Leanne could have spent another few days soaking up the atmosphere, John was keen to get going on our final flight to Sicily and return to Sabbaticus.

Below are a few more photos from sightseeing in Rome.