Today, I sat in a church that was built in the 12th century. And even though we were too late to do the tour, underneath us were excavated parts of a 4th century church. and underneath that, parts of a Roman church. We also saw a wall that was built in the 8th century BC (unless I was not listening properly!) The history of Rome is just unfathomable.And once again, I was astonished about how so much of it managed to remain preserved. But some of it is also overly lavish. Basilica di San Pietro took 150 years to build. Imagine the money that must have gone into that! And the Victor Immanuel Monument is beautiful, but probably the biggest monument I have ever seen.
I think the jury is still out as to whether guided tours are the better option over a self-help take-it-as-it-comes tour. Today, we ended up taking a topless bus tour, mostly because we were too tired to walk back from the Colosseo. And being driven around Rome, seeing the major attractions from a good vantage point, and hearing the commentary, certainly gave a different perspective of Rome. It most certainly made me sit up and take note of the rich history. I would however still struggle to follow a tour guide holding up some form of flag, and only stopping at predetermined points along the route.
So after two days in Rome, we could most definitely spend a lot more time exploring all the piazzas, museums and cathedrals. And the atmosphere is so very special. But I would much rather head for the countryside now. And I cannot help wonder whether some of my current perceptions might be changed, once we start visiting the smaller towns. What perceptions? Well, to mention a few:
- I've seen more trees on top of buildings than in the streets
- I feel very sorry for dogs, and you frequently see people walk with (mostly really ugly) dogs. You just don't see any grass anywhere.
- I really don't know how some of the ladies walk with their high heels on the cobblestone streets!
- Scooters are so much a part of everyday life, that they even sell helmets in fashion boutiques
- Even if you are dressed in a little black number and high heel shoes, the scooter is still quite an acceptable mode of transport
- You don't really see any obese Italians, yet you constantly see them eating. Icecream, pizza, panini - wherever you look, there is someone busy eating something
- Their icecreams (gelato) are really very good. Although I definitely prefer the fruity ones. Nope - have not yet had a chocolate gelato!
- The Italians are excellent at compacting things. They have to. The streets are narrow, and it's not as if they are willing to break down some ancient buildings to slap down wide highways and huge supermarkets. So they have to arrange their modern-day life within the confines of their history. Shops are mostly only a few feet wide. A street cafe seems to easily cope with just a very small kitchen area. News stands have the most books and stuff I've ever seen in such a small area. Even some of the cars are extremely compact. I've seen some cars that park where bikes park. They are the same length, after all! The Smart Car must definitely have been designed by an Italian. It's perfect to park diagonally between two parallel parked cars. When space is an issue, ask an Italian to help you. They are masters at it!
- And if the Italians are friendly people, the ones in the city let down their reputation rather badly. People that work at the tourist attractions are rather grumpy. In the Sistine Chapel, there are guards that bark at you when you dare sit on the steps. One rudely ordered us to put my cellphone away when we were using it for a torch to read what all the panels were about.
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