*This is one of our first entries since back in 2018 (pre Covid GASP). In the foreseeable future, posts will likely be a mix of entries, jumping around different trips across the past seven years*

Days: 4 – 5 (23rd July 2018 – 24th July 2018)

Total distance travelled: 17,544.87 kilometres (10,901.87 miles)

Another Roman Summer day.

Early, and it was already getting hot!

We had a reason to be up, and it wasn’t the jetlag (although that probably made it easier to be up and awake).

Like yesterday’s excursion to Pompeii, we were again going back in time.

When we saw the size of the queues already lining up outside the Colosseum, it looked as though the Doc, Marty, Biff and almost all of the other tourists in the city would be cramming into the DeLorean with us (yeah, that was a shameless Back to the Future reference there)!

Once inside, which in fairness didn’t take all that long, whilst busy, as many of the people were in groups, and therefore clumped, we could still find space enough to find some nice spots from which to fully appreciate this ancient wonder!

It was pretty cool!

I knew a little about the place, at least more than just what was portrayed in the Gladiator movie, and it was incredible to think that somehow, back in the day, this arena, now lacking its floor and seemingly riddled with holes, once had the capacity to be filled with water and stage mock sea battles! [2025 Edit: I am now aware that the recently released Gladiator II movie does portray this, but back in 2018, it did not exist]

It was surprising to learn that there was at one point a plan to build a church inside the ancient arena, with plans and models mocked up back in the late 17th Century! …plans that clearly never came to fruition.

A few words here covered the couple of hours spent there, and by the time we left, it was not only far busier, but also the day much hotter.

We were well into history mode by now, and the area around us was chock full of history, and inside 10 minutes, we had journeyed our way over to the fabled Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus).

It was hard to believe that this was another scene of ancient spectacle that could once hold 25,000 people.

Unlike the Coliseum which was awash with tourists, we suddenly found ourselves exploring alone!

The adjacent Terme di Caracalla (Baths of Caracella), Colle Palatino (Palatine Hill) & Foro Romano
(Roman Forum) were a little busier, but still peaceful in comparison to how our morning had started, and it was incredible to be able to wander between what remained of this ancient part of the city.

I’m sure to some people, you see one crumbling ruin, you’ve seen them all, but to us, it was a fascinating glimpse to the incredible engineering feats of the Roman empire, and one could almost imagine the forum awash with armed Centurions, and toga clad citizens, or the splashing of waters in the pools of the baths.

I truly loved that we could be in the heart of such a city, yet able to surround ourselves with such history.

Reminiscent of Mexico City’s Templo Mayor, but on an even grander scale!

There was a plethora of scaffold set up around the forum as well, suggesting not restoration works, but rather of the type to support lighting and stages, as though the space was going to be used for performances.

I large series of ‘bricks’ or ‘bales’ made with wire mesh and filled with bottles and cans had already been creatively used to spell the word “HELP” which was far easier to see once we reached an elevated point, so it seemed the place was rife with the arts (that’s not a bad thing).

The heat was intense, and wandering between the ruins became quite stifling, so we eventually called time on our explorations and broke for lunch.

Crossing the nearby River Tiber got us into the quaint neighbourhood of Trastavere, a destination that was in no way random.

As fans of food and travel, it may come as little surprise that one of our favourites back home (on the TV) was the very recently deceased Anthony Bourdain, a tragedy with which we were still trying to process.

I’ll not dwell on that matter too long, lest its sadness derail my train of thought, but the joy he brought to us over his various television series was great, and on one such episode, he’d visited Rome, and it was a specific eatery featured, we now sought.

It wasn’t so we could say we’d sat in the same space as Tony, that would be a touch cringeworthy, but it was what he had eaten that was the lure.

“Cacio e Pepe”

We found the place, Roma Sparita, indulged in cold beer and starters of stuffed Zucchini Flowers & a Croquette, before the main event.

The Cacio e Pepe here is done a little differently (apparently), with the perfectly al dente pasta in its cheesy, peppery sauce served in a crispy parmesan bowl.

Simply brilliant!

Easily one of the most deliciously simply meals (like so many of the best dishes), and possibly my favourite pasta dish ever eaten!

If you’re interested in the episode itself, where Tony led us to this bowl of heaven, then for the record it was Season 6, Episode 20 of No Reservations.

Post lunch, we were back to exploring, the neighbourhoods narrow cobbled streets providing just enough shade to protect us from the Sun and keep us just a little cooler.

About 10-15 minutes from where we’d dined, we came upon the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, situated in a piazza of the same name, largely empty due to the heat and time of day.

Within, it was certainly lovely and cool, another example of Catholic opulence and excess…

Leaving the peaceful silence and the cool of the church behind, we ventured back across the Tiber, back into the heart of Rome, this time in search of a specific church.

Our trusty Lonely Planet suggested this one had a bit of surprise.

Whether it be a cost cutting exercise, or a dodgy tradesman, I’m not sure, but we needed to check out the cupola/dome of the Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola.

So, here we were.

The reason we were now inside, snapping pictures of the ceiling and adjusting our angles to best see the somewhat dark cupola was… because there actually wasn’t one!

What we were gazing at, was a flat ceiling that had been painted to create the illusion of one!

From certain angles, the game was given away, but for the most part, it was done reasonably well, although I can only assume the dark paint was to enhance the illusion in shadow…

We were up early for our final Roman day, and once again headed back across the Tiber, this time towards the smallest country in the world.

It still boggles the mind (at least for me) that the heads of a religion reside and govern their own microstate, however that is the reality, so were off to check it out on another day that promised to be a scorcher.

I may have failed to mention, but it had been hot (not what I failed to note), and this coincided with a strike from the garbage collectors of Rome.

Combine bags of trash lining the narrow (and even the broad) streets, sustained heat, and well… it’s not the kind of scratch and sniff or indeed start to any day you’d wish on even your enemies.

Lucky the place is just damned beautiful!

For a place that is short on space, it hasn’t prevented them going for grandeur, with wide empty boulevards and every edifice, well it was always going to be grand being the Pentagon of the Catholic Church!

It all led to a vast, open oval shaped area, right before the Basilica di San Pietro (Saint Peter’s Basilica) and it was here that a large queue of people milled about, like us awaiting entrance at 9am.

Perhaps most surprising, given how much of a cash cow it would be for them, entrance was actually gratis, free!

With the prospect of vast crowds, we formed a plan.

Once the gates opened, we’d race ahead to the depths of basilica, then work our way backwards.

Genius, yes?

So, that’s what we did. Skipped through all the early rooms and galleries, getting ourselves ahead of the crowds.

How clever are we!?

Only, when it was time to turn around, we were advised we couldn’t.

It was essentially one way!

Backtracking as far as we could, we explained our predicament to an attendant.

We basically hadn’t seen most of St Peter’s!

Taking pity on a pair of morons from Australia who will likely burn in hell should on exist anyway, we were allowed to duck back in, and thus begin our exploration proper… surrounded by throngs of people!

It was grand. Tt was ornate. It was gaudy. It was excess.

All that you’d expect from an establishment that can hoard a war chest to pay off people to hush up child sex offences…

We did at least (surprisingly) find an artwork we liked (religious iconography is most definitely not our thing), a Botero piece, tucked away on a wall somewhere!

Technically, we weren’t even actually yet into the basilica itself.

We’d been exploring the attached museum, with it’s vaulted halls, galleries devoted to maps, and so on.

All very impressive.

Finally, we hit St Peter’s itself.

For the rest of the day, like any good tourist, we ticked off the final remaining “must see” items on any cliched Rome itinerary.

A fountain dedicated to my cousin Trevor (okay, so not quite, but close enough), and a set of steps on permanent loan from Spain.

We thought the fountain warranted a visit in the evening as well (that time when it was much cooler and literally anyone who hadn’t already fled the heat of the city would be out).

That made for an overwhelming experience if you value personal space or have any form of social anxiety/phobia!

I had a some phone taking a few pics of the people taking their own pics, be they with the help of a stranger, or thanks to those horrid selfie sticks.

Be careful, lest you poke someone’s eye out!

A final gelato on the way back to our Termini apartment, and our Roman adventure was done.

It was hot, it was beautiful and it was delicious, but we were also happy to be done and finally heading north!

* Our open jaw (into Rome, out of Amsterdam), flights cost us $930.05AUD each, which I found and purchased through work at STA Travel

* We confirmed 5 nights at Smart BB near Termini station in Rome through Booking.com for €410.00. Upon check-in, our host offered to offer us a discounted rate to cancel and pay directly through her!

* Entrance into St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City was FREE