Holiday Crashing in Rome, Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican

First class treatment in Vienna

After circling back across the majestic Slovakia countryside, we arrived in Vienna, Austria where we had to change trains. The next leg was on a night train with sleeping compartments that required reservations. The Vienna station was packed with other travelers and the ticket lines were extremely long. While Sara saved our place in line, I found the first class lounge and learned they could help us with tickets. (We have a first class Eurail pass because it’s the only option for travelers over age 25) When I told him we wanted a reservation to Rome, he chuckled at our last minute request and said the train was full. Instead of a direct train, he confirmed beds on a train to Venice and then seats on another train to Rome. Although we would get into Rome later, the new option gave us time to enjoy the first class lounge. Skipping long lines, plus free drinks and snacks – we could get used to first class travel!

Overnight Train Hassles

Our only option in the sleeper train was two upper bunks in a six berth couchette. We boarded, got settled, ate a quick dinner from the market and tried to sleep. A few hours later, our noisy and smelly bunk mates arrived. We got back to sleep only to wake up again but this time covered in sweat. The room was so hot and stuffy that we figured the air conditioning must have shut off. I told the conductor who said it would be back on soon, but hours later we realized it was never going to return. Any airflow would have improved the situation but the windows were sealed shut and there were no fans. It was a long hot night.

In Venice, we switched trains and had first class seats the rest of the four hour journey to Rome. It was a nice change from the overnight train and there were even free drinks and snacks! We got a few more hours of sleep and cleaned up for our arrival where we were excited to see our friends Fayad and Laura.

We walked the couple blocks from the train station to our friends’ hotel, Hotel Massimo D’Azeglio. As we approached the elevator to head towards their room, the front desk stopped us. I’m not sure why we stood out – maybe my shaggy hair and beard or our large backpacks. While we were trying to explain ourselves, Fayad and Laura came down to the lobby which helped our credibility. After providing the front desk our passports for collateral, we were allowed to visit their room. Even though we hadn’t seen each other in a long time, it felt like no time had passed as we chatted about everything.

We didn’t visit the room for long because we weren’t there to just catch up – we had places to go and things to see. We packed a day pack and went downstairs only to find it was pouring rain outside. As we donned our rain jackets, the rain let up enough for our walk and we headed towards the Colosseum.

Immersed in History

Approaching the Colosseum

Since Sara and I had not planned for Rome, we were not mentally prepared for what was ahead. Around every corner, there were remnants from the ancient Romans. There were city blocks filled with ruins as well as mostly complete buildings that dated back 2000 years. And that was before we even laid eyes on the Colosseum. As the Colosseum came into view, it made everything else look tiny and insignificant. While admiring the massive stone and marble structure, I kept trying to picture the ancient Romans building the magnificent structure with primitive tools. By comparison, all modern sport stadiums I’ve seen are boring hunks of concrete and steel. The Colosseum was an intricate structure laid block by block with incredible precision.

View of Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

The rest of the day followed a similar trajectory. We explored Palatine Hill and the surrounding Roman Forum, a huge area of ruins that are surprisingly intact. We walked past temples, forums, and even stone houses dating back to the very beginning of Rome! After an exhausting day exploring ancient ruins, we ate at a decent restaurant, Cafe deli Angeli, along the walk back to Fayad and Laura’s hotel. Sara and I took our packs (and our passports) to check into our hotel, Principe di Piemonte. The four of us got together again that night for a beer at a laid back pub.

Pantheon

Spanish Steps

The next morning, Sara and I woke early to explore the Pantheon while Fayad and Laura went on a Vatican tour. The Pantheon is an incredibly well preserved church from the Roman era with intricate painting and sculptures all around the interior. In the afternoon, we met back up with our friends and wandered towards the Spanish Steps. I don’t know why they are such an attraction because it was just steps up a hill, but all the other tourists seemed enthralled for some reason. After walking up the famous steps, we found a neat little park overlooking the city. I really enjoyed seeing the expanse of the city below – it seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon and beyond.

Delicious Italian Cuisine

Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa after escaping from the rain with craft beer

In the evening, we took a bus across the river to the Trastevere neighborhood which is know for good local food. We were greeted by more rain when we arrived so we found shelter in Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa, a bar with Italian craft beer. Even though Italy is mostly known for wine, we found some excellent local beer in the bar. My favorite was the Hammer Bulk Porter and Sara’s favorite was the Bibibor Granapa APA. After the rain passed, we enjoyed the last remaining daylight on a bridge over the Tevere River. As the sun fell below the horizon, street vendors set up shop on the bridge and the city came alive.

One of Sara’s friends from home recommended an excellent restaurant, Trattoria da Cencia. The food was fantastic. I had a set dinner special of bruschetta, penne pasta and pork, while Sara ordered the pasta with cream sauce and sausage (but of course we shared). The penne pasta was a bit on the boring side but the restaurant redeemed themselves with the fantastic cream sauce and sausage. We finished off our proper Italian meal with creamy gelato and by walking the riverfront full of shops and cafes.

Sara and I were on our own again the next day after saying goodbye to Fayad and Laura the night before. We had a few hours before our next train so we dropped our bags at the overpriced and cumbersome train station luggage drop. We got a city bus and headed across town to see the Vatican. The Vatican is a City-State of the Catholic Church with impossibly beautiful architecture. We could wander around the main plaza, Piazza do San Pietro, and gawk at the magnificent architecture but we did not have time to wait in line and enter St. Peter’s Basillica.

Best gelato from Old Bridge (worth the long line)

After seeing the Vatican from the outside, we had just enough time to try more of Sara’s Italian friend’s recommendations. We went to Duecen Togradi 200 to have delectable paninis full of melty cheese and savory meat for lunch. The paninis were so good that we took away two more for dinner on the train! We then walked around the corner to wait in line at Old Bridge for gelato. It was worth the wait because it was the best gelato we’ve ever had! Only bad part was that we had to enjoy it quickly as it melted in the heat. It was an excellent finish to our last minute Roman tour.

Next, we’ll headed to Bari, Italy for one night to then catch a ferry over to Greece.