Roma Day 1

Here's the recap of the first day in Roma:

1.  I flew EasyJet again...it was much cheaper this time as compared to when I went to Milan because I booked 1.5 months in advance.  Makes a huge difference.  Easyjet is so simple...can't say enough great things about it.  As long as you follow the baggage rules, they are really sensible.  For just a weekend, my backpack works perfect. 

Look who looks like a professional backpacker...this in the Rome FCO airport waiting for the Leonardo express:

There it is!  Best way to get from the airport to city center...14 Euros each way, but totally worth it.  Quiet and relaxing.  I did end up sitting in a 4 seater with 3 Italian business men who weren't quiet, but it was fun to hear the vowels overly extended as they argued about whatever business deal was going down.  Exciting stuff!

2.  After arriving at Rome Termini, I chose to take a cab to my hotel.  Here is the first monument I saw:

Cab was totally worth it...would have been a long walk and the city is like a crazy maze.  I'm positive there are people lost in there who would love to get out but just can't find that one right street.  The cab proved invaluable because it got me to my hotel in less than 10 minutes. 

3.  The hotel I stayed at was in a 500+ year old building just off of Piazza Navona.  The hotel Navona Gallery and Garden Suites was discounted due to off season in November, so I got a great deal for the hotel in a really popular area.  In general, I found November to be perfect for Rome.  I think I got lucky - the weather was about 70 degrees during the day and 50ish at night...sunny the whole weekend, no rain.  Thin crowds due to the offseason, albeit still a lot of tourists.  Apparently it was much lighter than the summer.  I wouldn't want to see it in the summer if that is "light".  The doors to the hotel are pictured below, which came with a special key.  In fact, the hotel reception gave me 5 keys for my stay.  That freaked me out a bit as me and European locks don't get along well, but I never had an issue and I only had to use 3 of them.  The room was perfect for a place to sleep and then get out early to the sights.

 4.  The first thing I did after throwing my bag down was grab the hotel map and take my small one with me to find the Pantheon and food.  I'll be using Rick Steves to review this trip.  I wore a money belt for the first time since moving to Europe, and I'm really glad I did.  I'll get into that later, but I highly advise a money belt in Rome.  It's the best way to be safe and there are plenty of reasons to feel unsafe in Rome, despite what the nice hotel reception will tell you.

5.  I got thoroughly lost on that first trip out.  I first found Piazza Navona, which was easy as I was one block off of it.  Here's the statue/fountain in the middle:

I wandered around the Piazza for a bit before orienting myself on the map to head to the Pantheon.  I checked the map every block, but still managed to get lost.  I blame it entirely on the hotel map.  It was worthless, except it had a bit more detail than the map I got in the Hague.  Detail was in the wrong place, but it was more detailed.  I did come across this church:



This is the Gesu Church, the headquarters of the Jesuits in Rome.  However, not knowing what the Pantheon looks like, starving from no food since breakfast, probably slightly dehydrated and having a blond moment, I honestly thought that this church was the Pantheon...because I just couldn't imagine this place not being something GRAND.  The inside is really neat...Baroque with huge painted ceilings.  That was before I realized that everything in Italy is grand, with each site seemingly trying to out-decorate the next.  I stopped to read RS and realized this was not the Pantheon and somewhere along the way I'd gotten horribly lost.

6.  I switched to my smaller map and back tracked a bit.  Along the way, I found a liturgical shop:

Need a pope outfit?  This place (and several others on the same street) can accomodate that.  There was communion pieces everywhere as well and crosses, etc.  Everything you need to outfit a Catholic church.

7.  I found an oasis of Gelato and stopped to deal a bit with the hunger (not healthy, I know...but when in Rome).  It was a taste of heaven.  I then wandered into the Pantheon area and ate my Gelato sitting on the steps of the fountain in the square.  Talk about perfect!

8.  After I finished my Gelato, I took a few pictures:

Nice American couple took a picture of me in front of the Pantheon.  I'm focusing on the hole in the roof...not sure what they do when it rains.  I just don't get it.  I also got the following video to show the immense size of the Pantheon.  Be careful if you get seasick easily...probably not the video for you:

After visiting the Pantheon, I made my way back to the Piazza Navona.  In the short walk (the correct way this time), I was called a pretty girl twice by random men, even though I always made sure to follow the crowds.  First off random men, I am a woman.  Second, yuck.  Do you think that works in an age where people of my generation grew up knowing not to talk to strangers?  Seriously misguided.  Luckily, they didn't follow...all of them seemed relatively harmless...modern day casanovas.

9.  After Piazza Navona browsing, I found that my RS book recommended a restaurant 3 doors down from my hotel.  It was a little early for dinner, so I grabbed some Chianti at the wine bar right next to my hotel.  See my hot date with RS planning tomorrow's adventure:

10.  Then I wandered next door to the restaurant recommended by RS, called Ciccia Bomba, where I met an American couple about my age who were on their last day of an official RS tour.  I had been wondering if his official tours would be mostly distinguished older people, however, they said that there are quite a few young people on his trips and even some singles.  Something to think about...may mean I have less thinking to do when planning.  But some of that is the most fun.  Anyways, here's the obligatory food pictures that one must take when in Italy:

The food was great, the wine was good and the price wasn't bad.  And it was crawling distance to the hotel, not that I needed to crawl, but I could have. 

Day 2 and 3 to come this week.  Those are infinintely more interesting, including seeing my first European protest on accident.  Have a good night!