Rome-ing

We had a drama-free disembarkation in Civitavecchia, a port 70 km from Rome. We'd arranged a bus to take us to Rome, and during the trip in the guide gave us a few hints and highlights for the city.

Despite predictions of rain the weather stayed clear. Good walking weather.

After dropping us at  Ostiense Train Station we caught taxis to the Hotel Savoy.

Roman traffic lived up to it's reputation of being high-speed insanity. I can never quite work out why there aren't rows and rows of burning wrecks filling the streets. The guide had warned us to take particular note of scooters. He said there are one million scooters in Rome, and they can be relied on to ignore most traffic laws. Red lights are only a suggestion, and pedestrian crossings are simply road decorations.

Very good advice.

The taxi driver was just as manic. We passed through one roundabout, with no hint whatsoever of anything resembling right-of-way rules. Traffic merged, bluffed, and braked, trucks, cars and scooters weaving around each other, with nobody batting an eye.

After careful observation I've concluded there are two speeds for drivers: "accelerator pedal to the floor" and "brake pedal to the floor".

The Hotel Savoy is a lovely old hotel towards the north east end of the centre of Rome, and within walking distance of most of the highlights of Rome. The staff were friendly and helpful, the rooms are good with excellent soundproofing, and the view from the rooftop is superb, including views of the Basilica of San Pietro to the west (AKA Fort Vatican), and the Memorial to Vittorio Emanuele in the south.

Simon was coming in from London to meet us. He's staying with an Italian friend, a fellow computer-game programmer, but will be spending a fair bit of time with us as well.

After coffee and sandwiches in the rooftop restaurant, with no word from Simon, we figured we may as well start sightseeing.

Here's the thing about Rome: pretty much everywhere is amazing. Most European cities are steeped in history, so it's not uncommon to walk down the street and pass by buildings hundreds of years old. In Rome it's not uncommon to pass buildings two thousand years old. The ones that are hundreds of years old are the new stuff.

We set out on foot to see the Spanish Steps (as unremarkable as I remembered) followed by the Trevi Fountain (far more remarkable than I remembered).  It was busy, but not stupidly so - once more I was thankful we were travelling in the off-season - and we plonked down and just soaked up the Trevi-ness for half an hour.

We were still sitting when Simon called. He was three hours late, and even I was starting to fret. It turns out his flight was delayed, and then he ended up in the customs queue with the guy who stopped everybody for questions. The other queue was emptied before he was halfway through.

We waited for Simon, then stopped in for coffee at a cafe around the corner from the Pantheon. Good coffee, great waiter, and a near-death experience for Simon and Anna as a truck passed behind them, one quick turn of the wheel away for slicing off the back of their skulls. I have photographic proof (which will get posted when I have time and fast Internet access).

Then then on to the Pantheon, which is remarkable. Originally a pagan temple to the Roman gods (hence the name - pan (many) theon (gods)), it was re-consecrated as a Christian temple/church/asylum in the mumblemumblemumbleth century AD. In addition to the expected amazing statues and artwork it also houses the remains of the first two kings of Italy, and of the painter Raphael.*

Another remarkable aspect of the Pantheon: there's a massive hole in the centre of the ceiling. I thought it was glassed, but it's not. There are twelve drains in the floor to remove the water when it rains.

From there south to the Travestere area, which has a reputation for being the best restaurant area of Rome. On the way we passed De Rittis, a store that sells clerical clothing. That's clerical as in "the clergy", not clerical as in "administrative staff". We're talking vestments, clerical collars, cassocks, bishops mitres... we dubbed it "the Pope Shop". Tragically it was closed, but Simon and I want to go back and top up our wardrobes.

We crossed the Ponte Garibaldi into Trastevere, looking for traditional Roman-style cooking, and hoping to find the restaurant Simon programmed into his mobile phone before the battery died. After a few wrong turns we found it - and it was closed. We quickly realised our error: it was just after 6pm, and most Italian restaurants don't open until after 7pm, sometimes later. This one opened at 7.30.

Not keen to let an hour and a half go to waste we stopped into a restaurant/bar around the corner, where Emma and I shared a more-than-acceptable bottle of Tuscan chianti. 

Merrily primed for dinner we returned to the restaurant (whose name escapes me)**, and had a phenomenal meal. Apart from the veal, which was intended for a shoe factory, everything was brilliant: deep fried artichokes, a magnificent prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella, fresh-baked bread, a pasta with porcini mushrooms and asparagus - and another bottle of chianti, because Rome. The final touch was dessert, with Emma's Roman version of a mille-feuille ("but a thousand times better") being good enough to justify homicide.

That was enough for the night, so we home time. Simon and I walked back, while Emma, Mario and Anna wimped out opted for a taxi. Being fleet-of-foot Simon and I arrived within a few minutes of the others, assisted by the taxi driver giving the others at scenic view of Rome.

Plus we got a night-time look of the Trevi Fountain. Definitely better than I remembered.

* While looking at Raphael's sarcophagus I was awestruck by how incredibly short the little ☠☠☠☠ was.

** Trattoria Da Carlone. How could I have forgotten?