About a week before we left on our Italian sojourn I thought I'd look up free tours in the different areas, since we've been accessing this service on our Japan holidays. ( in Japan you pay for their food while they're with you and any travel they incur while the guide is with you) Lo and behold there were 4 free walking tours for Rome and with one of them you didn't have to make a reservation, we had intended to go for the morning tour yesterday but had missed it. This morning however we were on time and as we'd scouted out the Spanish steps yesterday we were at the designated meeting place, between the column and the Spanish Embassy at 955. Our guide Laura, a woman who looked about my age soon had about 30 English Speaking Tourists around her, she didn't have a speaker which was fine as she'd always stop in an area with good acoustics. The only problem was her rapid Italian walk, we realised if I lagged behind I'd miss the first part of her blurb.
Our solution was ingenious, Eric crooked his arm and hooked me along. He did his cultural rapid walk and dragged me along, I was actually jogging ! We managed in this manner to always be Leaders of the Pack. I can't relate her information to you as it was so much, however the greatest impression she left on me was not only how she rolled her R's but in the Parlimentary Square where there were 4 palaces each from a different Era and each one being used in an official capacity today. She stressed that Rome is Eternal because it has not become an empty museum like places for example in Greece or Pompeii but that people have never stopped living there and it is continually evolving.
If you go to Rome take advantage of this as you hear the inside stories of different guides each having their own passion and area of interest to share. My favourite places were many but I will mention two. The first being the Pantheon, I loved that there were still first century BC naves and then the famous Roman Columns out the front. Plus I never knew Michael Angelo studied this dome before the one at San Pietro's was built, it was the first duomo ever built and was also studied by the architect of the famous Duomo in Florence. During this visit there was also a Parlimentary protest going on complete with music and balloons you could feel the lifeblood of Rome still pulsating!
My second favorite spot yo mention is a little street where the rosary beads were first crafted in the courtyards. You could imagine the industry going on. We walked through this cobbled via until we crossed over the Tiber River. Laura impressed upon us that nothing is restored it is just preserved whilst the modern Romans build ontop of or beside their history. Apparently a metro C line was being built but was halted due to historical remains found.
We bade Laura and the group goodbye as we had paid for a skip the line ticket for 12.30. When we were asking for directions we were strong armed into joining a tour to prevent a long line up before entering St Peters Basilica. The Vatican Museum was closed for the day which was a shame as it's one of the world's most wealthy museums however we were inundated with more beauty than we could process in the two and a half hours we went on the tour.
If I come again i would do a tour where you get an hour of free time at each site. Apart from the famous Sistine Chapel my favourite artwork was the tapestry which we saw when we walked from one building into the Vatican. It was of Jesus looking at you, when you walked past his eyes followed you plus his feet changed direction!
After that we parted ways with Julia our paid guide and enjoyed the time alone in Saint Peters Basilica and the crypts. We spent about 5 hours there altogether and even that was just scratching the tip of the iceberg! If I come again I will find a guide who gives an hour of free time in between sites as the time we had didn't do them justice. I ended up having a nanna nap when she talked for 20 minutes on the garden.
Directions on our map showed there was a Metro nearby however we couldn't find it straight away and caught the tram to the Metro area. We decided to get something to eat and settled on a cafe which was called Pasta and Suga. While using the wifi we noticed an important message from Ruki with an address for the best gelatisserie in Rome - Fat Amorgana we went post haste to Termini then caught a bus to the location. Between the two of us we had 7 flavours by now it was very cold but we prevailed because we are food ninjas! I can't even remember getting home but we obviously made it. Loving Roma!
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