The last stop on our recent Viking cruise was Rome, and we had arranged to extend our stay there for two days, rather than disembark and immediately jump on a plane! Ten months ago when we booked the Iconic Mediterranean on Viking Vesta, we had no idea that we would be in Rome on Easter Sunday, but hey, who better to spend Easter weekend with than the Pope!
With the help of my son, Matt, and his wife Nicole, who had been to Rome twice in the past, we had quite a busy two days facing us and actually we were raring to go! After checking into our hotel, the Westin Excelsior, located on Via Vittorio Veneto, perhaps the most luxurious and most famous avenue in the city, we started out toward the location of our first scheduled tour – the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Since we had plenty of time before the tour, we just picked one of the many cafes along the way and gave it a try. Look at what we enjoyed! Located in a basement, Napule Ristorante was a hidden gem. Our pizza was called the “Horn of Good Luck” and it was actually pizza with a meatball calzone on the one end. It was delicious to the point that we said we wondered if we could ever eat pizza in the US again! Add wine and dessert, and we were ready for our next adventure.
For our tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, we were in a group of about 12 and we utilized listening devices, which was helpful, especially due to the crowds. Our guide was so very knowledgeable and thorough in his research. Not only did he share what was in his mind, but from time to time he would whip out his iPad and show us something that he wanted to make sure we didn’t miss! He was a perfect example of someone who truly loves what he does and those of us in the tour certainly benefited from his joy!
As you can tell from the photos – and those who read my blogs on FaceBook should take the time to go to the website on a computer where the photos are of a much better quality – all through the museums we witnessed magnificent statuary, artifacts, paintings and more. Between the museums and the churches we visited, I have never seen such beautiful ceilings ever, and both Bill and I never stopped being amazed at how old everything was and wondered how structures and art were even created so long ago. And another thought-provoking fact is the reality that structures in Rome are never just torn down and replaced with more modern buildings but rather they are renovated and revered. We even noted an area where archaeologists were digging and attempting to rebuild an ancient Roman forum! Our tour guide totally prepared us for our entrance into the Sistine Chapel because you are not allowed to speak or take pictures in the chapel. It is truly overwhelming and a thing a beauty.
With no rest for the weary, we went directly to our next scheduled tour – a Secret Food Tour gifted to us by Matt and Nicole. It was a walking tour in the neighborhood of Trastavere, a very popular town with cobblestone roads, narrow streets and wonderful restaurants. Our host/guide for this tour was “Fabio”, and the first thing he shared was that in no way did he resemble the long-haired blonde romantic character we all knew as Fabio!” His humor continued as he shared not only history but cultural elements and of course food facts. Fabio is an English teacher by day and does tours in the evening. Together we experienced six different restaurants and sampled fried artichoke, arancini, a stew that supposedly Caesar loved (his last supper perhaps?), a pork sandwich created in the kitchen of a family deli, pizza and two pasta dishes. At each stop our sampling was accompanied by wine, prosecco, beer, and even a glass of what is known to be the Pope’s favorite white wine! As you could probably guess, our food tour ended at what Fabio billed as the absolute best gelato in all of Rome! We could not argue with that claim! The food tour was certainly a highlight and we enjoyed meeting the others on our tour – a couple from Scotland, a family from Nebraska (Fabio said that was a first…Nebraska?) and a family from New Jersey whose son had just committed to Clemson!!
Well, we walked a good 8 miles our first day in Rome, and I grew tired just relating it, but we still had Easter Sunday to explore Rome on our own. We had decided not to venture to St. Peter’s Square with a half million of our closest friends to hear the Pope’s mass. Instead, we strapped on our walking shoes again and headed out. Although we didn’t have a tour guide, we walked to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain (yes, we did toss coins in the fountain and it is estimated that 3,000 euro a day are retrieved daily from the water), the Pantheon and the Colosseum. Of course there were crowds everywhere – it was Easter Sunday after all – but we were able to get close enough to take photos of all the iconic spots. What complemented our self-imposed walking tour occurred later that evening.
With the help of our hotel concierge, Matteo, we made a reservation at Tempio di Bacco, within walking distance from the hotel. Our final meal in Rome was wonderful – bruschetta, pasta, dessert and a good vino! Our meal was scheduled early because our last activity was a private golf cart tour – Rome by Night! We were picked up at the hotel and spent the next two hours revisiting where we had walked earlier in the day and receiving all of the history and background associated with each spot. It was a tad chilly that night but our guide gave us plenty of time to get out and photograph at night what we had also photographed during the day. He was very knowledgeable as well and of course took us to additional spots around the city. It was a wonderful ending to an extremely full two days in Rome. With another 8+ miles on record we were almost looking forward to our flight home the following morning – almost!
thervdreamlife 