Rome - The Eternal City

Ah Roma! Such a gorgeous city, so full of history and beauty and so full of people. This was always going to be a big stop on this trip.

This city is a veritable treasure chest of western history. I mean this is ROME - the capital of arguably the most influential western empire ever (The US is trying to wrest that title away now). Romans taught the western world so many things and their influence is so great that they founded another great European city, which today is the source of most things cool - London (or Londonium as they called it). We had so many things to take in - the Pantheon, Vatican city, Trevi fountain...and then there are the Roman ruins. Like many other guys, I have always loved to hear stories of the brave gladiators who fought and died in the Coloseum. Who can forget Ben Hur and the chariot races at Circus Maximus? And then there is the Roman Senate itself.

Anyway, we got started the very first day, We trooped off and after a little searching found ourselves at Trevi fountain. This is the fountain where if you turn your back and flip a coin in, you will be guaranteed a return visit to Rome. Looks like there will be plenty of return visitors. :) Let me tell you - this one is the worth the hype. Easily the most magnificent fountain I have ever seen - it seems to grow out of the building which its attached to. Huge beautiful statues adorn the fountain, and at night with lights on, its even more beautiful. Water flows out several orifices and all in all, it is an architectural masterpiece.

The next morning was the big day. We were going to see the Roman ruins...yay!! We took the underground to the stop for Circus Maximus and I stepped out hoping to see an impressive oval race course. Oh God - its an unmaintained open garden...dirty and with very little of the original structures remaining. I walk in a daze around the famous course, with M helping me get over the shock. Sigh...

Anyway, next we climb up one of Rome's famous hills - the Palatine hills to see the Roman Forum. This was more like it. Covered with Roman history and old buildings, one wished one could get an explanation to every sight one saw. Yes, I know...too many "one"s in the previous sentence...get over it! As I was saying...we saw structures built by the various Caesers...Julius, Augustus, etc. We saw the remaining columns of the Roman Senate, and marvelled at the remaining architecture. Having walked our a$$€$ off, we took a break at a nearby Irish pub (been eating waaaay too much Italian food lately).

After this we headed to the highlight (for me) - the Coliseum. It remains standing and shows the brutality and engineering ability of the Romans. With the old wooden floor rotted away, one can see the basements of the Coliseum. Using slave power, elevators lifted wild animals through trap doors in the wooden floor. We also heard horrific stories, such as the blood from dead gladiators being squeezed out so as to sell to people who drank it believing it had healing powers...kinda gross. But with the sun light streaming in and beautiful shadows everywhere, this was a day we will never forget.

We spent the evening near the massive monument/building built in honour of king Vittorio Emmanuel II dedicated to essentially the entire country of Italy. Magnificent!

One day was spent taking the bus down to the Appian Way (where Spartacus and co. were crucified) and the ancient Christian Catacombs. Ancient burial pits for the christians during Roman times, they remain hauntingly beautiful today. Getting back from the outskirts of Rome was another matter altogether, with our bus arriving 1 hr late on a chillingly cold day.

A funny thing happened at our next stop - the ancient baths complex of Dioclean. On our way out of the complex, we heard this loud shrill cry coming from the skies. This cry kept ringing out...too loud to be natural, yet eerily nature-like. We struggled to find the source and finally located loud-speakers high up on the building walls. 1000s (nay, tens of 1000s) of small birds were flying in spectacular fashion in the skies above...bobbing and weaving to this shrill cry. Tourists looked bemused, while locals went about their lives as if they heard nothing. After some investigation, we found out that they played this cry every day at 3pm to scare off the thousands of birds that call the area home...well, it sure damn well scared some tourists, I tell you!

One night, we met up with a future classmate from INSEAD - Vito. Vito works for Cisco Italy, and one of the perks of his job is that he gets a company car - a BMW 330. He took us to a traditional Napolitan restaurant (as he hails from a town near Napoli) and promised us a meal of traditional Pizza. Pizza you see was "invented" in Napoli. The meal was long, with several yummy snacks preceding the actual pizza. Leaving the restaurant at 12 midnight, all I can say is "Vito, we owe you one great Indian meal!". With friends like him in store, INSEAD should be a blast.

The final few days were spent at the Vatican and seeing a few remaining spots, such as the huge dome shaped church of the Pantheon - originally a roman structure built by Marcus Agrippa. A giant sphere can allegedly fit in leaving just mms of space around the walls. Amazing.

The Vatican was something else. The awe-inspiring, Bernini-designed St. Peters square leaves you safe in the knowledge that you are at some major seat of power - in this case the Holy See (Seat of the Pope). We walk into the massive Michelangelo-designed St. Peters cathedral and like generations before us, are left in awe. The light plays wonderful tricks here, and the sights of the frecoes, walls and even the floor leave us speechless. A massive canopy designed by Bernini again, provides a lovely focal point to the Cathedral. Mike's Pieta on one side has the tourists snapping away...people, always remember - flash photography DOES NOT penetrate glass, if you are directly in front of it. :)

We stroll through the Vatican museums...home of thousands of art works, ancient maps and of course, the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's fresco is as amazing as advertised and the walls of the chapel are also adorned by some great art. What a show!

We are done with Rome...though there is soooo much I have left out (in interest of not boring you to death). Italy has been a great host for the last two weeks...M and I are lucky to have seen it the way we did, and are better for it. Onwards to Nice...

-Hari