Day 1 – Saturday (19/09/2015)
Let's go and discover Rome and the Vatican!
From Ciampino Airport to Rome
As we flew with RyanAir from Dublin, we landed at the airport Ciampino, which is not the main one in the city of Rome (the main one is the Fiumicino). To get from there, you can take a bus to the city's train station and then a train to Termini station in Rome, or a bus that will take you directly to Termini station. We chose the second option because it had fewer steps and we bought the tickets with the ticket collector inside the bus (4 euros per person), but you can buy it at the counters inside the airport.
As we arrived close to lunch time, the 5 attendants at the 2 counters were chatting and eating at the same time, so all the people who were interested in buying the bus got lost and went looking for the buses.
The bus ride to Termini train station took almost 1 hour, because of the traffic we had in Rome.
Our accommodation in Rome
We got off at the station and walked for about 20 minutes to our accommodation, Budget Rooms (71 euros per day, with a very average breakfast). The building where it is guesthouse This is a residential building and quite old, but at least they have a relatively new elevator that is right in the middle of the central space. We went up to the fifth floor with our host, who was very friendly by the way, and entered an apartment with 3 independent suites and a shared living room/kitchen.
The place has a cheerful decor, but I wouldn't say it's cozy. It's fair for the price we paid, you know? Rome is an expensive city and we have a policy of not spending too much on accommodation, so this was the most tidy we could get with a private bathroom.
Our itinerary for the day in Rome
We set aside the afternoon to stroll around the city without any plans. Since it was my first time there, Celo was in charge of putting together our mini itinerary, showing me the main points of the city. In the end, we took this route:
We stopped at a snack bar that was close to ours. guesthouse and we bought our first slice of pizza (pizza al taglio) of the trip. What a delight!
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
We walked while eating the pizza with our hands (this is very typical) and our first stop was at Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is very close to Termini train station. When we were entering the church, I was stopped by the security guard because I was showing my legs (I was wearing shorts) and I had to put on a disposable cape that they provide at the entrance. What a shame!
At least it was worth using the cape that had been passed around to several people, because I was enchanted by the well-worked golden ceiling, the beautiful frescoes and the baldachin (ceremonial covering) of the main altar. Highlight of this place: its 75-meter-high bell tower is the tallest in the city and there is a reliquary with fragments of Jesus' manger right below the altar.
Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri
We kept walking and stopped at Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. Its exterior is very different from the rest of the churches in the city (it's kind of in ruins) and its interior is also beautiful, especially its vaulted ceiling designed by Michelangelo. I had to pay 1 euro to rent a scarf to cover my legs, but as soon as I left there, I decided to buy my own so I wouldn't have a headache later on... lol.
Trevi Fountain
We walked to the largest and most famous fountain in the city, the Trevi Fountain, but unfortunately it was under construction, so we couldn't fully appreciate its details. The number of tourists around is impressive and practically everyone (including us) throws a coin in there while making a wish to return to Rome (this is the tradition). In the streets around it is quite common to find several artists painting, singing, creating objects, etc. I found it a delight to walk around there.
Pantheon
Our next stop was at Pantheon, which is an impressive temple that is over 2,000 years old. Entry is free and it is well worth it, because it is magnificent inside, with all its details and grandeur. I think it was one of my favorite places on the entire trip.
Details of this place:
- It has the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built,
- It was only consecrated as a church in the year 608,
- It served as inspiration for the Duomo of Florence,
- It houses the tomb of the great artist Raphael (as well as the tombs of 2 kings),
- It is considered the greatest architectural achievement of Ancient Rome, due to several factors. In addition to its size, it has a precisely calibrated symmetry (the diameter of the building measures 43.3 meters, which is exactly the height of its interior) and there is also a rainwater drainage system with about 22 holes in the floor.
Church Saint Louis of the French
We walked to the Church Saint Louis of the French, which has an interior with many golden details and no less than 3 paintings by the artist Caravaggio, known for its striking contrast between light and shadow (chiaroscuro).
Piazza Navona
We left there and soon arrived at the famous Piazza Navona. It is quite large and has many ornate fountains, street performers, street vendors and, of course, restaurants and cafes that are always full, which somewhat overshadow the beauty of the baroque mansions that surround it. The Brazilian embassy is located in one of these, and I read somewhere that its 16,700 m² palace is currently worth a few billion reais. I don't think that's true, but it must certainly be worth a few million, right?
Snack break
We ate a LOT of fried rice balls with various fillings and seafood and everything was delicious! We also ordered glasses of wine, but it would have been cheaper if we bought the bottle…lol. We never could have imagined that we would love the food there so much. I HIGHLY recommend it!!! (Ps. Thank you, aunt!)
We took a break from sightseeing and sat down to eat snacks in the Rosticcerì, recommended by my mother-in-law. This place is the economic bet of chef Massimo Riccioli and has the same raw material as his other restaurant, the very expensive The Rosetta.
We were going to buy the ROME CARD at a tourist kiosk nearby, but the girl told us that the museums would be free for a few days and after doing some calculations, we gave up. Our situation was as follows: In addition to the free attractions, we wanted to visit the Colosseum + Forum + Palatine Hill (28 euros for both of us), Capitoline Museums (now for free) and the Castel Sant'Angelo (21 euros for both of us). The 48-hour card cost 36 euros per person, with unlimited transportation and other discounts on attractions. Since we really like walking and there were no other paid attractions that we wanted to see (the Vatican Museum was already paid for and is not included in the price), we decided to pay for the card. pass), we thought it would be better to pay 49 euros instead of 72. If the Capitolines were paid, maybe it would be worth it…
We walked a few meters and bought the package ticket. Colosseum + Forum + Palatine Hill node Museum of Rome, paying a fee of 4 euros for this (the ticket costs 12 euros). I recommend that you buy in advance and if necessary, pay this fee, because the line there is huge (we saw it the next day)!!!
Ponte Sant'Angelo and Castel Sant'Angelo
We walked to the Sant'Angelo Bridge, which has a beautiful view of the castle, the river and St. Peter's Basilica, and after some photos, we entered the Castel Sant'Angelo (10.50 euros per person). The castle has some weapons displays and has a secret passage to the Vatican palaces, which allowed some popes to survive in times of danger. The most impressive thing about the place, in my opinion, is the terrace with wonderful views of Rome and the Vatican, which was immortalized by Puccini in his opera Tosca. It's worth a visit, isn't it? Especially if you go at the end of the day, because the sunset is incredible from there.
National Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II
We walked back to our guesthouse and we stopped halfway to enjoy the National Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (or The Vittoriano) lit and empty. I thought it was beautiful, but we discovered that the locals hate it!
Ruins around the city
We continued walking and passed some well-lit ruins in the middle of the city, which provided a beautiful contrast. Further on, we stopped to admire the illuminated Colosseum, while drinking a bottle of wine and eating cheese and other delicacies that we had bought during the day.
To fill our bellies and sleep without feeling hungry, we stopped at a pizzeria very close to our house. guesthouse – I forgot to write down the name – and we bought some slices of pizza. They go down so well and are so cheap! 🙂
Day 2 – Sunday (20/09/2015)
We caught some croissants available in the apartment kitchen and this was our breakfast.
Our itinerary for the day
Coliseum
We walked to the Coliseum and when we got there, we were shocked by the line of people who didn't have tickets. Guys, I can't understand this! If everyone who has visited warns that it's better to buy tickets in advance, why are there still people who don't do it? We didn't have to wait in line to get in and followed the guide's instructions to visit it. The place is truly IMPRESSIVE!
Location Details:
- It was built in Ancient Rome between the years 69-79 to be a fighting arena and had around 50 thousand seats.
- The gladiators faced each other in deadly fights and the condemned had to face beasts of all kinds, while the audience went wild.
- The arena floor was made of wood but was covered with sand to prevent the fighters from slipping and also to absorb blood.
- Underneath the wooden floor there was the hypogeum, which was an underground complex of corridors, cages and elevators, which acted as backstage.
- The grandstand was divided into 3 levels, the lowest being the most noble, and the podium (terrace in front of the grandstand) was the space for emperors, senators and guests.
- With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Colosseum was abandoned and was later even used as a fort.
- There is an ongoing battle to preserve the building from the current pollution and vibrations. The restoration that is now underway has been estimated to cost 25 million euros.
Palatine
We left the Colosseum and went to the Palatine, which is a region with several ruins, tall pine trees and interesting views. According to legend, it was there that Romulus and Remus were saved by a she-wolf and years later, the city of Rome was founded by Romulus. We didn't think the place was anything special, mainly because the signage and information about the ruins are pretty poor. The best thing to do would be to go with a guide who can explain all the details in real time, right? Our Lonely Planet Italy book left something to be desired in this regard.
Roman Forum
We continue to the Roman Forum inside the Palatine and we liked most of what we saw, although we found it all very confusing. Once again, our guide lacked the amount of information about the ruins and we were left confused in several situations. The best option is definitely to hire a guide to understand the ins and outs of the place.
Lunch in Rome
We left there and had lunch at a very touristy restaurant on Via Cavour, because we were starving. Normally we avoid these tricks, but since it was already around 3 pm, many restaurants that are well-reviewed on TripAdvisor were closed for lunch. We went to Massenzio Bar and we ordered two pasta dishes that were delicious. On our way out of the restaurant, we stopped at the ice cream shop next door, Flower, and we made sure to have our dessert. Delicious!
The Vittoriano
We walked to the monument The Vittoriano, that we had already seen the night before, and when we were climbing its marble stairs, we heard the guard blow his whistle to complain to a person who was sitting on a step. Less than a minute later, he blew his whistle again, this time to ask a tourist not to open her arms in her photo with the monument. A short time later, another whistle for another reason. I thought it was annoying, but I understood that it was because they want tourists to show respect for the monument. Be careful there!
Capitoline Museums
We entered the Capitoline Museums It was free and we thought it would have been worth paying for it too. They are the oldest national museums in the world and have many interesting items on display. Here are some photos of the coolest things we saw:
Dinner in Rome
It was already getting dark and we decided to have dinner nearby, in a restaurant that was much less touristy than the previous one. We chose Vining (rated 4.5 on TA) and we recommend it!! We ordered two delicious starters and two great pasta dishes, as well as a bottle of wine. All for 68 euros. We were very well attended by truly Italian waiters and we loved sitting on the sidewalk of a quiet street, just watching the locals walking by. Finally peace in Rome! 🙂
Day 3 – Monday (21/09/2015)
Day to meet the Vatican!!! Heeeeeeee!!! 🙂
On the way to the Vatican
We had breakfast at a very Italian café and realized that Italians like to eat sweets for breakfast! We saw a lot of cakes and pastries with sweet fillings, but after some effort, we managed to find paninis to save us.
We took the subway at the station Republic and we got off at the station Octavian, which is closest to the entrance of the St. Peter's Square. Rome only has 3 metro lines – blue, red and green, so it’s pretty easy to get around. We used the machines at the station to buy 6 tickets single metro tickets for 9 euros. Just select the English language and you can't go wrong.
The amount of people who got off with us at Ottaviano station was frightening. Thank God, I didn't see any pushing or shoving and I had to compare it to our beloved Rio de Janeiro subway. We walked along with the flow of tourists and soon street vendors appeared selling souvenirs of the pope of all shapes and sizes. We were in the right place!
Vatican – St. Peter’s Square
After about 10 minutes of walking, we saw the wall that separates the Vatican from Italy and I must admit that it was exciting. However, when we crossed the wall and saw the amount of people in St. Peter's Square, I felt the emotion pass. The line for the St. Peter's Basilica It was huge, practically going around the square, which is circular/oval. I already knew that we would see a lot of people there, because I read in several blogs and several people told me, but deep down I had hope of going on an empty day. Illusion…
We got in line at 10:20 a.m. and only got to enter the Basilica an hour later. The good thing about the line is that you get to enjoy the square, which is beautiful, as well as the Basilica from the outside, which deserves all the praise. We took the opportunity to read the information about it in the guide and take some photos, so the time actually went by quickly. To my surprise, two cheeky ladies jumped the line right in front of us, but after a bit of a fuss from me and the people who saw them, they stayed behind us, pretending they didn't understand anything. Watch out for these smart people, huh! I thought I wouldn't see that there, since it's a highly religious and respected place, but unfortunately I did.
Vatican – St. Peter's Basilica
To enter the largest and most important Basilica in the world, you have to go through a considerable security check and be dressed in a dress with no thighs or shoulders showing. As soon as you reach the entrance, be sure to admire the incredible view of the square. We stood there for a while before going in. When you enter the door, you will understand why this place is so incredible and so visited (on average, 20 thousand people per day).
The interior of the Basilica is beautiful and huge, as is the queue. We spent over an hour admiring the details and were impressed by the 119-meter-high dome designed by Michelangelo, the 29-meter-high baldachin by Bernini over the papal altar and the Pietà, a work by Michelangelo when he was 25 years old. Check out some photos:
Vatican – Vatican Grottoes
We went down to see the Vatican Grottoes, created as the crypt of the popes, and when we left it, we were close to the security control area. There was a huge line to go up to the dome, which they say is very worthwhile, but as the time of our visit to the Vatican Museum was approaching, we had to leave without going up. From what I read, there is an elevator that takes you halfway up and then you have to climb about 320 steps to see the spectacular views. If I ever go back there, I will try to go up to see the view from the top.
Vatican – Vatican Museum
To get to the Vatican Museum, we had to walk outside the wall and were shocked by the line of people without tickets. We bought the tickets online, on the official Vatican website, and we paid 32 euros for the tickets and 8 euros for the fee. I still think these fees are worth it, but apparently a lot of people don't agree...
Since there were still 20 minutes left before our scheduled time slot (1pm), we decided to have a snack at the restaurant right in front of the entrance. The place is very tidy, but the food is awful! We ordered a sandwich with fries and salad and we couldn't finish it, just to give you an idea. Very bad and worst of all, very expensive! We paid 33 euros for two sandwiches with sides + water. DON'T GO TO THIS PLACE!!!
We arrived promptly at 1pm and although it was quite busy, I found it relatively OK to wander through the rooms of busts, statues, maps and mummies. I found the rooms to be beautiful, with their ceilings, floors and wall paintings impeccable.
Vatican – the Sistine Chapel
As we began to approach the museum's main attraction, the Sistine Chapel, the situation began to become unbearable, because of the large number of people wanting to enter a single room together and because of the heat as well. The Sistine Chapel must receive around 20 thousand people on peak days because of its famous ceiling. Final Judgment, painted by Michelangelo, and also because of the beautiful frescoes.
This is the chapel where the conclave meets to elect the new popes, so you can understand the importance of this place, right? I thought it was all beautiful and made sure to spend a good amount of time admiring it, even though the security guards were always asking for silence and complaining to people who tried to take photos (it's forbidden, but people blatantly disobey). It was a relief to leave there, I confess... lol.
We left the museum and took one last look at St. Peter's Square to buy some souvenirs INSIDE the Vatican. That makes all the difference in my mind. 🙂
People's Square
We took the subway at the station Octavian and we got off at the station Flaminio, which is the closest to People's Square, the scene of public executions for many centuries. We visited the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, which has two works by Caravaggio, and then we enter the twin Baroque churches that are on the other side of the square: Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Church of Santa Maria in Montesanto.
Spanish Steps
We walked to the Spanish Steps and we found this area to be delightful, with pedestrian-only streets and lots of shops and restaurants. If I ever return to Rome, I'll definitely want to stay nearby.
Lunch in Rome
We looked up a good pizzeria nearby on TripAdvisor and when we arrived at the door, I fell in LOVE with the place. The decor is so beautiful!!! We were served by a friendly, multilingual Brazilian who gave us the best possible tips. We bought a few slices of different flavors, as well as bottles of wine, and sat there relaxing and reminiscing about the day. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place! The name is Grain, Fruit and Flour.(grade 4.5 in TA)
We left there super satisfied and decided to sit in the Spanish Steps to relax, while drinking the wine we bought at a nearby store (you could have bought it from the street vendors who are always annoying us). There was live music for almost an hour, but when the police arrived, the music had to stop (I don't know why). We met a Polish couple who were in Rome for the 4th time and when we finished our bottle, we took the metro back to our roof.
Day 4 – Tuesday (09/22/2015)
We did the checkout, We left our bags locked in the reception/living room and went to the supermarket to buy our breakfast.
Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
We walked to the church that impressed us most in the city of Rome, the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. For a thousand years, it was the most important church in Christendom, having been the first Christian basilica in the city and until the end of the 14th century, the main place of worship of the pope.
It is still the official cathedral of Rome and the seat of the Pope as Bishop of Rome, so you can imagine that it is not just any cathedral, right? I will let the photos speak for themselves and I hope they are enough to convince you to visit it.
We walked to it and had little time to appreciate it, as it was closing (it is open from 9am to 12:30pm + 3pm to 6pm). The interesting thing about it is that it is from the 12th century, but it was built on top of a 4th century church, which in turn was built on top of a 2nd century pagan temple and a 1st century house. You can take a tour and visit what remains of each of these phases, but unfortunately we were unable to do so.
Lunch in Rome
We chose a very Italian restaurant for lunch nearby, Luzzi (score 4 on TA). We ordered very tasty traditional pasta and house wine and everything came to 18 euros.
Mouth of Truth
We took tram number 3 nearby to visit the Mouth of Truth. We thought we had enough coins to buy the tickets (3 euros for the two of us), but when we counted what we had, it wasn't enough. I had to ask someone to exchange our 5 euro note and thank God, a guy helped us. It was a real hassle. We bought the tickets from the machine and validated them right away. It is important to validate your ticket because it has an expiration date, so if the ticket inspector catches you without valid tickets, he will think you are taking advantage. You will be fined!
We walked through Circus Maximus, which was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome – and which today is a large, charmless terrain – and in a few minutes we arrived at Mouth of Truth. To my surprise, there was a considerable line of people wanting to take pictures with her and I didn't have the enthusiasm to wait there. She is nothing more than an image carved into a marble stone that is famous because it was believed to be a lie detector. If a person put their hand inside their mouth and lied, she would bite it. Of course, this doesn't really happen, right?
The Serratura Hole
We walked from there to an interesting place, which is considered one of the best preserved secrets of the city. The Serratura Hole It is located in the Aventine neighborhood, with many houses and lots of greenery, and it is an old keyhole that allows the observer to see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica inside its hole. All the photos I saw before going there really show the dome clearly, but my not at all professional camera could not do it.
Oh! Interesting tip: on the way to the lock, go into a park to see a beautiful view of the city. It's really close and worth it!
Now a professional photo of the keyhole, taken from the website Rome For You:
We took advantage of the fact that our ticket purchased on the tram was still valid to catch the tram back (the validity is almost two hours – it is written on the ticket). ticket).
We got our things in our guesthouse, we ate a pizza at a local restaurant, nothing special (The Golden Forchetta) and we walked to Termini station, to catch our train to Bologna.
Termini or Tiburtina station?
To my surprise, our train was not on the departure board at the station and my first thought was: THEY HAVE CANCELLED THE TRAIN. When I got the printed ticket from home, I saw that the train station was ROMA TIBURTINA and I almost had a small heart attack. Luckily I like to get to places early and we were chip with Internet. We took the metro from the station itself and after a lot of running around, we arrived almost in time for our train to leave. A little scare on the last day in this fantastic city that is Rome.
If you want to know more about this 14-day trip we took through Italy, check out the links below:
- Italy – Rome, Tuscany, Bologna and Cinque Terre (14 days -SUMMARY)
- Italy – Rome and Vatican (4 days)
- Italy – Bologna (1 day)
- Italy – Tuscany – Summary (4 days)
- Italy – Tuscany – San Gimignano and Volterra (1 day)
- Italy – Tuscany – Florence (2 days)
- Italy – Tuscany – Lucca (1 day)
- Italy – Tuscany – Monteriggioni and Siena (1 day)
- Italy – Tuscany – Montepulciano and Cortona (1 day)
- Italy – Tuscany – Pisa (1 day)
- Italy – Cinque Terre (2 days)
If you want to know more about our other trips around Italy, see below:
