We’re closing in on the end of a four month journey for Dog and Dragon. For the first three months we were stuck on different paths. For the last month we’ve been travelling together. Over the course of these past few months we have both had a variety of cool experiences that you have all been able to follow along with. On November 9th we had a pretty epic experience. Granted, it was a short one. Despite being only a few short hours, travel log: Rome was amazing.
The Day Begins
Maybe this day was especially epic because we started the day with an entirely different outlook and plan. Dragon was on day call so was not allowed to leave the ship. The cruise port was in Civitavecchia so Dog planned to go ashore and catch the 1.25 hour train ride to Rome. As Dog was getting ready to head out he was notified to stay in his room. Dragon showed up moments later. Dragon’s co-worker took the pager and sent her off for the day to experience Rome with Dog. Woot, the day was already a success and we hadn’t even left the ship yet. (Thank you Anthea!)
Civitavecchia
We left the ship on foot into the port city of Civitavecchia. No sooner had we started walking across the port than we were treated to the Fortino di San Pietro and the Fortezza Michelangelo, both impressive structures from earlier time periods. We’ve been travelling these European cities in airplane mode for the most part, so we utilized Dragon’s newly acquired mysterious navigation skills to magically find the train station. It turned out the entire town’s credit card processing was down. For this trip we had to abandon airplane mode in order to get train tickets, but having done so we were on our way.
A Few Hours in the Eternal City
After an uneventful train ride we arrived at Rome’s termini station which is also a big mall. Be prepared with your credit card if you need a restroom at this point. The “public” restrooms all have turnstiles that make them inaccessible without paying a fee. This seems to be pretty standard in much of Europe. After a brief, inexpensive pitstop we headed out in the general direction of the colosseum.
I want to drop a note here to tell you that we felt completely safe in Rome. Sure, there were people trying to sell you things you don’t need and some beggars here and there, but it was pretty standard for any big city we’ve been to. Like anywhere else in the world, people ranged from friendly to grumpy to oblivious.
Rome is so full of history that it literally seems to be everywhere. Our walk took us almost immediately past the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It was originally built in the 5th century, but has undergone different revisions over the centuries. The basilica is massive, with a truly impressive beauty.
Our wandering took us past the Tower of Capocci, the Basilica dei Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti which sits above the Titolo di Equizio, and the Parco del Colle Oppio which is home to Trajan’s baths and the remains of Nero’s house. Like I said, there is just so much to see and we’d literally only walked a few blocks. Apparently along the way we walked right past the best pizza in Rome where we were instructed to eat. Grimace… we’ll be going back soon and staying nearby!
The Main Event
Of course our destination was the highlight of this whirlwind trip, the Roman Colosseum and the surrounding attractions. Being at the Colosseum was a bucket list journey, especially for Dog. It is truly an amazing structure that was built in just eight years, from 72-80 A.D. under the Flavian dynasty. Being the center of ancient Rome the entire area near the Colosseum is filled with awesome ancient structures. We walked past the Arch of Constantine, Palatine Hill, the Temple of Venus and Rome, the Arch of Titus, the Elagabalium, and the Via Sacra to only name a few. I’m not going to link everything here, just follow the link to the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo where you can find as much info as you need. Being the world marvel that it is, this area is packed even mid-week, off season. It is totally worth it though. We’ll be going back very soon when we will have so much more time to explore.
All good things…
Alas, after wandering in the literal footsteps of the ancients we had to start heading back towards the train station for our return journey. As we wandered back in the general direction we came from we realized we hadn’t eaten since early morning. We sat down at a cafe we were walking past for a quick bite. Gran Caffe Maggiore was just three blocks from termini station and it did not disappoint. They served us pizza diavola, bruschetta, and aperol spritz right across the street from the afore mentioned Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It was a quick walk back to the return train trip to Civitavecchia.
Like I said at the beginning of this story, it was a very quick day trip to Rome with a rapid turn-around. It was so amazing though! We loved every second of experiencing the eternal city and can’t wait to go back. We’ll be back in Rome in a few short weeks and plan to stay at least a week. Hopefully at that point we’ll dig deep into as much as Rome can offer. As usual we’ll keep you posted on all the goings on when the time is right. Until next time, cheers!
