Roman Holiday
I went to Rome two weeks ago for four days with my Mum. We had a really good time and managed to do and see most of the things we wanted to. The trip was uneventful in a good way (apart from my mobile phone going “missing” from my hotel room). We had no real communication problems, as I had tried to learn Italian pronunciation before we left and had a phrasebook to hand. If I was really stuck I tried to visualise the French or Spanish word and say it as an Italian would say it! I found Italians generally friendlier than people in Barcelona and France. Also, it’s true that coffee, pasta, pizza and ice cream does taste better in Italy.
The first day we arrived pretty late and so we didn’t start sightseeing until the next day. We got up early and climbed up Capitoline Hill (we kind of took the long route) and saw Michelangelo’s Piazza. We also looked around the museums there, which were a bit too much and would have been more enjoyable with an audio guide. Then we went to look at the ruins at the Palatine tagging along with a free tour group and saw the view overlooking the Roman Forum. Finally, we went to the Colosseum, but only got to see the outside as it was closed. Apart from the sightseeing I tried to help a group of Japanese girls who were having problems using the ticket machine.
On the second day we went to Vatican City (my Mum’s main reason for going to Rome) and looked around the Vatican museums, which were really extensive, but very interesting. We also saw the Sistine Chapel and fortunately it wasn’t very crowded so we could take our time appreciating it. Then we went to St Peter’s Basilica, which is supposed to be one of the holiest Christian sites. I must confess I didn’t feel anymore spiritual as I do in any church, but I think it’s because I was too busy looking at the artwork. I also dragged my poor Mum up to the top of the church’s dome (we took the elevator part of the way). I also lent my camera’s battery to an American girl, as hers had run out.
For the final day we went to the Villa Borghese Gardens. It’s actually just a nice park, but after all the sightseeing it was nice to stroll around and relax a bit. We had intended to visit the Galleria Borghese, but there were no tickets available until 5pm that evening. We then rode the bus for the first time (the bus drivers are crazy in Rome) and after lunch went to the Piazza Navona and looked around while trying to avoid people selling stuff. We then went to have ice cream at some place that Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck went to in the film Roman Holiday. As we were approaching the entrance my Mum recalled how surprised she was that Audrey Hepburn is popular in Japan and lo and behold we ran into a group of Japanese tourists!
Although the holiday was great I had without a doubt the worst journey home ever. First, our flight back to London was delayed by nearly an hour. Then when we got on the plane and had to wait over an hour and a half to takeover, as our plane was grounded due to the strikes in France. To top it all off we had a really annoying group of young Americans sitting in the middle of the plane. The leader of the group was a girl my Mum and I christened “Becky”. She spent the whole time talking in a really loud voice so we could all hear about everything from her views on fashion to how she was “more open” as a child. We could tell she was one of these people who had to make everything about her. For example, when a friend of hers admitted she was bullied in high school, Becky had to interrupt and talk about how she was also “bullied” for wearing “really ugly glasses”. The funniest thing was that in her little group all the girls clearly wanted to be her best friend and the guys were drooling over her every word. It probably helped that every time she was talking to a male she would play with a straw suggestively in her mouth.
Not only did we arrive late, but we missed our last train and so had no choice, but to get a coach to another airport closer to where we live and then the bus from there. We had to wait an hour and a half in the coach station with just a homeless woman for company sleeping on the bench next to ours. We finally made it home at 4am in the morning. My grumpy brother had to get out of bed to let us in, though Lil’ Bilbo was delighted to see us and insisted on a quick walk before I could get to bed. It was either that or listen to him crying while I tried to get some sleep.
The first day we arrived pretty late and so we didn’t start sightseeing until the next day. We got up early and climbed up Capitoline Hill (we kind of took the long route) and saw Michelangelo’s Piazza. We also looked around the museums there, which were a bit too much and would have been more enjoyable with an audio guide. Then we went to look at the ruins at the Palatine tagging along with a free tour group and saw the view overlooking the Roman Forum. Finally, we went to the Colosseum, but only got to see the outside as it was closed. Apart from the sightseeing I tried to help a group of Japanese girls who were having problems using the ticket machine.
On the second day we went to Vatican City (my Mum’s main reason for going to Rome) and looked around the Vatican museums, which were really extensive, but very interesting. We also saw the Sistine Chapel and fortunately it wasn’t very crowded so we could take our time appreciating it. Then we went to St Peter’s Basilica, which is supposed to be one of the holiest Christian sites. I must confess I didn’t feel anymore spiritual as I do in any church, but I think it’s because I was too busy looking at the artwork. I also dragged my poor Mum up to the top of the church’s dome (we took the elevator part of the way). I also lent my camera’s battery to an American girl, as hers had run out.
For the final day we went to the Villa Borghese Gardens. It’s actually just a nice park, but after all the sightseeing it was nice to stroll around and relax a bit. We had intended to visit the Galleria Borghese, but there were no tickets available until 5pm that evening. We then rode the bus for the first time (the bus drivers are crazy in Rome) and after lunch went to the Piazza Navona and looked around while trying to avoid people selling stuff. We then went to have ice cream at some place that Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck went to in the film Roman Holiday. As we were approaching the entrance my Mum recalled how surprised she was that Audrey Hepburn is popular in Japan and lo and behold we ran into a group of Japanese tourists!
Although the holiday was great I had without a doubt the worst journey home ever. First, our flight back to London was delayed by nearly an hour. Then when we got on the plane and had to wait over an hour and a half to takeover, as our plane was grounded due to the strikes in France. To top it all off we had a really annoying group of young Americans sitting in the middle of the plane. The leader of the group was a girl my Mum and I christened “Becky”. She spent the whole time talking in a really loud voice so we could all hear about everything from her views on fashion to how she was “more open” as a child. We could tell she was one of these people who had to make everything about her. For example, when a friend of hers admitted she was bullied in high school, Becky had to interrupt and talk about how she was also “bullied” for wearing “really ugly glasses”. The funniest thing was that in her little group all the girls clearly wanted to be her best friend and the guys were drooling over her every word. It probably helped that every time she was talking to a male she would play with a straw suggestively in her mouth.
Not only did we arrive late, but we missed our last train and so had no choice, but to get a coach to another airport closer to where we live and then the bus from there. We had to wait an hour and a half in the coach station with just a homeless woman for company sleeping on the bench next to ours. We finally made it home at 4am in the morning. My grumpy brother had to get out of bed to let us in, though Lil’ Bilbo was delighted to see us and insisted on a quick walk before I could get to bed. It was either that or listen to him crying while I tried to get some sleep.