Roma

We got back from Rome last Weds and I've been procrastinating and faffing with photo stuff.....
Anyhoo, the four of us set out a week ago on Sunday, up to the train station at the top of St-B, rather early in the morning. The following trains and airplane went very nicely. We flew from Zurich with SwissAir. All the crew were nice, we had extra seating next to us to spread out on and the chocolate kept on coming! We did have get bused out to the plane, though. When we landed in Rome things started to look a bit different. Apart from warmer weather, there was less "order" (I swear this is how we're thinking now). Ticket machines, the train station, trains were all older and in very 'used' condition. We navigated a ticket machine and got on the right train to Rome Termini (in the middle of Rome). As the train moved along Walter and I independantly of each other sat there thinking how all the stations we passed through were in a state of delapidation (Walter's comment was- you can't tell if they're being built or are in the middle of being abandonned-). The apartment buildings were awash with hanging laundry, plants, plants growing on roofs. We were shocked at feeling so shocked by the change in scenery. It's really not surprising that the Swiss don't go anywhere....
When we got to Termini, we had to hump our stuff a bizzilion miles along the huge station to the taxis. As soon as we were in a taxi I remembered Italian driving methodology- blinkin' fast and ridiculously close, interspersed with gesticulating and verbage. Very exciting! I heard on Car Talk the other day that the Itaians don't get road rage. I think they're having too much fun living close to the edge. We got to see a little of Rome in the car- lovely, busy, smelly, noisy, mishmosh. The hotel was right in the old part- http://www.romeby.com/hotelgenio/ I would recommend it- nice rooms, great location, cool terrace and a killer breakfast. I suspect you couldn't get a no smoking room for the love of money, though. We had spent the whole day travelling, so Walter took Allie out to find some warm, street vendor samichis...very yummy.
The next day Walter had to work, so the boys and I took a leisurly stroll arouond the environs. We made it across the Tiber heading towards the Castel Sant'Angelo. http://www.romeguide.it/MONUM/STORICI/castel/castel_eng.htm

On our way to the Castela.


Standing on a bridge, looking at the Castela.

Since it was Monday, it wasn't open :( but we took a stroll around the grounds outside it and whadaya know- we found a playground! Very nice too. Allie and Toby perked up considerably and we hung out there for a good while. When snack time rolled around we bought some yummy pastries from a vendor and watched all the people. There were also a lot of people selling designer knock-offs. My Prada bag is still there, calling out my name :(
While Toby napped, Allie and I took in the terrace on the top floor of the hotel. You can see a lot of Rome landmarks, and an unbelievable amount of TV antennas.... totally unbelievable- everywhere there's roof. The hotel is very near the Piazza Navona: http://www.romainteractive.com/pznavona.htm
What a perfect place for the boys (visited after Tobe's nap). Plenty of fountain action, lots of running around space and birds to chase. There were lots of cafes, gelaterias (btw there was one right beside the hotel...mmmm) and buskers.

Piazza Navona


Some Stockwells at Navona.

We got a pizza for dinner, then some gelato. This brings me to ice cream and Italy. I'm not a big ice cream fiend (unlike dear Walter), but Rome turned me. The gelato there is out of this world. It's soooooo smooth and creamy. The flavours are'nt too intense and taste like they should. The thing that really got me was the lack of plain ole vanilla. They had all kinds of 'basic' white ice cream that blew me away. Anything that I've tried in the US claiming to be Gelato is sadly mistaken.....
After the boys were bedded, Walter returned from 'work' and described the lovely food he had during his lunch and breaks ;)

Walter had day 2 off, so we headed out to take in more scenery. Starting at the Piazza Navona we walked through alleyway type streets to the Pantheon.

WK in front of the Pantheon, and ofcourse a fountain!


From the outside it's quite unassuming- it's in a small piazza with a fountain and cafes. The inside.... actually I can't really remember the inside now. It's been a while and I couldn't realy take it all in with wee boys trying to go into places they shouldn't and lick various saint's statues. It was beautiful, though. It's big feature is a large domed roof that's open to the outside. The floor has lots of little holes in it for the rain.

Inside the Pantheon.

Here's a better description than mine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

Snack time at the Pantheon.

Walter found some old route between the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain- through more cool, little streets. The Trevi is a spectacular fountain 'system'- it even had waves! The boys dipped their hands, clambered on the side (where they were whistled at by a police man...oops) and ran around. I'm not going to try to describe it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain

Stockwell men clamber on the Trevi.

After Toby's nap, we went to the Castel Sant'Angelo for poor Walter who wanted to see it. Unfortunately, the boys denied him again. They were moody to say the least, so we went to the park!

Tobe loves Rome.


Allie loves being photographed.

We did manage to drag them around some back streets some more and stop at a tratoria for dinner. We ate really good pasta outside, watching the beautiful people, then meandered some more. It's easy to get lost there and not see the same thing twice.... very fun.

Piazza Navona fountain by night.


I noticed that nearly every piazza we saw had it's own Madonna looking over it:

There would be different embellishments, type of inscription, size....

Weds. was home day. We all flew together and had to say goodbye to Walter at the gate as he was orf to Frankfurt to train eager people in the Crossbow way of doing things. The boys and I managed to get a train back to Neuchatel, but since the plane got in later than I thought, we got a different train with no connection to Saint-B... The upshot is on weds. we flew, took a train, a bus and a funicular to get home.

So that's Rome in a nutshell.... I wrote about it too late and now the memories are all fuzzy. For all the upheaval, it was a good trip. I like Rome, and I'll like it lots more when the boyts are 10(ish).... or staying with relatives...hehehe.