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Apr. 16th, 2007 09:44 pm
We're back!
I know I've been abysmal at keeping you all updated recently, but I've had a few reasons. One of which being the events of the last couple of weeks. Thank you to everyone who came to our wedding, you helped to make it a really special day and we're very grateful. As you might know, we've spent the past week getting used to this marriage thing in a little place in Italy called Rome.
We flew into Ciampino airport on Monday morning (ridiculously early on Monday morning actually). At 2:30 that morning we'd been rudely awakened by my phone, seranading us with the most abrasive ringtone I could find. Half an hour later we were heading down the M6 towards Liverpool airport.
Without too much in the way of nerves, we got on the plane. I should say we got on the first plane. As we were being maneouvered into position by one of their odd little trucks, something went pear shaped and the truck crashed into the plane. I'm convinced that couldn't have happened to anyone else. Anyway, we then got on another plane and set off, somewhat later than planned.
We arrived in Rome around 8ish, I think, and got a taxi to the hotel. I had been asked by my lovely bride if I'd like to hire a car to drive around Rome. I think she was a bit stunned by the emphatic nature of my reply. After that taxi ride all confusion was laid to rest and I don't think she'll ever complain about the driving of any Englishman ever again.
The hotel was fairly plain, but perfectly adequate, but we'd paid for the location, not the facilities. We got up to our room and looked out the window, and one of the first sights we saw was the dome of St. Peter's Basillica. We later discovered we were about 2 minute's walk from St. Peter's Square, which was absolutely perfect.
Essentially, we spent the rest of the week exploring Rome. We walked our poor feet off on more than one occasion, but we saw practically everything we wanted to see. We took a tour of the Vatican Museum, and I have a tip for those of you considering such a venture: Wear trainers. It took four hours to walk around it all. Most of the marble in the world is in that building, I swear. I did a quick calculation and worked out that the Vatican, in artwork alone, is probably worth hundreds of thousands of pounds per square foot.
We visited the Collosseum (or however the hell you spell it), and got a pretty good guided tour and lots of photos. We also saw the Pantheon, which is an ancient architectural gem hidden in a maze of back streets and alleyways, as well as Piazza Navona, which is similarly hidden. We were within about 50 yards of it for about 20 minutes before we actually discovered it, which is bizarre because it's about the size of a football pitch.
We saw the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, but possibly best of all (and a complete accident) was a church off Piazza Barberini. Like a lot of the churches we saw it was massively ornate inside and we naturally wandered around it somewhat awestruck. As we got to one of the small side chapels, a little man came up to us and told us that if we wanted to see the pictures better, it was ok to turn the lights on, as long as we didn't leave them on too long and turned them off before we moved on to the next one. He watched us drink in all the artwork, and then asked us if we wanted to see some more. He was quite secretive about it, but he told us to go round to the other side of the church and slowly come round to the back and he'd meet us. He took us through a little door at the back of the church and into a private area where the relics and the more important items were kept. We were shown the reliquary that contained the remains of St. Justin, and two small cells where two other saints had lived and died. There was some fabulous artwork and our guide was wonderful. I have to admit that at the end of it all, I did something I wouldn't normally do, which is give money to the Catholic Church, but the whole experience was so brilliant that I couldn't in all conscience not make a modest donation.
Connected to the same church was another bizarre, but fascinating surprise. The building also contains a cemetery, but not in the conventional sense. Some time ago (I never did work out how far back) a Capuchin cemetery was dug up to be moved, but something went wrong and all the bones got mixed up. When the people responsible discovered what had happened they didn't know what to do. In the end they decided to use the bones to make the most amazing series of chapels. There are rib bones that have been turned into hanging lamps, skulls and hips and shoulderblades that have been turned into altars, and some fantastic ornate archways and alcoves made out of all manner of other bones. I thought it was fantastic, but I can imagine it might cause a certain amount of squick.
We ate some fabulous food in some wonderful little restaurants. In particular, if you're ever in Rome and in need of a meal, I urge you to try Giulio Cesare on Viale Giulio Cesare near Ottaviano metro station. They even have a website, as my capable wife has just pointed out: http://www.ristogiuliocesare.191.it, for all your pizza/pasta/good food related needs. Have a calzone, you know you want to.
Anyway, since this is getting a bit rambly, suffice it to say we had a brilliant time, and there's a fair chance I'll even get Livi on another plane at some point in the future. Now that she's seen another country, I think there's a bit of curiosity setting in...
We flew into Ciampino airport on Monday morning (ridiculously early on Monday morning actually). At 2:30 that morning we'd been rudely awakened by my phone, seranading us with the most abrasive ringtone I could find. Half an hour later we were heading down the M6 towards Liverpool airport.
Without too much in the way of nerves, we got on the plane. I should say we got on the first plane. As we were being maneouvered into position by one of their odd little trucks, something went pear shaped and the truck crashed into the plane. I'm convinced that couldn't have happened to anyone else. Anyway, we then got on another plane and set off, somewhat later than planned.
We arrived in Rome around 8ish, I think, and got a taxi to the hotel. I had been asked by my lovely bride if I'd like to hire a car to drive around Rome. I think she was a bit stunned by the emphatic nature of my reply. After that taxi ride all confusion was laid to rest and I don't think she'll ever complain about the driving of any Englishman ever again.
The hotel was fairly plain, but perfectly adequate, but we'd paid for the location, not the facilities. We got up to our room and looked out the window, and one of the first sights we saw was the dome of St. Peter's Basillica. We later discovered we were about 2 minute's walk from St. Peter's Square, which was absolutely perfect.
Essentially, we spent the rest of the week exploring Rome. We walked our poor feet off on more than one occasion, but we saw practically everything we wanted to see. We took a tour of the Vatican Museum, and I have a tip for those of you considering such a venture: Wear trainers. It took four hours to walk around it all. Most of the marble in the world is in that building, I swear. I did a quick calculation and worked out that the Vatican, in artwork alone, is probably worth hundreds of thousands of pounds per square foot.
We visited the Collosseum (or however the hell you spell it), and got a pretty good guided tour and lots of photos. We also saw the Pantheon, which is an ancient architectural gem hidden in a maze of back streets and alleyways, as well as Piazza Navona, which is similarly hidden. We were within about 50 yards of it for about 20 minutes before we actually discovered it, which is bizarre because it's about the size of a football pitch.
We saw the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, but possibly best of all (and a complete accident) was a church off Piazza Barberini. Like a lot of the churches we saw it was massively ornate inside and we naturally wandered around it somewhat awestruck. As we got to one of the small side chapels, a little man came up to us and told us that if we wanted to see the pictures better, it was ok to turn the lights on, as long as we didn't leave them on too long and turned them off before we moved on to the next one. He watched us drink in all the artwork, and then asked us if we wanted to see some more. He was quite secretive about it, but he told us to go round to the other side of the church and slowly come round to the back and he'd meet us. He took us through a little door at the back of the church and into a private area where the relics and the more important items were kept. We were shown the reliquary that contained the remains of St. Justin, and two small cells where two other saints had lived and died. There was some fabulous artwork and our guide was wonderful. I have to admit that at the end of it all, I did something I wouldn't normally do, which is give money to the Catholic Church, but the whole experience was so brilliant that I couldn't in all conscience not make a modest donation.
Connected to the same church was another bizarre, but fascinating surprise. The building also contains a cemetery, but not in the conventional sense. Some time ago (I never did work out how far back) a Capuchin cemetery was dug up to be moved, but something went wrong and all the bones got mixed up. When the people responsible discovered what had happened they didn't know what to do. In the end they decided to use the bones to make the most amazing series of chapels. There are rib bones that have been turned into hanging lamps, skulls and hips and shoulderblades that have been turned into altars, and some fantastic ornate archways and alcoves made out of all manner of other bones. I thought it was fantastic, but I can imagine it might cause a certain amount of squick.
We ate some fabulous food in some wonderful little restaurants. In particular, if you're ever in Rome and in need of a meal, I urge you to try Giulio Cesare on Viale Giulio Cesare near Ottaviano metro station. They even have a website, as my capable wife has just pointed out: http://www.ristogiuliocesare.191.it, for all your pizza/pasta/good food related needs. Have a calzone, you know you want to.
Anyway, since this is getting a bit rambly, suffice it to say we had a brilliant time, and there's a fair chance I'll even get Livi on another plane at some point in the future. Now that she's seen another country, I think there's a bit of curiosity setting in...