Wow that was some gap since the last post, almost as long as a female Gorilla's gestation period (a pure coincidence). Was at an aint-nobody-got-time-for-blogging phase, but that's over for now, anyways, I recall having left the previous post at a point where I just had boarded a bus that was taking me to Rome ( Like you'd remember ). I'll continue from there.
The bus ran over an innocent speed bump that caused my head in turn to bump onto the window it was casually resting upon. A rude awakening from an uncomfortable snooze, but it's really not the worst feeling when you fall asleep in Venice and wake up in Rome.
Rome greeted me with a chilly breeze, and I immediately cursed Jupiter (When in Rome...) for forgetting to get more warm clothes. I however soon found my stride and was off to the hostel I had booked earlier.
Rome is like one of those Real Madrid teams of the early 2000s which made you go "Hell! I didn't know even he's in the team!" But Rome's kind of like that with it's architecture. Unlike Venice, which could be traversed on foot on one go by any guy high on weed (who however does know how to swim ), Rome is huge. In terms of area, it's roughly twice the size of Venice and 1.3 times the size of Mumbai (Yes kars, unlike what your Doodhwala told you, Mumbai is not the largest city in the world ). Rome's full of monuments, so many that, if you were to place a character you can think of from the Harry Potter series at each one of them, you'll find yourself scraping the bottom of the barrel, placing Hannah Abbott or Dennis Creevy on the last one ( Ugh! ). To begin with, there's the Colosseum, which each one has heard of, thanks to the blood fetish of Hollywood. But that's barely the beginning, there's the Trevi fountain, the beautiful 18th century fountain where as with every other fountain like structure in the world, people throw in coins to have their wishes fulfilled ( LOLzz ), there's the Panthenon, a structure sure to give you goosebumps when you find out about it's history or when you see it at night and there's the Piazza Navona, where a lot of happening stuff is constantly happening (did I use that right?). I however didn't know all this then, and so as a good Indian, I geared myself for a visit to the one monument that I had heard of...
Chapter II - 21st Century Gladiator
There's a reason why some structures in the world are famous. Why some stand out and are generally visited by people from all over the world. With the Colosseum, each of the reason becomes very apparent. It's historic as hell, with it's construction beginning and completing between 72-80 AD, you must admit that's fast work for a world before high tech machines, but then again, the workers must have been worked to death, glad that doesn't happen today.
But look at how old it is! Yo Colosseum so old, she baby sat Jesus's baby, Yo Colosseum so old, she actually witnessed the date go from 31-Dec-99 to 01-Jan-100, Yo Colosseum so old, the most recent earthquake that damaged its outer walls, was 150 years prior to Chistopher Columbus discovering the West Indies (That is a fact). Needless to say, Yo Colosseum is old, really old. It is regarded as a wonder of the medieval world which was basically people of the medieval world voting for their top 10 favorite monuments on Orkut. Moving beyond the fact that it's old and laced with history, it's a pretty grand structure in itself. Yes, it looks like it's head was bashed in by a pissed off Giant, but the structure is still the largest standing amphitheater in the world. It's seating capacity is huge, which at a time can be close to 80,000 people ( not as on today, but back then ), which is more than that of Old Trafford. But more than the fact that it's old and that it's grand, the thing that makes the Colosseum a touch different from say an Eiffel Tower or a Taj Mahal is that it was meant to be a place of entertainment. Fun things happened here ( as per the Romans back then ). So when at the Colosseum, you will find guides showing you clay models of how tigers would be brought to the arena, where the gladiators hid when one by one each of their comrades got killed, or where Caesar sat to watch the gladiators die. So if you're not into history, or art, the idea of the gore can keep you interested.
As you step out of the Colosseum, you find two things that catch your attention, one being the very oddly shaped trees that make you want to pinch yourself, and the second, is hoards of 'What to see in Rome' booklets of varying costs, each indicating, now that you're done with snow white, go visit each of her dwarves, And so off I went to explore the unknown...
Chapter III - Ohh the monuments!!
Once you're done with the Colosseum and are trotting on the road with the customary city map in your hand, expectations are fairly average. But prepare to be thrown off your feet. Monuments everywhere turn out to be so much better than their minuscule photos on the map (no seriously!). Every monument that you expect to be 2 storeys tall, is in fact 20 storeyed tall. Only there are no storeys, but long columns to support the roof of the Roman building. Walking through Rome is like walking through time, you can find monuments from various eras, all around the city and you're bound to bump into one even when you don't want to, kind of like that aunty you try to Avoid when you're back home for the holidays ( Haan aunty, zinda hoon bas! )
II place among the most popular monuments at Rome goes to Pantheon, this is something that truly stands out. Built in 100 odd AD, the huge dome like structure with a hole on top was meant to be a generic temple, to serve all gods in general. It's also one of the best preserved buildings of the I century. Approaching it from the rear, you hardly notice it. It looks like a large worn out building , but as with all old monks, it's what's inside that mesmerizes you. With the Colosseum, you can still believe that with certain amount of hard work, whipping and planing, it could be built, not however taking away the efforts of those who died constructing it. Yet with the Pantheon, you need some complex maths to build this stuff. It's still the largest dome in the world and with a near perfect circular hole at the top, it gives you an out of the world feel.
Moving on, I reached the Trevi fountain around the evening. Now I don't know much about the Trevi fountain except that it's extremely good looking, kind of what one would say about Alexandra Daddario. I saw a lot of couples around though, so I avoided the place for the rest of the journey.
Another region, that's a must watch or at least a must pass by is the Roman Forum. It's right adjacent to the Colosseum and will not feature on many maps because it's just a bunch of ruins that's spread across a 500m radius. But it has a lot of buildings dating back to the BCs, which will transport you back to a much more simpler time
Then there's the Altare Della Patria, that I don't know who made or when, but it's a bluish white building with black colored chariot sculptures on it's roof. Looked real cool. As I said before, monuments are a plenty and one should be prepared to call it a day even when his mind is left unsatiated.
Chapter IV - The other side of the Tiber
If you're a devout catholic and love god ( or for that matter hate him and want to have a Deewar moment ), you need to cross the Tiber or if the only reason you're travelling is to Brag to your neighbors that you have visited xx no. of countries in your life, you definitely need to cross the Tiber, because across the river, lies the smallest country in the world, one where the Pope resides with his army men and their clown costumes. I decided to visit the Vatican on my second day after spending the first one admiring the art of Roman sculptures in the first half and in the second frantically running around the city to try to catch em ol before it was too late
The main attraction in the Vatican is the Sistine chapel ( or sixteenth chapel as per that Infosys guy you'll meet on the way ) You will first be confronted by the St. Peters Basilica, the familiar sight from Angels and Demons or rather the queue in front of the structure. There wouldn't be any barricades, but you will be amazed how people have the courtesy to form a natural line or curve or whatever the shape of the day is. Patience has been a virtue I lost a long time ago, and so I decided to do the next best thing- take selfies and leave!
Fun fact here, the average price of Beer in Vatican city is cheaper than in Rome. That's a nice way to get drunk people to go visit god first.
Since there's not much I can say about the interiors of the Basilica or of the Chapel, the statues on the outside are pretty well made ( Running out of adjectives here ). Vatican has a lot to offer for those who wish to see, but otherwise, it's not a bad idea to leave early and catch up on some of the other monuments that you might have missed out.
Chapter V - I world problems for a III world citizen
Rome is geographically ill positioned, they might have been strategically located I agree, I mean something must have lead them to be the largest empire of the world for 500 years. Yet, for a traveler, especially one who wishes to travel cheap, it might not be the most geographically apt position to place a city. It's right at the bottom of the oddly shaped country, almost sucking you deeper into its belly. Once you reach Rome, there's no going back, at least not cheaply. All roads lead to Rome my foot.
I had to make a decision of whether to go to Oktoberfest in Munich or visit more places in Italy. So as everything in my life seemed to be heading south, I decided, so should I, and that's when I found out about Naples and how it's where the most active volcano in the world is located ( Little did I know, I was in for a mighty disappointment ).But I had found my next destination.
Megabus rides in Europe are extremely cheap and I'm naturally more of a Bus person, so once again I found myself at the door of a large double Decker bus. I hadn't heard much about this next place I was about to go to, only that the food is expected to be very good and that the Mafia stayed there. It sounded just about right. The bus began to move and I was already half asleep by the time we crossed the blue colored board requesting us to visit again. Swear on Neptune, I certainly would love to.
*All image sources: Google
**Also find an earlier post here
Chapter II - 21st Century Gladiator
There's a reason why some structures in the world are famous. Why some stand out and are generally visited by people from all over the world. With the Colosseum, each of the reason becomes very apparent. It's historic as hell, with it's construction beginning and completing between 72-80 AD, you must admit that's fast work for a world before high tech machines, but then again, the workers must have been worked to death, glad that doesn't happen today.
 |
| Yo Colosseum so old, she's from the ancient Rome |
As you step out of the Colosseum, you find two things that catch your attention, one being the very oddly shaped trees that make you want to pinch yourself, and the second, is hoards of 'What to see in Rome' booklets of varying costs, each indicating, now that you're done with snow white, go visit each of her dwarves, And so off I went to explore the unknown...
Chapter III - Ohh the monuments!!
Once you're done with the Colosseum and are trotting on the road with the customary city map in your hand, expectations are fairly average. But prepare to be thrown off your feet. Monuments everywhere turn out to be so much better than their minuscule photos on the map (no seriously!). Every monument that you expect to be 2 storeys tall, is in fact 20 storeyed tall. Only there are no storeys, but long columns to support the roof of the Roman building. Walking through Rome is like walking through time, you can find monuments from various eras, all around the city and you're bound to bump into one even when you don't want to, kind of like that aunty you try to Avoid when you're back home for the holidays ( Haan aunty, zinda hoon bas! )
 |
| Pantheon Dome- What are you tying to communicate? |
 |
| Roman forum- look at the tiny men besides it |
Moving on, I reached the Trevi fountain around the evening. Now I don't know much about the Trevi fountain except that it's extremely good looking, kind of what one would say about Alexandra Daddario. I saw a lot of couples around though, so I avoided the place for the rest of the journey.
Another region, that's a must watch or at least a must pass by is the Roman Forum. It's right adjacent to the Colosseum and will not feature on many maps because it's just a bunch of ruins that's spread across a 500m radius. But it has a lot of buildings dating back to the BCs, which will transport you back to a much more simpler time
Then there's the Altare Della Patria, that I don't know who made or when, but it's a bluish white building with black colored chariot sculptures on it's roof. Looked real cool. As I said before, monuments are a plenty and one should be prepared to call it a day even when his mind is left unsatiated.
Chapter IV - The other side of the Tiber
If you're a devout catholic and love god ( or for that matter hate him and want to have a Deewar moment ), you need to cross the Tiber or if the only reason you're travelling is to Brag to your neighbors that you have visited xx no. of countries in your life, you definitely need to cross the Tiber, because across the river, lies the smallest country in the world, one where the Pope resides with his army men and their clown costumes. I decided to visit the Vatican on my second day after spending the first one admiring the art of Roman sculptures in the first half and in the second frantically running around the city to try to catch em ol before it was too late
 |
| Gentlemen, today we form a boomerang |
Fun fact here, the average price of Beer in Vatican city is cheaper than in Rome. That's a nice way to get drunk people to go visit god first.
Since there's not much I can say about the interiors of the Basilica or of the Chapel, the statues on the outside are pretty well made ( Running out of adjectives here ). Vatican has a lot to offer for those who wish to see, but otherwise, it's not a bad idea to leave early and catch up on some of the other monuments that you might have missed out.
Chapter V - I world problems for a III world citizen
Rome is geographically ill positioned, they might have been strategically located I agree, I mean something must have lead them to be the largest empire of the world for 500 years. Yet, for a traveler, especially one who wishes to travel cheap, it might not be the most geographically apt position to place a city. It's right at the bottom of the oddly shaped country, almost sucking you deeper into its belly. Once you reach Rome, there's no going back, at least not cheaply. All roads lead to Rome my foot. I had to make a decision of whether to go to Oktoberfest in Munich or visit more places in Italy. So as everything in my life seemed to be heading south, I decided, so should I, and that's when I found out about Naples and how it's where the most active volcano in the world is located ( Little did I know, I was in for a mighty disappointment ).But I had found my next destination.
Megabus rides in Europe are extremely cheap and I'm naturally more of a Bus person, so once again I found myself at the door of a large double Decker bus. I hadn't heard much about this next place I was about to go to, only that the food is expected to be very good and that the Mafia stayed there. It sounded just about right. The bus began to move and I was already half asleep by the time we crossed the blue colored board requesting us to visit again. Swear on Neptune, I certainly would love to.
*All image sources: Google
**Also find an earlier post here
