Girlie time around London

Once we got back from Rome we spent the next couple of weekends just hanging out around London. We will be spending the next few here as well. But, we did some pretty neat things and I wanted to put up a short post about it and some pictures.

On Friday, January 9, 2009, Greg and I did our traditional annual event of going to see the Nutcracker. This year we saw the Royal Ballet's production. It was magnificent. The costumes, the theatre, the dancing, and the story. This is about the 15th time we have seen it together but it is always good to see different versions of it. The Royal Ballet's version was much more classical ballet and the costumes were very English, as opposed to the Russian versions that we are used to seeing. It was brilliant.

On Saturday, January 10, 2009, we went ice skating at Tower of London. Last winter we skated at the Somerset House so this year we wanted to go somewhere different. It was very nice being right next to the Tower and the River but the ambience at Somerset House last year was much more romantic. The other thing was they weren't even playing music outside, which made no sense at all. However, it was a great day because we did have snow flurries on and off, so it made the mood for ice skating much more appropriate.

Each of us on the skating rink:

After skating we went by the National History Museum (which also had ice skating and seemed nicer than Tower of London) to watch the 1st Annual Ice Carving Competition. There were 6-8 teams carving large block of ice into various statues. The penguins were definitely our favorite. Greg then took me to see Bride Wars. All in all, a very girlie weekend.

The Penguins Ice Sculpture:

Thank you Greg!

Rome around the World

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Our third and final day in Rome was fantastic, and a little more laid back than the other two, although not by much. We woke up early and had breakfast at the hotel before our bus picked us up at 8:00 am to start our day. The bus took us to Castel St. Angelo where we toured the inside of the Castle for over 2 1/2 hours. We also learned from our tour guide Vincento about the significance of Ponte St. Angelo, which used to be known as Elios' Bridge. The inside of Castel St. Angelo was very interesting, you could still see parts of the very impressive floors, ceilings, and walls, but most of it has since been taken away. On the top there is a massive statue of Michel the Archangel. The Bridge itself was lined on both sides with statues of Angels created by Bernini.

Castel St. Angelo:


The Archangel Michel on top of the Castel St. Angelo:

Bernini's Angels on the Ponte St. Angelo:

From Castel St. Angelo you have the most amazing views of the River and of the Vatican. This is where we were able to catch the best pictures of the dome. Running from the Vatican (the Pope's room to be exact) all the way to Castel St. Angelo is a secret passage inside of a fortress wall. This is how the Pope could run to safety when the Vatican was under attack.

St. Peter's Basilica Dome inside the Vatican City from Castel St. Angelo:


Me & Greg at Castel St. Angelo with St. Peter's Basilica in the background:

Once we were done inside the castle it was time to head back to the Vatican City. Since today is Sunday, the Pope comes out and does his blessing. Greg and I decided that it would be a great thing to experience. We had a few minutes to kill before the actual Blessing began so we all ducked into a shop to look around. When the Papal Blessing began we all went outside to enjoy it, there were thousands of people standing around. A lot of people were waving flags and banners, but most of us just stood around, watching and listening to the Pope. We could make out a few things that he said (Italian and Spanish have a lot in common) and when the official sermon and Italian blessing were done he then did it in several other languages. We still could not quite understand what he said when he did the English version but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

The Pope in his window giving the Sunday morning Blessing:


Me & Greg at the Sunday Morning Papal Blessing:

Just some of the masses of people at the Papal Blessing:

When the blessing was done we took our leave and began walking. We were headed to Trastevere and had lunch at Margherita Osteria Pizzeria (the original place we wanted to go was of course closed), but we thoroughly enjoyed our margherita pizza, caprese, bruschetta, wine and beer. We then headed up to Giancolo, where you are supposed to get amazing views. We walked up to the top and saw the Spanish Embassy, Mausoleum, a huge fountain, and spectacular views, but could never find the puppet theatre that we were looking for. We decided rather than continue to wander around this park aimlessly we would just head back down and visit some other areas of town. When we got back down toward Trastevere we went to a cafe where Greg could enjoy an espresso. SHOCKER!.

Greg with an espresso:

We then continued our walk around Rome, we walked over the concrete island (Isola Tiberina), saw the Templi del Foro Boario, Santa Maria en Cosmedian, Archway to the Forums, Santa Sabina, and many other remains and ruins before making it to our actual destination, Pyramid of Caius Cestius. This pyramid has been around since 12 BC (can you even imagine anything being that old in the States). It was quite large but apparently was made of brick and then covered with marble instead of the traditional way of being made by Egyptians. Along side the Pyramid was a small castle and then parts of the Aurelian Wall.

Templi del Foro Boario:


Pyramid of Caius Cestius:


Remains of the Aurelian Wall:

Once done we hopped on the Metro to get back into town. We went to the Piazza del Popolo where the oldest obelisk is erected. Surrounding the obelisk are four lion fountains,on which I climbed. The whole piazza is surround by a bunch of small sphinx statues, more fountains, and then steps up to a park. We ducked into Cafe Canova for some delicious gelato, and of course Greg had a cappuccino. We then jumped back on the metro to head to the hotel. We went into a few shops for some local souvenirs before heading to the hotel to pack before dinner.

Me on the lion fountain in Piazza del Popolo:

We ate dinner at Ristorante Terme di Diocleziano in which we ate beef cannoli, spaghetti alla carbonara, consomme, prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella, and wine of course. We then headed back to the hotel for a couple hours of sleep. We were up at 3 for the taxi to take us to the airport so we could head back to London. Note: Nothing in the Rome airport opens before 7 or 8 am.

Rome with a view

Day 2 in Rome: Saturday, January 3, 2009

Today was going to be an amazing day, we were going to the Vatican. We woke up early and had breakfast at our hotel before jumping onto the metro to get to Vatican City. We met up with our group before battling the mobs of people trying to get into the Vatican. We had gotten very lucky. We originally tried to book one of the "intimate" tours but they were completely booked. These tours only take up to 8 people instead of the standard 20 or more, but at least we could book at all, so we took what we could get. But, let me tell you, only half of our group actually showed up, 9 did not, so we got our 8 person group anyways. Yay! This is definitely the way to go. We saw groups of nearly 100 people and their tour seemed so chaotic so we were happy to only have 8. Our guide Michelle was amazing as well. She was very knowledgeable and seemed to really enjoy what she did. It was raining when we tried to enter so we had to fight our way in through all of the umbrellas but we finally made it.

A Statue from around 2 A.D.:


This statue supposedly inspired Michelangelo to make his men very muscular, it also inspired Rodin's The Thinker:

We spent almost 4 hours walking through all of the thousands of statues, museums, Raphael rooms, Sistine Chapel, and so much more. They say if you spend 60 seconds looking at every piece of art in the Vatican then you could spend 12 years inside. It was all so surreal and amazing. The age of the art is also amazing, seeing statues that dated back to 2 A.D. It was very hard to fathom it all. We learned so much about Raphael and Michelangelo's personal history, about each of them painting their rooms, where they received inspiration from other statues inside, and so much more. The Raphael rooms were a great treat but of course the main attraction was the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't believe how high the ceiling was, it was intriguing to think how Michelangelo stood up for years on end painting the ceiling, usually without any breaks for weeks or months at a time. Nobody in this day and age would have that kind of patience to do a masterpiece like that. We stood in the Chapel looking up at the ceiling for quite some time before heading out.

The Teacher painting by Raphael:


Sistine Chapel ceiling:

One panel from the Sistine Chapel ceiling:

Our next stop was inside St. Peter's Basilica. One of the highlights inside is Michelangelo's Pieta, which shows the Virgin Mary holding Jesus' body. The rest of St. Peter's Basilica was just as impressive. All of the enormous statues, high ceilings, and the main attraction of the copper altar piece done by Bernini, known as the Baldacchino. The church supposedly is built on top of where St. Peter is buried. Outside the Basilica is Piazza St. Pietro. There of course was another huge obelisk, which was put in front of a Christmas Tree and very large Nativity scene. I will say we probably saw 30 or more nativities while in Rome. After taking tons of pictures of St. Peters Square and the columns we headed into the Post Office to pick up some souvenirs before heading to find something to eat.

Front of St. Peter's Basilica:

Michelangelo's Pieta inside St. Peter's Basilica:


The copper altar by Bernini, known as the Baldacchino, where St. Peter's body supposedly lies below:


The St. Peters Statue where everyone rubs or kisses his foot for luck:


Me inside St. Peters, with the pews and altar behind me:


Greg inside St. Peters with one of many statues behind him:


A couple Swiss guards outside St. Peters:

We ended up stopping in at L' Insalata Ricca for some pizza, bruschetta, wine and a Peroni. Next we walked to Museo della Anime del Purgatorra (Church of Purgatory) but unfortunately it was closed so we walked to Piazza Navona where we walked around a Christmas market that was still going on. In Rome they celebrate until after January 7th. On the 7th the Christmas Witch brings presents to the kids, there is a parade and party on that day as well. All of the stalls had witches on brooms and we didn't understand until we learned about the Christmas Witch on Sunday. We did find a very nice, hand-painted glass ornament of Rome for us to take back. We then stopped in at a local gelateria for some gelato. Greg had a biscotti flavored and I had a cherry and cream flavored one, yummy.

Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona:


Our gelato:

We then went to Cafe Sant Eustachio near the Pantheon so Greg could get a cappuccino. After a short walk we ended up in Campo di Fiori. We bought some wine and an Italian charm for me before going to the Imperial Fora to have a look around. Here is where we saw one of the Romulus & Remus statues that are very popular in Rome. We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We went to a place that was close by, it was so cold that we didn't want to head too far, called Gran Caffe del Passeggero where we indulged in bruschetta, gnocchi, spagetti alla carbonara, frascati wine, tiramisu and cannelloni. After that it was back to the hotel for some shut eye, we had another early day tomorrow.

Romulus & Remus statue:


As well as the regular buses, Rome has several of these cute, short buses that run around the smaller streets:

Roman Birthday

We arrived into Rome late on Thursday night, January 1, 2009, nearly midnight. Our trip officially started on Friday, January 2, 2009....Greg's birthday.

What a better way to start a birthday than at the Colosseum. It was amazing, one of those places that you always dream about but never really know if you will be able to go to. It was everything you would imagine it was, as was the rest of Rome. The Colosseum was mostly intact, but you could definitely tell where the age has made it's mark. The actual floor of the Colosseum is completely gone, but they have replaced some of it, just so you can see what it did look like. Underneath the floor of the Colosseum was very neat as well, all of the walls to the rooms that once were. This is where the animals and equipment for the fighting used to be stored. Everything came up through a hole in the ground to appear. We arrived at the Colosseum super early, which was a great thing. It was nice and empty for us most of the time, and you could tell that the crowds were really arriving when we were ready to leave. It was great to get out of there before all of the mobs arrived. After nearly 2 hours walking around the Colosseum we decided to head on, good thing we did as there were now hundreds of people in line to try to get through security and come in.

Colosseum exterior:


Tami & Greg inside the Colosseum:


Looking across the Colosseum, including the below ground area:



When we left the Colosseum we walked by the Arch of Constantine and then up toward Palatine Hill. We didn't actually pay to go inside, but we did walk around the fences and took pictures of some of the ruins inside, more columns, arches, steps, and all. The most amazing thing about Rome is that you will be walking down the street and then all of a sudden there will be part of a column or some other remnant of a building just standing there next to.....could even be right next to a hotel or restaurant or something still in operation. When we walked back down Palatine Hill we were accosted by two of the men who portray Gladiators, for tourists of course. We took some pictures with them.

Afterwards we walked up to Domus Aurea to see Nero's Golden House. We walked around the park and saw a lot of ruins, but weren't sure exactly which ones were Nero's Golden House, or if we were even in the right area. Oh well. We decided to just head on instead of continuing to search that area. We then walked to a church that was recommended by my mom, Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains). The outside of the church was very unimpressive but the inside was amazing. The ceiling and back altar walls had beautiful paintings on them, there was an enormous statue area that included Michelangelo's Moses, along with a glass box with Saint Peter's supposed chains inside. The entire church was very nice inside. We spent nearly 30 minutes inside before continuing on.

The Arch of Constantine:

Michelangelo's Moses inside San Pietro in Vincoli:


Our next stop took us to the area of the Roman Forums. This included the Forum of Nerva, The Forum of Julius Caesar, the Forum of Augustus, the House of the Knights of Rhodes, the Trajan Forum and column, and Mamertime Prison. This was such a vast area with lots of columns, steps, doors, and more just lying around. It is so hard to explain but very interesting to see. The Trajan Column was the only one completely intact still. There is also carvings all the way around and up it, it was so detailed. Another building that was in the area that was impressive was Il Vittorio (monument erected for Emmanuel II, it is also known as the "Wedding Cake"by the Romans since they don't like it, it's too modern for them).

Looking around at the Forums of Nerva, Augustus, Julius Caesar and the House of the Knights of Rhodes:


Detail on the Trajan Column:


Remaining columns at the Trajan Forum:


Il Vittorio:


We continued on our way we walked by Gesu (a very nice church but we did not go inside), then down to Area Sacra which had more ruins that also included a cat sanctuary. It was very odd seeing these ruins that were overrun by many cats, I think we saw more than 20. We then decided to stop by Fontana delle Tartarughe (Fountain of the Tortoises) then to Bernasconi so Greg could get a cappuccino. This was our first coffee shop where it was basically a walk up counter that you grab your drink and a pastry and eat quickly. These places are all like this and are constantly bustling with people. We had some amazing pastries, but can't remember what they were called, think they started with a "k". I did try a hot chocolate, but it was way too thick so decided at that point that I would not be drinking any more in Rome.

Ruins with the cat sanctuary:


Fountain of the Tortoises:


It was now time for lunch......we were ready to eat after all of that walking. We went to a pizzeria near the Pantheon called Zio Ciro where we had bruschetta and margherita pizza (this would be a reoccurring lunch), but it was delicious. After lunch and some wine we decided it was time to go into the Pantheon. The Pantheon was nothing like we had expected, honestly we didn't know what to expect, but it was breathtaking. It is completely round inside, with marble floors and walls, and the Oculus in the dome center. It is completely open and when it rains it actually rains inside. Along with the statues inside there is also Raphael's tomb. We then decided to go to the Cremeria for some gelato (supposed to be the best in Rome), but they were closed.

The Oculus inside the Pantheon:


Greg with a column outside of the Pantheon:


So, we went around the Pantheon and saw the ruins of the Basilica of Neptune and then to the Elephant Obelisk, which was sculpted by Bernini (a very famous artist in Rome). Behind the Elephant Obelisk lies the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (another amazing church). Inside here, along with the amazing paintings, was Michelangelo's Risen Christ statue. Across the way was a cute shop that had all kinds of Italian foods and drinks and other souvenirs, mainly geared towards the kitchen. We bought some past and tea towels before heading out. Our next stop took us to Tazza d'Oro, another coffee place for Greg so he could get another cappuccino. I got a tea as well. By then it had started to rain so we went back into the Pantheon to see the rain fall through the Oculus, it was so pretty.

Bernini's Elephant Obelisk (1 of 14 obelisks in Rome):


Michelangelo's Risen Christ inside Santa Maria Sopra Minerva:


We then walked to the Trevi Fountain where we partook in the tradition of throwing the coin over your shoulder backwards into the fountain. The Trevi Fountain was even larger and more impressive than I had imagined it could be. Next we walked to the Spanish Steps. We saw the Sinking Ship fountain (La Barcaccia) and then headed up the steps. I do have to say, the Spanish Steps were smaller and more narrow than I had imagined them to be. It was actually kind of funny, it was raining pretty good so when you looked out from the steps there was just a massive sea of colored umbrellas. At the top we went into Trinita Dei Monti, another very nice church. We walked around a bit before heading to Piazza Barberini to see the Triton Fountain and then up to the Capuchin Crypt. The crypt was amazing, but we couldn't take pictures inside. Inside the church crypt were a bunch of rooms that were completely decorated in human bones, including the ceilings. There were completed mummies in monk robes and walls of skulls placed on top of each other, along with many other bones placed in patterns.

Tami at the Trevi Fountain:

Tami on the Spanish Steps:

Nearby was the Scallop Fountain and then we headed to Piazza Repubblica and then back to our hotel. It had been a long, tiring day so we took a short nap before taking a shower and then a cab to dinner. We had found a restaurant in our book that was supposed to be very romantic so we went there, it was called Arnaldo ai Satiri and it was amazing. We had Rigatoni al carbonara and Tagliatelli cacio e pepe (with parmesan and black pepper) along with caprese and a trio of bruschetta. We also had a nice white house wine. It was raining pretty hard when we got done eating so we took a taxi back to the hotel to get some rest for the next day.