From a bit of a disappointment in Venice, I trekked further South in Italy to Rome on the 9th. Rome doesn’t have any gimmicks, just some really old buildings right? Well I can’t give away my impressions immediately or you wouldn’t have a reason to keep reading! I used my EuRail pass again, taking the Alta Velocia (high speed) train to the heart of Rome. Stepping
out of the railway station in downtown Rome is an extremely disorienting feeling, especially after the quiet tourist city of Venice. Traffic whizzes along until meeting one of Rome’s many traffic jams, mopeds weave in and out of traffic, and pedestrians sprint across the road to avoid being run down by crazed drivers (both in cars and on mopeds). This was my first experience with Rome; mayhem while trying to find the bus my hostel recommended for getting to their location. The hostel is called the Hotello di Lido online, but the doors said something different, but either way it was a welcomed surprised after making my way into what seemed like a risky neighbourhood. The friendly staff explained that the neighbourhood itself was fine and while some of the buildings could use some work, the people in them were quite friendly, happy to live a comfortable 4km away from the insane city centre. I only had three nights in Rome so I had to make the most of it and my sightseeing started immediately. Dropping my gear, I walked the 4km (to the later disbelief of the hostel owner who thought it was an impossibly long walk) to the city centre in time to catch the
city in early dusk. It was then that I first saw the Colosseum, and stared dumbly in wonder for a few minutes, pondering how exactly the Romans managed to build such a monstrous building almost two thousand years ago. I took a wander around some of the other main sights in the city centre before heading back to the hostel, grabbing a pizza on the way. While my first impressions of the city were that of a mad house, I quickly grew fond of the ancient city. Yes, the Romans drive like there are no laws; yes, crossing a road –even at an intersection –is done at your own risk; yes, Romans are as temperamental as every other Italian; but all this considered, Rome has some serious personality.
out of the railway station in downtown Rome is an extremely disorienting feeling, especially after the quiet tourist city of Venice. Traffic whizzes along until meeting one of Rome’s many traffic jams, mopeds weave in and out of traffic, and pedestrians sprint across the road to avoid being run down by crazed drivers (both in cars and on mopeds). This was my first experience with Rome; mayhem while trying to find the bus my hostel recommended for getting to their location. The hostel is called the Hotello di Lido online, but the doors said something different, but either way it was a welcomed surprised after making my way into what seemed like a risky neighbourhood. The friendly staff explained that the neighbourhood itself was fine and while some of the buildings could use some work, the people in them were quite friendly, happy to live a comfortable 4km away from the insane city centre. I only had three nights in Rome so I had to make the most of it and my sightseeing started immediately. Dropping my gear, I walked the 4km (to the later disbelief of the hostel owner who thought it was an impossibly long walk) to the city centre in time to catch the
city in early dusk. It was then that I first saw the Colosseum, and stared dumbly in wonder for a few minutes, pondering how exactly the Romans managed to build such a monstrous building almost two thousand years ago. I took a wander around some of the other main sights in the city centre before heading back to the hostel, grabbing a pizza on the way. While my first impressions of the city were that of a mad house, I quickly grew fond of the ancient city. Yes, the Romans drive like there are no laws; yes, crossing a road –even at an intersection –is done at your own risk; yes, Romans are as temperamental as every other Italian; but all this considered, Rome has some serious personality.There would be no late starts on my stay in Rome; I had serious sightseeing to do and minimal daylight hours in which to accomplish it. Unfortunately, NewEurope has not made it to Rome (or any Italian cities for that matter) yet, so my sightseeing in Rome was entirely self guided. My first stop was the Castel Sant’ Angelo on the bank of the River Tiber, offering terrific panoramic vistas and a little of its own unique history. The castle was constructed by order of Emperor Hadrian in 135AD to be his 
and his family’s mausoleum. It was completed a year after his death in 138 (good timing!) and housed the family’s remains for hundreds of years. The castle was converted for use as a defensive emplacement and used to that end, but failing to keep away the Visigoths in 410 it was heavily looted and many of the treasures inside were lost forever, including the remains of Hadrian. Since then, it has been used as a Papal fortress (positioned only a kilometre away from the Vatican), a prison, and sacked at least one more time. From the top of the castle there is a direct line of sight down the main promenade to The Vatican, along with other terrific views of the city. Here I sought the student price of €5, but was denied by the somewhat rude lady at the admissions desk because I am not an EU 
student. This is the first time I’ve run into the distinction between locations of studentship, but ran into it a few more times in Italy. Seemingly out of spite for my frustration at having to pay the full €8.50, she gave me the €0.50 in €0.01 and €0.02 pennies. Thanks. The views and exhibits inside were well worth the admission however, and I spent far more time than I had expected in the museum inside, admiring some of the artefacts found throughout time in the vicinity of the city, as well as some pieces originating in Castel Sant’ Angelo. After getting to the top and taking in the wonderful view, I left the castle and walked down the grand promenade into St. Peter’s Square. No one expects to go to the Vatican and not be impressed; it’s just a matter of why you are impressed. The grandiosity of it all is...expected. The expense of –and of maintaining it – is spectacular. I won’t get into it here too much, and I especially don’t want to offend anyone, but the scale of it all is almost a bit disgusting. Entering St. Peter’s Basilica was quite overwhelming; never before have I seen so much attention to detail on such a grand scale, such a well maintained historical building, or so much gold gild! This is where I sort of raise an eyebrow and take a step back from the wonder of the whole experience. Never before have I been in a building whose owners are 
so rich yet ask for so much. Admission prices to other parts of the basilica are flabbergasting, and while I have never had a problem with paying to see an historical building, seeing so much gold everywhere, knowing that the leader is treated like a deity, and knowing there is a worldwide support network in place, it’s hard to cough up that kind of money. This is dangerous territory, I know; and considering it costs York Minster £10,000 a day all costs included (maintenance, staff, clergy, general repairs, etc.), it must cost an absolute fortune to keep the entirety of the Vatican going! But I would rather see my money go somewhere where I know it will do some good; perhaps a charity, or supporting a child in a third world country. I don’t know where my money will go if I pay it to St. Peters, and I frankly don’t trust it. At York Minster, I knew my money went to keeping the building in good shape, or perhaps paying one of the many staff. At the basilica, my money might have been going towards a very rich banquet of lovely food for a bunch of rich old men. But...maybe I just feel bitter because of the amount of gold in that church, and I know that so many other churches are struggling to make a go of things
economically. Debating that over in my head, I decided to go to a slightly less contentious locale, the Colosseum (which apparently Word doesn’t like the spelling of...tough shit Word). The Flavian Amphitheatre (as it is formally known after the Emperor who decided it should be built) is one of the most widely recognised landmarks in the world, and for good reason. Even standing outside, it is a wonder that something could be built so long ago (almost two millennia!) and still be standing today! If the Romans could do one thing well, it was solid engineering. Oh yea, and conquering... Like everything in Rome, admission is steep at €12 plus another €4.50 for the AudioGuide, but of all the sites I have seen in my travels, this was the €16.50 I least minded parting with. When renting the AudioGuide, I encountered for the first time the necessity of leaving a deposit for the unit, but they don’t want your money; noooooo, they want your passport! Hesitant to part with it, I asked if they had insurance covering the loss of foreign passports (not really sure if such a thing exists, but more to hear absolute assurance that if my passport was lost, I could count on them for replacement fees). Apparently being asked this for the first time, the young gal at the desk shrugged it off with a “pft, of course...” Raising my eyebrow ever so slightly and cocking my head, I asked, “are you sure...?” All of a sudden she looked worried, turning around and speaking in rapid fire Italian with whom I can only assume is her supervisor. She turned back to me and said very carefully, “it is very safe with us”. Reluctantly, I gave up my passport and received a chit to get it back, but I’m sure I’m not the first traveller to have questioned the safety of leaving your passport with strangers, and not even the ‘you can trust us’ kind of strangers like the front desk at a hotel. I quickly forgot about the drama as I climbed the steps to the first level of the famous Colosseum. The feeling of being in 
that place is indescribable. As I listened to the well narrated commentary from the AudioGuide, I followed its directions around the inside, hearing all the background information it had to offer. Some tourist hot spots end up being a bit disappointing, leaving you wondering what the buzz is all about, but the Colosseum does not fall under that category. It delivers in spades, and leaves you awe struck in the end. I walked the promenade around the first level (remember in Europe there’s ground floor, and then there’s first floor above that), looking down at the arena from where hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) before me would have watched gladiatorial battles, millions of exotic beasts being slain, and criminals put to death. Of course, millions of tourists have done the same as I have, but in my own little world with my AudioGuide and my sound cancelling earphones, it felt like my own personal experience. Descending back to the ground floor, I entered into the arena (as far as one can go at least) through the West gate, the gate through which thousands of gladiators entered before attaining glory, or suffering gory defeat. Stopping at the entrance to the arena, close your eyes and with a bit of imagination, when you open them you can see something amazing. 50,000-75,000 people fill the stands in a bloodthirsty frenzy. They want to see blood, and whether its yours, another gladiator’s, or an animal’s, it doesn’t matter to them; they want to see something blood and gore(thank god for television, now you don’t have to leave the house for that!). But don’t imagine too hard, because gladiators were fierce warriors and you would never want to face one of them in battle. Contrary to popular belief,
most blood spilled in the Colosseum was animal blood, not human. As the Roman Empire expanded to encompass more exotic regions, the local animals would be captured and sent back to Rome so the locals could see them killed in the gladiatorial arenas. Gladiators themselves were sometimes slaves looking to gain their freedom, but were often battle hardened warriors seeking fame and fortune. And if a gladiator made it all the way through their career alive, famous and fortuitous they would be. But these gladiators were not a dime a dozen, and training wasn’t cheap, so to see an actual gladiator vs. gladiator battle was rare, and when the infamous decision came from the Emperor to grant mercy or deny it, he would more often than not grant mercy and allow the injured gladiator to be carried out of the arena. So long as the gladiator fought well, did not cower or run, the audience got what they wanted and were pleased regardless of whether the defeated perished; blood was spilt either way and it was the red stuff that made the crowds happy. If a gladiator fought well but lost, he left the arena with his dignity intact and would probably return to fight another day. Completely happy with my visit, I returned my AudioGuide in exchange for my passport and headed back to the hostel, picking up some laundry I had left earlier in the day and pizza along the way for a relaxing night, happy to get off my feet. Interestingly, this was the most expensive load of laundry I have ever done at €10, around $15, albeit it was all done for me as coin ops don’t exist in Rome.
and his family’s mausoleum. It was completed a year after his death in 138 (good timing!) and housed the family’s remains for hundreds of years. The castle was converted for use as a defensive emplacement and used to that end, but failing to keep away the Visigoths in 410 it was heavily looted and many of the treasures inside were lost forever, including the remains of Hadrian. Since then, it has been used as a Papal fortress (positioned only a kilometre away from the Vatican), a prison, and sacked at least one more time. From the top of the castle there is a direct line of sight down the main promenade to The Vatican, along with other terrific views of the city. Here I sought the student price of €5, but was denied by the somewhat rude lady at the admissions desk because I am not an EU 
student. This is the first time I’ve run into the distinction between locations of studentship, but ran into it a few more times in Italy. Seemingly out of spite for my frustration at having to pay the full €8.50, she gave me the €0.50 in €0.01 and €0.02 pennies. Thanks. The views and exhibits inside were well worth the admission however, and I spent far more time than I had expected in the museum inside, admiring some of the artefacts found throughout time in the vicinity of the city, as well as some pieces originating in Castel Sant’ Angelo. After getting to the top and taking in the wonderful view, I left the castle and walked down the grand promenade into St. Peter’s Square. No one expects to go to the Vatican and not be impressed; it’s just a matter of why you are impressed. The grandiosity of it all is...expected. The expense of –and of maintaining it – is spectacular. I won’t get into it here too much, and I especially don’t want to offend anyone, but the scale of it all is almost a bit disgusting. Entering St. Peter’s Basilica was quite overwhelming; never before have I seen so much attention to detail on such a grand scale, such a well maintained historical building, or so much gold gild! This is where I sort of raise an eyebrow and take a step back from the wonder of the whole experience. Never before have I been in a building whose owners are 
so rich yet ask for so much. Admission prices to other parts of the basilica are flabbergasting, and while I have never had a problem with paying to see an historical building, seeing so much gold everywhere, knowing that the leader is treated like a deity, and knowing there is a worldwide support network in place, it’s hard to cough up that kind of money. This is dangerous territory, I know; and considering it costs York Minster £10,000 a day all costs included (maintenance, staff, clergy, general repairs, etc.), it must cost an absolute fortune to keep the entirety of the Vatican going! But I would rather see my money go somewhere where I know it will do some good; perhaps a charity, or supporting a child in a third world country. I don’t know where my money will go if I pay it to St. Peters, and I frankly don’t trust it. At York Minster, I knew my money went to keeping the building in good shape, or perhaps paying one of the many staff. At the basilica, my money might have been going towards a very rich banquet of lovely food for a bunch of rich old men. But...maybe I just feel bitter because of the amount of gold in that church, and I know that so many other churches are struggling to make a go of things
economically. Debating that over in my head, I decided to go to a slightly less contentious locale, the Colosseum (which apparently Word doesn’t like the spelling of...tough shit Word). The Flavian Amphitheatre (as it is formally known after the Emperor who decided it should be built) is one of the most widely recognised landmarks in the world, and for good reason. Even standing outside, it is a wonder that something could be built so long ago (almost two millennia!) and still be standing today! If the Romans could do one thing well, it was solid engineering. Oh yea, and conquering... Like everything in Rome, admission is steep at €12 plus another €4.50 for the AudioGuide, but of all the sites I have seen in my travels, this was the €16.50 I least minded parting with. When renting the AudioGuide, I encountered for the first time the necessity of leaving a deposit for the unit, but they don’t want your money; noooooo, they want your passport! Hesitant to part with it, I asked if they had insurance covering the loss of foreign passports (not really sure if such a thing exists, but more to hear absolute assurance that if my passport was lost, I could count on them for replacement fees). Apparently being asked this for the first time, the young gal at the desk shrugged it off with a “pft, of course...” Raising my eyebrow ever so slightly and cocking my head, I asked, “are you sure...?” All of a sudden she looked worried, turning around and speaking in rapid fire Italian with whom I can only assume is her supervisor. She turned back to me and said very carefully, “it is very safe with us”. Reluctantly, I gave up my passport and received a chit to get it back, but I’m sure I’m not the first traveller to have questioned the safety of leaving your passport with strangers, and not even the ‘you can trust us’ kind of strangers like the front desk at a hotel. I quickly forgot about the drama as I climbed the steps to the first level of the famous Colosseum. The feeling of being in that place is indescribable. As I listened to the well narrated commentary from the AudioGuide, I followed its directions around the inside, hearing all the background information it had to offer. Some tourist hot spots end up being a bit disappointing, leaving you wondering what the buzz is all about, but the Colosseum does not fall under that category. It delivers in spades, and leaves you awe struck in the end. I walked the promenade around the first level (remember in Europe there’s ground floor, and then there’s first floor above that), looking down at the arena from where hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) before me would have watched gladiatorial battles, millions of exotic beasts being slain, and criminals put to death. Of course, millions of tourists have done the same as I have, but in my own little world with my AudioGuide and my sound cancelling earphones, it felt like my own personal experience. Descending back to the ground floor, I entered into the arena (as far as one can go at least) through the West gate, the gate through which thousands of gladiators entered before attaining glory, or suffering gory defeat. Stopping at the entrance to the arena, close your eyes and with a bit of imagination, when you open them you can see something amazing. 50,000-75,000 people fill the stands in a bloodthirsty frenzy. They want to see blood, and whether its yours, another gladiator’s, or an animal’s, it doesn’t matter to them; they want to see something blood and gore(thank god for television, now you don’t have to leave the house for that!). But don’t imagine too hard, because gladiators were fierce warriors and you would never want to face one of them in battle. Contrary to popular belief,
most blood spilled in the Colosseum was animal blood, not human. As the Roman Empire expanded to encompass more exotic regions, the local animals would be captured and sent back to Rome so the locals could see them killed in the gladiatorial arenas. Gladiators themselves were sometimes slaves looking to gain their freedom, but were often battle hardened warriors seeking fame and fortune. And if a gladiator made it all the way through their career alive, famous and fortuitous they would be. But these gladiators were not a dime a dozen, and training wasn’t cheap, so to see an actual gladiator vs. gladiator battle was rare, and when the infamous decision came from the Emperor to grant mercy or deny it, he would more often than not grant mercy and allow the injured gladiator to be carried out of the arena. So long as the gladiator fought well, did not cower or run, the audience got what they wanted and were pleased regardless of whether the defeated perished; blood was spilt either way and it was the red stuff that made the crowds happy. If a gladiator fought well but lost, he left the arena with his dignity intact and would probably return to fight another day. Completely happy with my visit, I returned my AudioGuide in exchange for my passport and headed back to the hostel, picking up some laundry I had left earlier in the day and pizza along the way for a relaxing night, happy to get off my feet. Interestingly, this was the most expensive load of laundry I have ever done at €10, around $15, albeit it was all done for me as coin ops don’t exist in Rome. It’s hard to beat a day like that, and on the 11th, I didn’t even try. Content with my up and close experience in the city, I opted for a day of sightseeing from afar. Climbing the hill to the south west of the city, I was treated to a splendiferous view of the city, along with many monuments along the way. It turns out that this is the part of the city where major fighting took place in the newly formed Republic of Italy in 1849. The French weren’t too happy that the Rome was no longer ruled by the Vatican, and sent troops to defeat the leaders of the 
new Republic. The battle didn’t go so well for either side, but brutally the outnumbered Italians fell and lost many soldiers on this hill. Also along the trek was the well guarded Spanish Ambassador’s house, a monument to the 20th century fighting in Argentina, and some busts of dudes with awesome moustaches. For anyone who likes to walk a lot and perhaps get out of the hustle and bustle of insane downtown Rome, I highly recommend this walk on a clear day. I descended down the North side of the hill, towards the Vatican where I was once again going. I had decided that regardless of admissions, one cannot come to Rome and not see the Sistine Chapel. I re-entered the Vatican, going through all the security checks, and found my way to the Vatican treasuries museum. Oops, wrong museum! While the treasuries museum was an excellent showcase of riches throughout the history of the church, it felt like a showcase of ‘look how much gold and jewels we stole from a bunch of other countries!’. I left the Vatican, walked a kilometre around the perimeter of the walls, and finally made my way to the proper Vatican Museum. A showcase of at least 500m worth of art in a single hallway, at the end is the masterpiece of the Italian master, Michelangelo. But getting in isn’t cheap here either! Not seeing a student price, I inquired anyway and it turned out my ISIC (International Student Identity Card) brought the €12 adult admission down to €8. Go figure, doesn’t hurt to ask! Worried they would be closing soon, I hustled through the halls to the treasure at the end. I took in the splendours of the artwork all along, but there were just so many paintings it becomes overwhelming after a very short while. One would need a week and a degree in Christian art to fully appreciate the treasures of the walk to the Sistine Chapel alone. But at the end is the Sistine Chapel, and magnificent is the first word to mind, and is highly understated at that.. While to my untrained eye the artwork looks quite similar to the half kilometre of paintings I had already seen, it is the sheer size of the palate Michelangelo covered – wall to wall, across the arched ceiling, and right down to the floor – that impresses. No surface is left blank. Guards patrol the room ensuring no photos are being taken, and issuing the frequent “SHHHHH!” to shush noisy tourists. The ban on photography is to protect the rest of us from those who don’t know how to turn off their flash, and the silence is so that one can truly appreciate the beauty of the room without the annoying jabbering of obnoxious fellow tourists pointing out ‘that panel!’ and ‘oo look at that one!’ It all makes sense to me, but it is amazing the tenacity of some tourists, such as the twentysomething girl who was told not to take photos by the guard, and while her boyfriend confronted the guard, she continued to take photos.
new Republic. The battle didn’t go so well for either side, but brutally the outnumbered Italians fell and lost many soldiers on this hill. Also along the trek was the well guarded Spanish Ambassador’s house, a monument to the 20th century fighting in Argentina, and some busts of dudes with awesome moustaches. For anyone who likes to walk a lot and perhaps get out of the hustle and bustle of insane downtown Rome, I highly recommend this walk on a clear day. I descended down the North side of the hill, towards the Vatican where I was once again going. I had decided that regardless of admissions, one cannot come to Rome and not see the Sistine Chapel. I re-entered the Vatican, going through all the security checks, and found my way to the Vatican treasuries museum. Oops, wrong museum! While the treasuries museum was an excellent showcase of riches throughout the history of the church, it felt like a showcase of ‘look how much gold and jewels we stole from a bunch of other countries!’. I left the Vatican, walked a kilometre around the perimeter of the walls, and finally made my way to the proper Vatican Museum. A showcase of at least 500m worth of art in a single hallway, at the end is the masterpiece of the Italian master, Michelangelo. But getting in isn’t cheap here either! Not seeing a student price, I inquired anyway and it turned out my ISIC (International Student Identity Card) brought the €12 adult admission down to €8. Go figure, doesn’t hurt to ask! Worried they would be closing soon, I hustled through the halls to the treasure at the end. I took in the splendours of the artwork all along, but there were just so many paintings it becomes overwhelming after a very short while. One would need a week and a degree in Christian art to fully appreciate the treasures of the walk to the Sistine Chapel alone. But at the end is the Sistine Chapel, and magnificent is the first word to mind, and is highly understated at that.. While to my untrained eye the artwork looks quite similar to the half kilometre of paintings I had already seen, it is the sheer size of the palate Michelangelo covered – wall to wall, across the arched ceiling, and right down to the floor – that impresses. No surface is left blank. Guards patrol the room ensuring no photos are being taken, and issuing the frequent “SHHHHH!” to shush noisy tourists. The ban on photography is to protect the rest of us from those who don’t know how to turn off their flash, and the silence is so that one can truly appreciate the beauty of the room without the annoying jabbering of obnoxious fellow tourists pointing out ‘that panel!’ and ‘oo look at that one!’ It all makes sense to me, but it is amazing the tenacity of some tourists, such as the twentysomething girl who was told not to take photos by the guard, and while her boyfriend confronted the guard, she continued to take photos.I left the Vatican Museum happy that I had visited an absolute must see before leaving Rome, and had a relaxing walk through Rome the 3km back to my hostel, again picking up a pizza to enjoy once there. While I spent a night relaxing and getting off my now truly sore feet, I had a good chance to think about the whirlwind tour I had just undertaken in two and a half days in one of the world’s most famous cities. Regardless of prices (food 
is cheap, but tourist sites are expensive), the insanity of traffic (very insane), efficiency of public transit (not very efficient), rundown neighbourhoods (some areas feel like you’re in a developing nation), unfriendliness of locals (sometimes rather hostile), throngs of tourists (they’re completely unavoidable), amongst other un-pleasantries; Rome just doesn’t cease to amaze. Unlike Venice where the whole city feels like a put on to entice more tourists into spending their money on a city-wide resort, Rome is authentic. It is a living, and breathing city, where work takes place all around you all day. Despite all it has going against it, Rome is spectacular, and is maintaining that authenticity while making sightseeing a breeze. Maybe one day when I have more money, I’ll come back to this city too, and stay in a hotel with a serious view and do things the easy way. But Rome is a city that can be seen on a budget, and where walking around truly is enough of an experience to satisfy the inner tourist.
is cheap, but tourist sites are expensive), the insanity of traffic (very insane), efficiency of public transit (not very efficient), rundown neighbourhoods (some areas feel like you’re in a developing nation), unfriendliness of locals (sometimes rather hostile), throngs of tourists (they’re completely unavoidable), amongst other un-pleasantries; Rome just doesn’t cease to amaze. Unlike Venice where the whole city feels like a put on to entice more tourists into spending their money on a city-wide resort, Rome is authentic. It is a living, and breathing city, where work takes place all around you all day. Despite all it has going against it, Rome is spectacular, and is maintaining that authenticity while making sightseeing a breeze. Maybe one day when I have more money, I’ll come back to this city too, and stay in a hotel with a serious view and do things the easy way. But Rome is a city that can be seen on a budget, and where walking around truly is enough of an experience to satisfy the inner tourist.
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