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Rome - Sights, Saw, Seeing

Not feeling too well. Didn't get enough sleep, so am gonna dive right in!

We initially wanted to get the Roma Pass but it was sold out during the first day we were there, so we decided to go saw all the sights that is free or we don't plan using Roma Pass on the first day. 

What is a Roma Pass, it is a pass that includes 2 free entry to the attraction you want to see, and subsequent attractions are at discounted price. You can also use it for the metro line and tram line ( bus line too, but we didn't use the bus there ).  It cost 25EUR per person, and buy it if you think it is worth it. It is worth it for me, just to skip the long line at Coliseum, however we did calculate to see the sights that would at least return back our modal beli Roma Pass. 

So back to the top, we ( in here I ) decided to take an Archaebus to go and see the Appia Antica line more specifically I wanted to see the catacombs. I paid because it is my idea. 

Sambil tu enjoy2 tgk scenery. Atas bus tu sejukk , tapi Rome tadekle sejuk mana pon, Angin bas bagaikan angin kus-kus

So on the first day there ( well, more like second, but the first day we sampai lewat and just want to hang out at the hotel ) we went to see the Catacombs. By taking the Archaebus, we only need to pay half of the entrance fee, so it is ok. The one that we gone into is Catacombe of San Sebastiano. The other one (San Callisto) is closed on Wednesday, however it is fine as we decided we wanted to see only 1 . 

Entrance kecik je
The entrance fee also included the guided tour and the English one usually paling ramai. If you understand another language, highly recommended to take another other language that they provide ( French, Italian ).  Pic is forbidded, but we only know that right after we took this blurry pic (sampai2 bayar fee terus berkejar ikut tour so kite orang paling belakang thus we can take the pic without anyone saw us. The guide marah a person who try to take a pic of the frescoes in the catacombs ) 

The tomb where San Sebastian remain used to lies. (or just lie? )

The catacombe itself is mostly empty, but it is impressive to see some of the long tunnels dug out to store the remains. There are no bones ( thus I am a tad bit disappointed ), however the guide was excellent and the entrance fee more than make up by it for the guide. 

We then stopped by Mausoleum of Caecilia Metella. 



I honestly think that the entrance fee here is quite steep, and there's not much to see here. It is lovely though, but again, there's nothing inside.

Inside the basement there is a place for kittehs. Aww. 

It was a lovely day outside, and even the kitteh went outside to play. Its place is empty. I manage to see the kitty, a fat tabby who looks quite superior at living in a mausoleum in comparative luxury. 

We waited for quite some time for our bus, but it was a lovely day (it really was!), so I don't begrudge the wait. Jeles tengok couple sebelah berpicnic bagai tepi fields dengan roti and cheese. I lapar taw time tu. 

We then headed to Bocca della Verita, for some pic time. The mouth is next to a church. You have to queue to take pic, and its not too long and you can't camwhore yourself out there because the guard will sternly reminded you to take only 1 pic as other people are wating for their stern. 

Before taking a pic, you are welcomed to make a donation to the church which is around 0.50 EUR, which is like, kau bagi je laa. Takkan tu pon nak kedekut. 


Husband macam tak ikhlas je letak tangan dalam mulut tu. 

We entered the church and saw some beautiful mosaics work. It is a small church, quite lovely.

Then it was a long walk to see all the lovely sights in Rome. Well, not all, what we can manage to walk to.

The Tiber river
We stopped awhile at the Tiber Island. The bridge at the pic above head to the island.

Campo de Fiori
We got to the Campo de Fiori just as the market was about to close. I manage to buy my Murano glass beads bracelet sebab it is cheap there. Ye, masa kat Venice taknak beli sebab mahal. So kat Rome baru nak beli barang yang dibuat there. 


We bersiar-siar kejab at Piazza Navona sambil pikir adakah perlu ke tidak untuk makan di situ, tapi harga food adalah cekik darah so tidak kuasa.


We got to the Pantheon and there was a marching band playing all sorts of popular tune in front of it. So it was crowded then and my camera is running out of battery. 

While we were walking around I can't remember the time, but we stopped for a while looking at this ruins. It used to be a temple. It attracted me so because this ruins also act as a shelter for stray cats. Awww. We spent some time there playing spot the cat among all the ruins. 

This pic doesn't have any cat. After I took this pic I think my camera died. 

This is a three legged cat who is being cared by the shelter. I haz a sad, but at least it is being taken care off. I even saw a gypsy gives half of its lunch to cats there. Really the Romans have good heart.



During the night we walked all the way to Piazza di Spagna ( Spanish Steps ). This is a place to shop/windows shop for high end luxury goods. By the time we got there, the stores were closing anyway tapi macam la mampu beli. After strolling past 6 or 7 shops I got bored. This is why I don't care for Milan. I never care to window shop on things I can't afford. I find it a waste of my time. 

So we headed to Hard Rock di mana it was so crowded because it seems like half of the tourists in the vicinity wanted to eat there. 

The next day we went to Naples, and you'd read all about it, and after we got back to Naples we bought the Roma Pass, because only by then it was available. So on the third/fourth day, we went to Coliseum. 

Semua pic I. Takpe, after a this post, you won't see my pics for the longest time in this blog.  Unless I went on another trip.

We spent around an hour or more there wasting camera battery and just try to re-enact Gladiator in our head although I never watch Gladiator ( whattt... I don't find Gladiator interesting. ) I imagined the Coliseum to be bigger though remembering reading about the mock naval battles being fought there, but the ships must had been quite small and really near together. Mock battles pon, half of them died jugak playing that naval game. 

It was a great feeling to be there and try to imagine who died there and who used to sit around there while looking around the ruins. 


While we were there there was also some exhibition going on featuring on Nero, about him and all the stuffs that he done and things related to him when he was ruler.



After Coliseum, we then head to Palatine Hill. Palatine Hill used to be the residence of many famous persons in Rome including few of the Emperors.


As it was a hill, it was an arduous climb for the the people who have very little stamina (me). However the view above is worth the trip. It was quite something to see the place. Even in ruins you can almost see it must had been really, really luxurious and magnificent back then. The later emperors must have abuse the treasury to oblivion. ( the more luxurious residence belonging to the later period of emperors. The earlier one lived in squalor compare to them ). 

Then we went to see the Roman Forum which is one my favorite place in Rome. It boggles the mind that all these temples and government offices (so to says) and forums are condensed in one place. 

Roman Forum

This is the place where Caesar used to walk, where emperors gathers with their councils, basically where the important stuffs in Rome taken place. ( Caesar not murdered here supposedly, but his altars used to be here).



On night time, we decided to lepak at Trevi Fountain. Lepak-lepak tengok orang kejab. Way too crowded here, but I imagine it is worse during daytime. However Trevi Fountain is worth the brief visit if you must.

Most night time pics are taken by my husband. I dont have the patience/hands to carefully balance the camera and kira/balance all those shutter and aperture thingamajits. 

The last day in Rome we decided to take it easy, ( well I think we had been taking it easy anyhow as we opt out of Vatican because my husband said he was sick of religious arts . I also have no appreciation to it so decided to opt out and saw things we like ). 

It was raining that morning so we decided to just go into one of the branch of Museum Nazionale Romano. There is a lot of museums in Rome so we just choose one randomly. I wanted to see the animal museum ( weirdd.. I know ) tapi ia adalah jauh dari any train station or tram and we malas to figure out the bus.

Not to worry though because for me all museums are interesting including this.  



Then after walking around, we decided to go to Bath of Caracalla which is also one of my favorite sight there.


Bath of Caracalla used to be Roman bath/gymnasium for the Romans. Gymnasium pon besar mengalahkan istana. It is now basically just walls, (with one kitteh jaunting here and there everywhere, kitteh in Rome like historical sight or what ) but the size was huge and remembering the huge statues we saw in Naples that used to be here and its huge wall, I just can't help but gape looking at here. 

We spent quite a lovely time, enjoying the cold afternoon air and just sitting around here. 


Afterwards my husband agrees to teman I shop at Via del Corso.



Via del Corso is a long, long stretch of road, I think on Saturday it is closed to cars, so it is quite nice to stroll along the street and cross the street without thinking when you want to to take a look at a shop across the street. I only buy 1 clothes there sebab too many stores, can't choose. Hah. Also I only decided to go to H&M sebab itu aje I mampu. Ye, taraf orang Malaysia shopping ni taraf bebudak teenager kat Europe je shopping. Stress. But my kedekutness aside, Via Del Corso is a great place for mid range stuffs, so go crazy. 

Afterwards we lepak kejab at the piazza tapi husband kena con bayar rose yang the Bangladeshi forced down on me. Angin die je jangan kata. At least it is 3EUR, but 3EUR for 3 roses I do not want , is still annoying. I pujuk my husband at the very least, sepanjang trip ni we only got conned for 3 EUR, which compares to some unlucky people, is quite fortunate. So if you are there and someone forced a rose on you, give it back resolutely. 

Anyhow, that ends the trip. Ok. Penat. 

Comments

mommy nazeef said…
nice trip n pics too!! bes bes :)
Dils said…
Memang best2. Eii.. tak sabar nak tengok anak norish yang second nanti. Heh...
M@Ri@M said…
bestnye!!! nice trip & nice photo too! lawa2..jeles2!!

Nuffnang

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