Beattys Overseas

Our "Christmas card" photo at The ColiseumAh, Rome!  After we departed quiet and quaint Sicily, we entered into the nucleus of Italy, the capital city of Rome, chock full of history so far-reaching that we couldn't see it all in the 3 days we were there. 

Let's start off by sharing that we were in a weird hotel about 30 minutes from Rome.  Technically, it was in Rome's city limits, but the place had to supply a shuttle bus to take guests into the city, so it's not close at all.  John booked it on Priceline.com, which served us very well for a hotel in Munich with its "Name Your Price" negotiating capabilities.  So, when it came time to find a place to sleep in Rome, John named his desired price for a 4-star hotel in Rome, and the first hotel to accept the offer booked us.  There isn't a choice to accept the offer or not, which is the glitch.  The hotel was a Melia property, a large chain in Italy, and probably deserved a 4-star rating back in 1988 when it was built.  The rooms and common spaces were dirty and tattered, and being so far away form anything that a tourist wants to see in Rome, we were a little annoyed.  But, the shuttle was free and surprisingly prompt & efficient.  John wrote a scathing review of the place to Priceline, which he claims was a very cathartic activity.  So, now that we've gotten that rant out of our system, we can move onto better things....

The Vatican's Gallery of MapsWe started our sightseeing of Rome by taking the tour of the Vatican.  What a view to behold: some of the world's most beloved art and priceless pieces held within a city made of religion.  Vatican City is a city unto itself within Rome, completely governed by itself, so when you're in Vatican City, you're under the jurisdiction of the Pope and his peeps.  Radical.  The Vatican Tour winds its way through a maze of hallways and ballrooms and tunnels towards the Sistine Chapel - the grande finale.  The entire tour was a sensory overload for our eyes... We saw, in a very calculated order:

The red marble papal throne, formerly in the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano;
Shhhh... We snapped the Sistine

Needless to say, it was overwhelming.  Practically so breathtaking that we didn't enjoy it.  In my opinion, everyone else in the museum seemed to be on this Amazing Race-like hustle to the finish line: the Sistine Chapel.  But, in the process, they were blasting by some truly priceless other works.  We stopped and took many photos of the Gallery of Maps, which was amazing, the School of Athens ceiling murals by Raphael.  Once we arrived into the Sistine, which admittedly was magnificent, we were a little Vatican-ed Out.  It's obviously one of the most sought-after sightseeing locations in Rome and - even on a Thursday morning in mid-December - we were pushed and bumped by hundreds of anxious tourists.  It made the whole place feel a little less holy, with all these competitive amateur photographers and whining children strapped into strollers.  We needed to get some air!

John at the PantheonSo, we left Vatican City, and walked across the river and towards the Piazza Nuova, where the famous Fountain of Four Rivers was unfortunately under renovation (we soon learned that many items on our must-see list were under renovation because, as I just mentioned, it's December and touring season is relatively low).  From there we found the Pantheon, an ancient Greek Temple with a groovy open-air roof, and the Trevi Fountain, where the legend is that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.  We had lunch at a quiet [Italian, duh] restaurant, and then headed toward the Coliseum.  Wow, the Coliseum.  It's one of those things that you've seen on TV and movies for so many years that it almost seems make-believe until you stand in front of it.  Amazing.  The audio tour was excellent, giving concise explanations of the structure and it's historical uses.  Our Rome photo album is pretty thorough, if you care to peruse.

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