Six Days in Eternity

The afternoon we arrived in Roma was a wet and dismal one and I couldn't wait to find our accomodation. The Hotel which is callled centre 1-2-3 because it is 3 hotels making the best use of a traditional Roman villa, was about 15 minutes walk from the Termini Station. It was a little precarious trapsing down the road with traffic hurtling at you at great speeds but we managed it in the end.

To reach the entrance you have to walk down a sloped path which has the odd stone urn filled with stone ornamental grapes overhanging and a couple of Roman sculptures. All very kitsch. To add to the kitschness the outside of the building is painted a sugar pink which reminded me of a box of dusted rose turkish delight I once bought in Nicosia..

Reception is on the very bottom floor of the building which I assume would have been the cellar in its original state. As you enter there is a desk to the left with lots of wooden pigeon holes for guests keys and mail. The desk is of a solid, dark mahogany nature which has been very well polished. To the left of the desk is a staircase and a little further down the corridor is a bar area and then further on another entrance to a second staircase.

On arrival there was a small queue of other people checking in so we stood back and took in the surroundings. Behind the desk was an elderly refined couple who looked a bit grumpy. My first impression of the hotel was one of cleanliness and although a bit outlandish in furnishings I thought it was pleasantly attractive.Nice to see lots of plants like ferns and rubber plants. I always think a plant adds a bit of extra colour to the environment.

When it came to our turn to check in we handed the elderly man our booking forms from the travel agent and he filled in a book and then gave us the keys to our room which were actually up the stairs on the right on the first floor. So that was all very easy and without hitches.

Once we reached the first floor and entered our room for four nights, my husband had a funny look on his face. He didn't like the room because it was so dark. This floor of rooms was below ground level so there was no view and the window had bars on. I could see he was irritated but I thought it was okay. I never really get worked up about rooms when we are on a city vacation because it is somewhere just to rest your head. I said that it would be fine for a few nights and once he had had a shower he would feel better. I was right - he did feel better but he still didn't like the room but decided to put it to the back of his mind while we went off in search of sustenance.

After having a decent meal and a couple of drinks we came back to the room and were so tired from all the travelling that we just wanted to sleep. But could we sleep - no we could not. All we could hear was the night porter's radio blaring away. At first we ignored it but eventually my husband crawled out of bed and went down to tell him to turn it down which after looking at my husband in exasperation, he did turn it down.

The next morning the first thing we did was to go to reception and complain. We just said that we didn't like the room because of the darkness and we could hear the radio blaring. I think the gentleman on reception who for some reason I thought he acted like a hotel owner more than an employee, thought we were being a bit hysterical and couldn't really see what the problem was. He agreed to move us to another room but we would have to wait as the rooms were all being cleaned. He told us to go and eat breakfast and by the time we came down the new room would be free.

So before I describe the new room I will tell you about the Breakfast room. This is on the top floor of the building and the inside dining area reminds me a bit of a school canteen. It is self service although there is a lady serving coffee and tea. I would love to tell you that there was a vast array of breakfast goodies on offer but there wasn't. Rolls, rolls and more rolls. Brown and white, the odd biscuit, jam and honey. Basically that was it. Fruit juice was available but this tasted very synthetic to me and the coffee was chicory based so although I was desperate for a cup I only had one because I really don't like chicory. Once we had filled the tray up with our assortment of rolls we trundled off to sit on the outside terrace. It was at the end of September but the weather was still very warm. The terrace was very nice with potted geraniums and nice wooden tables and chairs but the best thing of all was the view of the skyline and the whole of Roma. It was stunning and made you forget about the ropey old coffee and rolls.

We took our time over beakfast because we wanted the room to be waiting for us and it was. Thankfully, this time it was much better and at last my husband had a smile on his face until the evening when he went down to the bar for a drink to find it closed. This was one of the reasons we chose this hotel because a bar was advertised. It looked like the bar had never been opened from the beginning of the season. This time he refrained from complaining.

The new bedroom was quite large with twin beds, fitted wardrobes and an en-suite bathroom. The main colour of the room was a honey coloured yellow. Walls were pale lemon and the long draped curtains were gold with tie-backs. The material of the bedspread matched the curtains. On the wall above the bed was a local painting of the Coliseum. Very basic but clean and comfortable.

The bathroom was a bit 'heavy handed'. By this I mean the tile work and floor was a heavy colour of brown making the room dark rather than light. I like bathrooms to be light and airy. Still, everything worked and there was plenty of hot water, clean towels, soap and other bits and bobs that were free.

So overall, what did I think to this hotel? I hought the hotel was adequate for a short stay. It was situated in a good position which is very near to the central bus and train station. It is located in the historic area and within walking distance of all the attractions such as Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Coliseum. Within 10 minutes walk you will find yourself in an area filled with restaurants and bars. All offering a good and variable choice of food and drinks at very reasonable prices to say Roma is a capital city. The Fiumicino - Leonardo Divinci International Airport is about 15 minutes away. All in all the hotel may not be The Ritz but it is in a great location and I would use its services again the next time I am in Rome. Not sure if my husband would - so might have to go on my own!

La Fontana di Trevi
-------------------------

This is one attraction that I couldn't leave out of the review because it must be the most beautiful fountain in the whole of Rome. It is impressive and totally dominates the Trevi square. The central figure is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot which is the shape of a shell and he is being pulled by two sea horses. One of the sea horses is calm and obedient but the other is restless and awkward. These two sea horses symbolise the ever changing moods of the sea.

The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. It is custom to toss a coin into the water but you should toss it over your shoulder standing with your back to the fountain. The legend says that if you toss a coin into the water you will return again to the eternal city. I did toss a coin or two so hope I return very soon. We'll see if the legend is true.

Il Pantheon
--------------

The word pantheon is made up of two Greek words pan which means everything and teon which means divine. Reading up about the history of this wonderful building there seems to be several different opinions of when it was actually built. It seems that the first building was a small temple built between 27 and 25 BC. It was built by the son in law of the Emperor Augustus, Marcus Agrippa, and was dedicated to all Roman Gods. This building was burnt in a fire in AD 80 and rebuilt. Again it was struck by lightning and destroyed in AD 110 Third time lucky, in AD 118 a new building was constructed under Emperor Hadrian's instructions and this time the design was changed which has proved to be lasting as the construction is one of the best preserved buildings in Rome.

The Pantheon is situated in the Piazza della Rotunda, a busy square with a central fountain, not far from the Piazza Navone. It is said that the place on which it was built was a legendary place in the history of Rome. It is where Romulus, the founder of Rome died and was seized by an eagle and taken off into the heavens with the Gods.

Michelangelo was impressed with the beauty of the building and according to history books was known to have said that it was the work of angels not men.

I think I would probably agree with the great artist. It is certainly impressive from the outside. The columns that are used for the portico are enormous and apparantley weighed 60 tons.They were brought from Egypt to Rome on barges . Absolutely amazing.

I was impressed to find that Raphael's tomb is inside the building as he has been an artist that I have admired for a long time. Also, Victor Hugo, several Kings and Queens of Italy are buried there with other famous Italians.

The dome is absolutely spectacular and my brain ached thinking about the weight of the dome and what they had used to support it. Coffers(sunken panels) were used in the ceiling and the fact that it is open at the top helps to ease the weight of the dome. In one of the guide books it states that the concrete walls at the base were 6 metres thick. That's a lot of concrete!

This is a truly remarkable building and I must say this about all of Rome's beauties but the Pantheon is really worth seeing. You will be enchanted with it.

Il Colosseo
----------------

Now this piece of architecture is amazing. It's incredible to think that the construction of this Flavian amphitheatre (as it was originally known) began in 70 and 72 AD and actually completed in 80 AD. It is an engineering wonder and today is standing proof of the cruelty and grandeur of the Roman civilisation. It is now in ruins through damage from earthquakes and stone robbers but still one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome. We have to remember what actually took place in this amphitheatre - scenes of terror and immense cruelty. It was built to hold over 50,000 spectators who would go along to witness gladiatorial contests, public sports and chariot races. Staged hunts of wild animals were set up showing executions of condemned criminals and many a mythological tale would be staged. The last recorded games to be held were as late as the 6th century.

Nowadays you can still get the feel of the immense size of the amphitheatre and it really is in my opinion one of Rome's greatest engineering feats. It is a huge tourist trap and outside are stalls selling Centurion helmets and uniforms. You can have your photograph taken with a guy dressed up as a Roman Centurion if you really wish to. All a bit tacky for my taste but some visitors enjoy these scenes.

L'altare della Patria
----------------------------

When we visited Rome in October this amazing building was having some structural work done on it. We actually stumbled upon it on our way to visit something else. I was absolutely bowled over with this exquisite piece of architecture. It is so regal, white and dominates the Piazza Venezia. What makes it so remarkably striking is the way it is tiered and I believe the locals do call it the wedding cake or the typewriter. I was awe-struck with the sheer beauty of this building.

L'altare della Patria is situated in the Piazza Venezia and the monument was built by Mussolinni in honour of the king Vittorino Emmanuelle 11. It celebrates the unification of Italy and the monument is a symbol of the country (Patria). The monument holds the tomb of the unknown soldier and has an eternal flame. Inside the building there is a museum illustrating the unification of Italy and the admission is free.

Even if you don't wish to visit the museum there are some fantastic photograph opportunites and the square is very pretty also. Across the road there are lots of cafes but be careful crossing as Italians are manic drivers.

Piazza di Spagna
--------------------------

This was the first port of call on our first day of sightseeing. Very easy to find and within walking distance from the hotel. The architecture in this area is really striking and it is very popular, bustling with life and street performers. Visitors from all over the world come to admire the twelve flights of travertine steps leading up to the Church of Trinita dei Monti. The steps are of varying widths. If you don't wish to climb the steps there is a lift outside of the Metro station.

The piazza owes its name to the Spanish Embassy which was permanently established in Rome in 1647. The square was completed with the building of the steps in 1725 by the famous Italian architect Francesco de Santis.

In the piazza at the bottom of the steps is a 17th century Fontana della Barcaccia, (Fountain of the Old boat). This fountain marks the place where an old barge came afloat when the River Tiber overflowed.

In the 18th and 19th centuries the area around the Spanish steps was a famous visiting point for wealthy travellers making the Grand Tour of Europe.

At the time this area was frequented by wealthy English visitors who made it their home and also poor artists and writers lived in this area. The area was so called 'Er ghetto de I'inglesi which when translated means the English Ghetto.

I certainly felt that this area had a Bohemian feel to it.
The dusty pink and yellow ochre buildings standing on either side of the steps make a great contrast with the stark white backdrop of the beautiful church. If you take a walk on the Via Condotti you will see the Café Greco which was built in 1760. The décor inside is very elegant with paintings and original documents belonging to some of it's famous visitors throughout time like; Keats, Byron, Liszt, Buffalo Bill and Stendhal to name but a few.

The Via Condotti is a great street for designer shopping and taking in the view of the steps leading up to the famous church of Trinita dei Monti.

At the end of the steps stands the church of Trinita dei Monti. It is Franciscan and was built by Carlo Maderno and Domenico Fontana. It is a very pretty church and when looking down at the steps I imagined a Spanish aristocratic wedding. The setting is perfect. I have always been a great fan of poetry and when I was a youngster loved Keats and Shelley and this is one of the reasons I wanted to visit this area of Rome as there is a museum which actually was the home of both these poets. It is situated in the palazzio to the right of the steps.

Last year on my birthday my husband went and booked a 6 day trip to Rome. I can't say that I had always wanted to visit the city - well it wasn't on my list of top ten destinations. I think I thought it was going to be hectic, noisy and hot! In fact I think I was a bit disappointed when he showed me the booking. I thought I was going somewhere a bit more challenging like Argentina but then I have always been a dreamer. However, now I have been to Italy's eternal city I am so glad that he booked the trip. Why? Because it is one of the finest cities I have been to and I enjoyed every minute of it.

We flew from Newcastle airport with our faithful old friend Easy Jet. The flight was comfortable and it didn't take to long, about 90 minutes. Arriving at the airport we had to find a bus which would take us into the city as the airport as always was quite a distance away. We managed this with ease and found a seat on the bus as it was really packed. A young chap came round asking everyone for the flight booking reference numbers - well you can imagine the panic. I hadn't a clue where mine was or even if I had brought it with me as I never usually show any documentation on these trips. Trying to act cool I tipped everything out of my bag and went through every single piece of paper and I couldn't find the damn thing. I was getting a little stressed now as I knew without this we wouldn't be allowed to stay on the bus and the ticket man was getting closer to my seat. When he asked for the code number I just shrugged and said I didn't know where it was. He asked for my passport and would you credit it the flight details were tucked inside. Big sigh of relief and hey presto we were on our way to Rome.

The bus took us to Termini station which is Rome's central train station. It is huge and people were buzzing everywhere. At this time it had started to rain and we knew the hotel we were staying in was near the station but not sure how far we had to walk so luckily there were a couple of guys selling umbrellas so I bought one. Girls don't like to get their hair wet especially in such a stylish city.

I say stylish but my first impression wasn't one of style and sophistication. I thought the area around the station was depressing and jaded. We walked on the right hand side of the road and followed the directions to the hotel.

The hotel Lux is a three star hotel and my husband chose it mainly for it's location with it being well situated to walk to the train station and a good base for visiting all the historical and cultural points of the city. The hotel itself was comfortable but I won't chatter on about that as I will probably review it.

I think it was quite late when we arrived and we were both starving so after a quick wash, hair comb and teeth clean we went straight out in search of food. Not far from the hotel is an area where obviously the immigrants live. It is a bit run down but full of life. I was in my element as I immediately found a call centre and Internet café which was run by Egyptians who were extremely friendly. Just round the corner from the call centre was a street of cafes and restaurants. Rather than just visit the first one we walked the whole length of the street peering in the windows to see if we liked the décor or ambience. In the end we opted for one that had a canteen feel to it and it was packed with locals which is always a good sign. This establishment was run by Egyptians again. The food was cheap and excellent and the ambience was uplifting as musicians off the street came in to play a tune or two. Thoroughly enjoyable.

By now I was getting used to this run down area of Rome and throughout the rest of the trip I used the internet café and we went back to the restaurant several times as well as trying the Italian pasta restaurants on the same street. The bars were very good on this street as well and most evenings we visited a bar and sat outside before going on to the restaurant. Overall I found prices very reasonable and was impressed as I was expecting everything to cost a packet. I cant remember the name of the street but it is very near to Termini station and it can't be missed.

Transport connections if you want to go out of the city are easy to sort out as although the Termini train station is huge and a little overpowering at first connections to possibly every other city in Europe are available from here. Next door to the train station is the bus station and here buses travel locally and also connect to cities outside Rome.

I went on the metro and wasn't that impressed as it is very scruffy and wouldn't recommend it at night. I also went out of the city on a bus just to have a look at the outskirts of Rome and I found that very enjoyable. I think it is always worth taking a trip out as it gives you a break. Also walking around all day sightseeing is tiring and most afternoons we came home around 5pm and fell asleep on the bed exhausted.

Walking in the city is easy but remember when crossing roads just go for it - don't dally about as you will get run over. You probably think the traffic won't stop but if you are brave and take the plunge to just walk into the road you will be amazed to see that the traffic will come to a sudden halt and let you pass. Otherwise you would be standing there all day waiting to cross.

Hotels are plentiful and it depends on your budget but all the hotels near the train station are reasonably priced to say Rome is a capital city and the important thing is that they are within walking distance of all the sights.

(I will post a hotel review later)

Restaurants - there are hundreds. You will not starve in Rome. I thought prices were very reasonable and I was impressed with all the restaurants and cafes I visited.

Souveneir shops are everywhere. Mostly selling tacky items but I did buy a Roma bag which I now use to keep my spare cash in (don't come and rob me) and my husband bought me a beautiful art deco lamp in the shape of a butterfly. It is one of my favourite treasures and I was paranoid it was going to get broken on the trip home but I still have it now on my desk.

So there you are ladies and gentleman I hope you have enjoyed reading my review and I thouroughly recommend a trip to this beautiful city. Go on book a flight now.

Well I suppose you are all waiting to know about the sights and attractions we visited so some of my favourite sights will be added as attractions. Please read the add om's to give you an idea of what to expect.