Rome, Italy is a truly beautiful city, and a very worthy destination for people of all ages. After having spent four days in Rome, and a couple weeks outside of Rome, I've learned a few things that would, in my mind, be helpful tips for anyone else following in my footsteps:
Wear tennis shoes or comfortable shoes. You have to walk—a lot—if you really want to see and enjoy Rome. The metropolitana (Rome's subway lines) only covers the northern parts of the city, and a few ancient ruins.
Get a good map of the city; there is an illustrated map that you can find at almost any hotel/touristy area which shows pictures of all the major sights, and has every street marked. Even a GPS won't do so well in certain parts of Rome.
Bring a light camera, unless you're a stock photographer. With all the walking, you won't want to lug around a huge digital SLR and a bunch of glass if you don't have to. The memories are what counts - there are thousands of beautiful pictures of every sight in Rome - no need to take more of those pictures! A smaller, lighter camera affords more mobility, meaning you see more places.
Don't get caught in one or two ruins—i.e. don't tour the Colosseum or the Forum unless you really, really really want to. It's better to walk to another destination than to get caught in a four hour tour of a place in which you're not that interested.
Try the gelato. Seriously. Every chance you get, stop in a gelato shop. There are some especially good ones near the Via Merulana and across the Tiber from Castel Sant' Angelo.
If someone approaches telling you they have a special tour, or cool bracelets, or anything, ignore them. Don't even look at them. If you let them hook you in, you'll have to work to break yourself free from their sales pitches. (Also, don't look too 'touristy' if you can avoid it, at least not in the 'touristy' areas where street vendors are hanging around like vultures).
Don't get your picture taken with a gladiator or a mummy or any of the 'interesting' people around tourist sites. You'll be asked to pay up afterwards, usually to the tune of €5 or more!
Always pack an umbrella (get a little purse umbrella if need be) - rain is very random in Italy, and it can come at a moment's notice. If there are no clouds in the sky, don't carry the umbrella with you, but have one just in case. You can always buy one for €2-5 from a shop on the streets.
If you can figure them out, use the buses - they are very convenient if you need to get somewhere fast, or if your feet are worn out.
Try to speak a little Italian, even if you don't know much! Usually, even Italians who don't "parle" English will get the idea. The most important words:
Parli inglese? --> "Do you speak English?"
Ciao. --> "Hello."
Grazie! --> "Thanks!"
Prego. --> "Thanks," "You're welcome," and pretty much anything.
Places you must visit: The Colosseum (at least look at it), St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, Piazza Navona, Via del Corso (walk along the fancy shopping street and end at the Spanish Steps / Spagna), Trevi Fountain (just to see it), St. Paul Outside the Walls (if time allows), Termini (it's like the Italian Penn Station), every Gelateria you see, the Pantheon.
Places you could visit if you have time: All the awesome columns and Egyptian obelisks around the city (you could play a game and see who can find them first), the four Major Basilicas (St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, and St. Peter's), any other Church in the city, the Forum, the Circus Maximus (you can walk around it and act like you're Ben Hur ;-), Castel Sant' Angelo, Catacombs, the Scavi Tour (exclusive tour of the catacombs under St. Peter's - sign up early!), the Scala Sancta ('Sacred Stairs'), the Trastevere (Piazza di Santa Maria especially).
When eating, be sure to not ask for ketchup, burgers, salad dressing (they only use vinegar), or candy bars. You're in Roma! Enjoy the fish, the pasta, and the pizza... and most especially, the gelato! Crepes are also a nice way to finish off a meal. Ask for water senza gas (meaning without bubbles) or naturale—unless you'd like to try the gassy water ;-)
This gallery explores three of Rome's major basilicas - St. Maria Maggiore (Mary Major), St. John Lateran (both on ends of the Via Merulana), and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Also included are some pictures of a few other Roman/Italian sights, and a couple pictures from the Scala Sancta (Sacred Steps) near St. John Lateran's entrance.
Photos from the many passageways, paintings, statues, chapels, tables, ceilings, walls, and carriage houses of the Vatican Museum Collection. I only had time (and endurance!) to get through about thirty percent of the Collection - next time I will view more—I promise!
Images from the inside of Christendom's most beautiful and ornate Church. The inside of the Church incorporates many of Bernini's best work, as well as hundreds of years of beautiful additions and refinements. It is a Church that cannot be encapsulated in photos (although I tried my best ;-).
Images of the Swiss Guard, areas surrounding the Vatican, Saint Peter's Square, the Vatican Post Office, and more! Saint Peter's Square is a large area immediately in front of Saint Peter's Basilica, and one of the iconic destinations in Rome.
Photos in and around the Roman Pantheon and the Piazza Navona (Navona Plaza). The Pantheon is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome (and is, since the 7th century, a Roman Catholic Church!), and the Piazza Navona is one of the best evening spots in Rome, with Bernini's Four Rivers fountain as the centerpiece.
Pictures taken from various places around Rome. These photos didn't fit in with the other categories of photos I've placed into other photo albums. You can view them all in my Roma, Italia 2009 special section!
Two images taken on Saturday at Saint Peter's Basilica - both were stitched together using two images from my Canon PowerShot G11 in Photoshop. Click on the picture link to view the photo page on Flickr, or click the download link below the picture to see the HUGE picture file!
The first shot shows the interior of the main transept of Saint Peter's Basilica, with the main dome, the altar, and the beautiful and organic baldaccino designed by Bernini:
I was privileged to be able to take a tour of Saint Peter's Basilica with a great seminarian and friend from St. Louis who currently attends the North American College. He showed me many of the small details at the Basilica which would be lost on many visitors, and afforded a pretty awesome view of everything inside. More details will be posted along with hundreds of photos ;-)
Many, many, many more photos will be posted to the Pictures section soon. Continue to follow along as I post stories and images from Rome in the special 'Roma' section on Lifeisaprayer.com.
Saint Paul outside the walls. More pictures to come - I've now toured all the four major basilicas of the Church, but am quite tired. Pictures will be posted as soon as I'm able to get to them :-)
Picture taken at dusk, with the Canon Powershot G11 at ISO 80. Stabilized against a wooden post.
Went around Rome all day today; got back an hour ago and have been processing pictures since. Still not finished, but getting close. There will be a ton of pictures of St. Peter's Basilica (interior), the Vatican Museums, the Piazza de Navona, and the Pantheon later on... hopefully tomorrow, but maybe later.
Photos taken in and around the Salesianum retreat center located about 30 minutes west of the city center of Rome. Photos include sunset and dusk pictures, pictures of various flora and fauna surrounding the center, and photos of the center itself.
The Redemptorist's XXIV General Chapter is being held this year at the Salesianum, a retreat house / hotel/resort / convention center that is owned by the Saletians. The Salesianum is located about 30 minutes west of Rome's city center, and is set between some hilly farming areas and a major highway.
Many beautiful Palm trees surround the Salesianum.
Also on the property is a beautiful field/hillside of olive trees; pictured below is a single olive on one of the trees. I spotted a pretty good variety of flora and fauna while walking around the property. Continue Reading »
Yesterday I again ventured out into the many streets of Rome, this time focusing on the Southeast corner of the city, and most especially the area surrounding the ancient Roman Forum and Colosseum.
But first, an image to show the craziness that is Italian power:
These crazy little buggers are everywhere. It's always an ordeal to tell which way is on, and which is off, because in Italy, I don't know if there's any standard 'up is on, and down is off' kind of system. Also, most outlets are arranged with ground in the middle prong, with three across. Seems odd to me - anyone know the reasoning behind this? I know in America, our ground sticks out further than the hot leads to ensure a ground is made before the power is hot, but it doesn't seem to be the case over here.
More photos from my trip to Rome, Italy in October, 2009. In the pictures inside this gallery, I visit the Roman Colosseum (the Flavian Amphitheater), the Forum, the Circus Maximus, a few beautiful Churches (they're everywhere in Rome!), and the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
If you're not wearing respectful clothes, please don't enter.
"Si prega di usare un abbigliamento adeguato alla casa di Dio. Pertanto si invita a non entrare in pantaloni corti, in minigonna, in canottiera, con la schiena scoperta o con abbigliamento troppo scollato. Grazie!"
Roughly translated: "Please use appropriate clothing to the house of God. Please don't enter wearing shorts, mini-skirts, in a singlet, or with backless or low-cut clothing. Thank you!"
Jeff's tranlsation: Wear modest and respectful clothes, for goodness' sake! God is here!Continue Reading »
Photos from my recent trip to Rome, Italy, during fall 2009. This day's photos come from the Vatican, the North American College, The Trevi Fountain, St. Mary Major Basilica, and a few other Roman sights. Other galleries will incorporate photos from the Colosseum, the Forum and other beautiful areas of Rome!
Fortune smiled upon me today, and I was able to travel to many destinations in Rome, mostly around the Vatican. After walking past Saint Mary Major Basilica (picture above), I walked to the Trevi fountain (a nice place for a pickpocket, I would think), progressed to the Triton fountain, and then hopped on the Italian subway (the Metropolitana, or something like that).
After a couple days in the Salesianum, a retreat house / hotel / resort-ish place located 30 minutes west of Rome, I've been able to explore most of the main areas, and have been impressed and unimpressed... 'whelmed' and 'underwhelmed,' as it were.
Sign for the aula magna (grainy due to iPhone picture taking in the dark).
Starting with some of the best... most of the General Chapter will be held in the 'aula magna,' which is relatively state-of-the-art. The auditorium has seating for 250 (something around that number), and has a pretty complex but functional A/V system. I will soon be writing up a post about how we're taking the video from the auditorium and putting it online for general consumption... that will probably be posted to OpenSourceCatholic.com. Continue Reading »
Many new experiences every day. Greetings from the eternal city! After having been in the city that never sleeps a few weeks ago, it's quite nice to be in a more or less quiet but beautiful place!
Some of the first Roman air in which I breathed. Tasted good!
I hopped off the Alitalia flight into the Fiumicino (FCO) airport, straight onto the tarmac. Hadn't done that from an airliner the size of this 777 in my whole life! We got on a bus, went to get the bags at the baggage claim, then I met with two Redemptorist priests to head over to the Salesianum, a retreat house/hotel run by the Saletians, located just outside Rome. Continue Reading »
On October 19, 2009, the Redemptorist priests will hold their 2009 General Chapter in Rome, Italy (Zenit news story), and, since they thousands of priests and missionaries spread throughout the world, they decided to stream the events of the General Chapter online (Ustream channel). Through a series of wonderful events and conversations, I was eventually invited to help the priests with technical aspects of said streaming, and thus, I am headed over to Rome this morning.
I will be in Rome until October 31st, but will still be working remotely for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. I'll also keep updating my Twitter feed, this blog, and my Flickr photostream, most likely (as time allows, of course). I won't get a ton of time to sightsee, but even a few hours would be more than enough to fall in love with Roma, I should think.
