The Brilliant MSC Splendida or Cruise from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and back. Part 2
To be continued. Start here:
2. Splendor of the Eternal City
I will try briefly, for those who have not yet been there, to tell in my travel notes about practical actions in this city. Maybe somewhere the enthusiasm from what he saw will break through, but this is Rome.
An express train from Venice has arrived at Termini station, Rome's main railway gate. Hotels were selected within walking distance from the stations and ports of the cities in which we were. The Rimini Hotel is located 50 meters from the left side exit of the Termini station, cross a narrow street, go through a shop and another hotel and we are there. The hotel corresponded to its three stars, but this suits us, since we do not intend to stay too long in it. The hotel was converted from a residential building, the elevator in it is weak (the two of us with my wife and a small suitcase did not pull).
On the way, we teamed up with a couple of Cossacks who have the same itinerary as ours, including a cruise. Time is 5 pm. We have a snack right at the station, along the way we buy tickets in three days to Genoa and decide to take a walk in the evening Rome. Termini is very close to Piazza della Republica. There is a beautiful fountain on the square, there is also the church of St. Maria degli Angeli, which was designed by Michelangelo. It is built into the former baths of Diocletian, in the same place the National Roman Museum or the Thermae Museum. With evening illumination, the baths and the church looked very impressive. Then we went to Via Nazionale, walked around, admired her palazzo and past the Roman Opera House, grabbing wine and snacks along the way, went to our hotel.
The next day started with a standard European breakfast. We went up to our "birdhouse" on the sixth floor, but cozy and comfortable, I open the shutters and in front of me is a view - the roofs and the gilded figure of the saint illuminated by the rising sun on one of the churches.
Subtle!! ! Delight! ! This is how morning Rome greeted us.
There are always disagreements in the company. I suggest independent travel by public transport, given that I was ready for this, filling my brain with Rome routes from the Internet, city maps are available in any decent hotel. A fellow countryman has a desire to ride Turbasses. We are looking for a newsstand that sells travel cards, Turbas packages, etc. On the way, a fellow countryman is intercepted by a barker and he agrees to Green Line Tours for two days -31 euros / person. We went to the kiosk and took three-day city transport tickets for 11 euros / person. At the same time, a girl (she is Moldovan) from the kiosk showed what options for excursions with Turbasami are. They are different, and the friend chose not the best option, that for the price and for the services, he relied on a barker.
And then we went walking around the historical center of Rome. From Termini to Santa Maria Maggiore
St. Maria Maggiore (facade)
The interior of the cathedral
(beautiful temple, both outside and inside), from there up (quite cool) to the Square of the Four Fountains
(Piazza Quattro Fontana)
And another fountain on the square
and on the street on September 20 (Via XX Settembre), and already going down, we are moving towards Piazza del Quirinale, where the presidential palace (Quirinale) is located.
Street to the Presidential Palace
The Quirinal Fountain
Honorary Guard of the President of Italy
The divorce of the guard is not impressive. Sentinels at the mausoleum in Moscow - the sight is much more interesting
Now there will be a divorce at the presidential palace.
A short rest on a bench near the parapet, overlooking the panorama of Rome.
We go down to the right of the observation deck barrier and go to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain has been featured in many films, in many magazines and guidebooks, but... it's beautiful.
Trevi Fountain
Another photo shoot, and we are walking along Via del Corso (this is one of the central streets of Rome, connecting Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia). It is not wide, but chic palazzos, we look into the courtyards, they are tangerine and lemon trees, all in fruit.
Palazzo Doria-Pamphili (inner courtyard)
A bunch of branded stores, sales period (up to 50% discount). We almost have to drag my wife away from the shops, but still we go down to Piazza Venezia, where we see the pompous Vittoriano building (aka the Altar of the Fatherland).
This is a pseudo-Roman-style memorial dedicated to the victories of Italy and those who died in wars with it. All this grandiose structure is impressive, we decide to go up to the observation deck, which is almost under the roof (there is an elevator to the roof, but we didn’t want to stand in a long line). I recommend, they don’t lead excursions there, but the views of Rome are something! From a bird's eye view in one direction - a panorama of Rome with a view of the Tiber and the entire Left Bank with the Vatican, the Palace of Justice and further hills, where there are parks, temples, basilicas, on the horizon - a monument to Garibaldi. On the other hand, from Piazza Venezia there is an avenue of ancient Roman forums, excavations and the Colosseum.
Behind the Vittoriano, ancient Roman forums and the ruins of the Colosseum in the distance
And roofs, roofs, avenues of the eternal city. Below, next to the column of Trajan, two churches (twins) on the forum of Trajan, houses on Piazza Venezia reminded Venice.
Venice Square, Venetian Palace on the right
Everything wants to be photographed! And then it turned out that the batteries of my camera ran out very “on time”. The time is about 3 pm, we decide to go to the hotel and put the batteries on charge, and it’s time for us to “charge”. We went down from the side of the Capitol.
Stairs to the Capitol
We find out from the policeman that the bus to Termini is around the corner (via Nazionale) and after 15 minutes at the hotel.
A short break without drowsiness, we are planning the next route with a visit to the Roman Metro and towards San Giovanni, where the beginning of the Via Appia and there is the Church of San Giovanni. The camera remains at home, so there is no photo of the Roman metro, but I was in the Moscow, Barcelona, Leningrad, Kiev metros, and I have not seen a worse metro. They say that it is difficult to lay it there, but it looks like a homeless man. We get off at the bus stop, pass through the Apian Gate (the remains of an ancient Roman wall).
We are beyond the fortress gates
Ahead, a little to the right is a magnificent temple worth seeing.
San Giovanni in Laterano (pope's summer residence)
Lateran Cathedral
At the entrance there are sculptural compositions, inside there are also beautiful frescoes, sculptures, a chic altar.
Papal altar
It's already evening, people are gathering, the choir is lining up, the organ is being tried. We were interested in it, we decided to see what would happen. They sat down on a bench, handed out some papers, the sounds of an organ were heard, the choir sang (acoustics of the temple !! ). All sorts of crosses and other utensils begin to be carried out of the side aisle (I am not an expert on church rites), then people in purple robes come out, a total of 12 people (it turned out to be cardinals), and behind them the Pope in white clothes, in a tiara on his head, well, further still a heap of any church servants. This is how we accidentally ended up at a papal mass, which we listened to with reverence, though without understanding a word. Something about morality, drugs, well, in general, how to live in this and the next world. His sermon was in the piece of paper that was handed out (later we found out from those who knew a little Italian). The action, of course, is interesting, with taking off the tiara and washing hands, putting on a white skullcap, etc. , which is necessary in this case. All this was interspersed with the singing of psalms both in chorus and solo. At the end of everything, the people lined up for the papal blessing, I could not afford such blasphemy, as an atheist, and we left the temple.
The obelisk taken by the Romans from Luxor
On the square there is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, which is 3500 years old, exactly like I saw in Luxor in the Karnati temple. Almost every temple has obelisks similar to this one, so how many of them were taken out and how many were copied. The question is certainly interesting. Next, we plan to take bus 81 to the most beautiful square in Rome, Piazza Navona, but no one I ask, no one knows the stop of this route, even the carabinieri, who drove the Arab merchants from the temple. I think that my English-Russian language with a Zaporozhye accent was to blame. I confess, I did not use obscene language, sign language and the available map also did not help. Down the street we saw the ruins of the Colosseum in the distance, safely reached it. It was already too late, the ruins looked illuminated. Further, a cursory inspection of the ruins of the imperial forums, a short rest for the trampled feet, and we are again on the Piazza Venezia. Well, Venice attracts me even in Rome. Already, riding the bus, I remembered that near the Colosseum in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, in the far right corner, it was planned to inspect the sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo, and near the altar, the fetters (vincoli) of St. Peter. Broke.
Evening. Home dinner at the hotel with hot tea (my wife took a small boiler, I recommend it) I see dad again on TV (I was not shown, for some reason), my wife without legs is already in bed, then I watch Italian football. The beauty! ! When would I dream of such a thing?
In the morning we decide that we will go anyway, we will rent the temple where dad spoke. I really liked the architecture there. Of course, I did not hope that there would be some kind of radiance from the visit of the pope, but... there is no longer access to where we sat on the benches in the morning (fence). I am proud now that I was where no tourist has gone before, and I went with my dad. We went out again to the obelisk, I hear Russian speech, I ask the guide about that ill-fated stop, he answers - over there, opposite the shadow from the obelisk, points with his finger. Again pride! None of the Italians could indicate it, but the Russian could easily, and even figuratively. True, yesterday it was already too late and this shadow simply did not exist. In short, we got on this 81 bus (here you still need to know the direction, otherwise it will take you to the wrong place), we skip the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, we don’t get out, since everything is visible from the bus window - ancient Roman temples, in the same church - the mouth of truth. We drive to the building of the upper house of the Italian Parliament (Palazzo Madama).
Italian parliament sits here
Three minutes from it and we are on the most beautiful square in Rome, Piazza Navona. Temple of St. Agnes, on the square there are three chic fountains.
The Fountain of the Four Rivers - the central one on Piazza Navona
Neptune Fountain
Glass music over the square
It's still early. The area is not crowded with tourists, musicians, artists paint pictures, a whole vernissage. We looked into the church, for which she thanked us with a scattering of trifles, we returned the trifle to her, even gave Eureka, the money had become “holy” after all. We walked around the square, of course, a photo session is a must. Then we move towards the banks of the Tiber to the embankment. On the opposite side of the Palace of Justice, we remove the palace from the bridge, a view of St. Peter's Cathedral.
Palace of Justice
View of the Tiber, the bridge of the angels and the Vatican
I was interested in the Gothic church near the Palace of Justice, here are different churches in Rome, and I saw the Gothic church for the first time.
Next, we have a route towards the Vatican along the embankment, interesting bridges with sculptures,
On the Bridge of Angels
We pass Castel Sant Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel), it looks impressive.
Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica ahead,
There are already a lot of tourists, excursions to the Vatican Museums, to the Vatican Gardens,
These are the gardens of the Vatican
St. Peter's Basilica. We have an overview of Rome, there is little time for everything else. We are filming so that we can say that, apart from Rome, we were in another state - the Vatican.
Here behind the colonnade are very chic Vatican toilets
Further along Via Ottaviano, we go towards the metro. And then I failed. I see this familiar bus 81, we sit down and it takes us in the direction we don’t need. Although, in this delusion (from the word - to vomit) there was also a bright side. We passed those places where I did not plan to visit.
For example, the Olympic Stadium in Rome with its alley of sculptures of athletes and Italy's only stela-monument to Duce Mussolini. As a result, we got out at the metro station, saw a pizzeria, and I know that it is better to eat in a cafe where there are Italians than where there are crowds of tourists. Excellent pizza, coffee - espresso and again "feet in hand". We take the metro to Piazza del Popolo,
there is dismantling some shelving of the stage, climbed the stairs to Villa Borghese, the park is not yet the one that I would like to see, there are still bare trees, went down and again along Via del Corso, bypassing Piazza Colonna, we go out again to the square Venice. We stay in Rome for half a day, the train to Genoa at 12-30. And how many have not seen!
And here is the last day, or rather, half a day in Rome. Early in the morning we go to the Triton Fountain,
Triton Fountain
Streets of Rome
Continue to the Medici Villa, from there walk to the Pantheon
and Campo del Fiori with the Trilussa fountain.
Still need to see the architecture of Victor-Emmanuel Street
and return to the hotel by 12-00. Here's a march. Everything worked out. I liked the streets for their architecture,
Some kind of film was supposed to be shot here, equipment was installed
for his wife, the bazaar at Campo del Fiori with its abundance,
These are only types of pasta (pasta)
Both - the Medici villa and especially the Pantheon - with its antiquity.
By 12-00 we are at the hotel, it takes 5 minutes to get to the station, the express train was served on time, and now the suburbs of Rome flicker outside the window, then the express train goes along the sea, subtropical vegetation pleases with its colors, Civitavecchia flies past (where the cruise liners stop) , again tunnels, sometimes the coast of the Ligurian Sea is visible between them. The coast resembles the South Coast
Passing Civitavecchia (sea gate of Rome)
Ligurian coast
indented coves, cliffs descending directly into the sea, small coastal towns, secluded villas right on the rocks. I can imagine how cool it is here in the summer.
And now we are approaching Genoa.
The express flies further to Milan, and we cross the forecourt and we are at the Standard Hotel Genoa 4 *, where we spend the night and the next day we leave through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to Casablanca, to return in a week again to Italy.
