Day trip from Rome -- Naples and Pompeii

On March 1 we caught an early-morning high speed train south to Naples. After about an hour, we got off at the Naples Central Station, from where we boarded a commuter train to Pompeii. 

A church in Naples

It was pouring rain right from the start, so overall, it was a less than enjoyable trip. But at least we can say we've been to Pompeii and seen Mount Vesuvius.

Pompeii Scavi (excavation) train station

It was raining so hard that the streets of the city of Pompeii were like creeks, with stepping stones to walk on. I felt really sorry for the tour groups we saw, forced to follow their guides wherever they led. At least we could go where we wanted and quit when we'd had enough!

Because of the rain, I didn't take many photos, but there were some interesting places:

a domed and frescoed temple

The Forum:

An incredible amphitheatre:

The sky cleared for a minute or two, but then shortly afterwards, the rain started again!

Dave was so annoyed by the rain that he decided he wanted to take an earlier train back (we had tickets for 8:00 PM) so we actually spent some extra money so we could get back to Rome at about 4:00.

I might have been up for exploring Naples a bit more, but I have to admit that it is not the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Maybe if the sun had been shining, it would have looked more appealing, but as it was, my main impressions were that it was dirty and crowded and distinctly down-market. 

Since Naples is the birthplace of pizza, I was quite determined to have pizza before we left, but it was even hard to find a decent-looking restaurant. Ideally, we wanted to go away from the train station area, in hopes of finding a more authentic, less touristy type of restaurant, but no such luck. Again, I'm sure the rain didn't help matters. We ended up at a restaurant not far from the station. I had the "quattro stagioni" pizza, which was kind of cool, and Dave had some kind of meat and mushrooms. It was good, but we both agreed that we liked Rome pizza better. So, all in all, I'd have to say this day trip was a bit of a flop. Oh well... win a few, lose a few.

View of the city of Pompeii from the top of the Amphitheatre

Iconic Rome - The Trevi Fountain

Even on a rainy day, this was a popular place. We were on our way back to the hotel, so we stopped just long enough to snap a photo or two:

February 29 -- Castel Sant'Angelo

It's a good thing we had an extra day this year, because we crammed a lot into it! After visiting the Vatican and St. Peter's, we walked down to the river and went to the Castel Sant'Angelo.

This place is featured in Roman Holiday, when Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn dance on the boat on the Tiber. In the background is this wonderful old building:

It was originally the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian, then a fortress and castle for the popes. There is actually a tunnel that connects this building with the Vatican. And it's now a museum. 

 

The view from the top...

February 29 - Vatican City and St.Peter's

We booked our tickets for the Vatican online in advance -- right down to the admission time: 10:00 AM. When we arrived at the gates, we saw why this was recommended. The line to buy tickets was more than a block long. We walked right past those poor suckers, who were standing out in the drizzling rain and looking wholly miserable.

Once inside, it was pretty overwhelming. Hall after hall of paintings, maps, sculptures, even an entire hall lined with cupboards (I am not sure what those were about...) Some areas were closed, but we saw a lot anyway.

If I ever have a chance to go back, I will do some advance planning, so that I know more precisely what I want to keep an eye out for. As it was, I felt like I was just following people through gallery after gallery of fantastic artwork and furniture, without really appreciating what I was seeing.

Sistine Chapel 

St. Peter's Square and Basilica

Here again, there was a long line of people waiting to go through security. We managed to find a shorter line, so we didn't have to wait very long. 

Before we left for Rome, we re-watched a couple of movies.  

Of course, Roman Holiday was one, a light-hearted delight, and we made a point of visiting most of the places featured in there. 

But we also watched a couple of movies with more gravitas: Angels and Demons, which in my opinion is somewhat outlandish, but does have good footage of the city; and The Scarlet and the Black, a masterpiece about Rome during the Nazi occupation. 

St. Peter's Square features prominently in both of the last two movies, so it was quite a thrill to stand in the very place Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer (and of course, Tom Hanks) stood.

I loved this marble dove floor mosaic.

I read that much of St. Peter's was paid for through the selling of indulgences, which is a rather sobering thought. Something so wicked, and yet such a glorious result... it makes you wonder: was it worth it? I don't know the answer.

Rome - February 28 - The Aventine Hill

More walking and a bit of a steep climb brought us to the top of the Aventine Hill. Here I waited in line behind a bunch of giggling twenty-somethings to look through the keyhole of this door in The Knights of Malta Gate, which gives a perfect view of St. Peter's Basilica. It was worth it; it is kind of magical. Needless to say, Dave didn't join me in the line!

This hilltop piazza is also home to some ancient churches:

Santa Sabina

 

Sant'Anselmo all'Aventina

And because it is so high, there is a marvellous view over the Tiber and the city. It was cloudy and misty, so the photos are a bit hazy, but we spent some time gazing on the scene below us.

Rome - February 28: more ruins and even a pyramid

More walking brought us to the Circus Maximus, next to the ruins of the Imperial Palace. We wandered around here for a while, checking things out...

  

Also here are the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. This place is enormous, and after reading a bit about the Roman public baths (which apparently included libraries, art galleries, cafes and even brothels, in addition to the various pools) we concluded that it was really more like a community centre than simply a place to take a bath. This site was closed when we were there, but I'm sure it would have been interesting to go inside.

Another sight not quite expected in the city of Rome (except that I had read about it before coming) was this pyramid -- the Pyramid of Cestius, built in BC 18-12. It stands, rather incongruously, on a street corner, right in the middle of a busy intersection.