Day 6

We woke around 8:30am and had another delicious egg breakfast with veggies before leaving for the day. Our first stop was the Colosseum. We wanted to buy a ticket and actually see the inside today as well as the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the museum. We spent a good deal of our morning waiting in line for our tickets, so I would recommend to others that you buy a ticket online ahead of time to save time (tickets are 12 Euros by the way, unless you are an EU citizen!). However, we eventually made it through the line, up the stairs, and out into the glorious stadiums of the Colosseum. The size was startling, and the light with the sun streaming down the center of the arena was surreal.

 

 

 

 

After exploring both the upper and the mid-level floors (our ticket didn’t allow us to the top or the basement), we decided to take a little break for some lunch. Nicole wasn’t feeling very well, and we hoped that some food and water would do the trick. The park we had stumbled upon yesterday inspired us to pack a picnic, so we took our sparkling water, bread, cheese, spinach, tomatoes and apples and took rest beneath a tree in the park across from the Colosseum. Unfortunately, Nicole still felt tired and under the weather, so she went back to the apartment for a nap while Kristen and I continued on towards the Roman Forum.

 

 



There are many different directions one can take upon entering the forum. One walks through the entry gates and must decide whether to go left or right, but there are no signs to say where each path leads. We chose the right path first, which led us down to the Forum to Caesar’s Temple and other beautiful ruins, but then we noticed people standing at the top of Palatine Hill and wanted to go there. Of course, the only way to get to Palatine Hill was to go back to the beginning and take the left-hand route. From there, the path split off even further into many confusing paths, but we eventually found our way to the top. What greeted us was a gorgeous view of the forum and the city beyond preceded by a beautiful orchard of orange trees. We thought we had walked into the “Garden of Eden.” Of course, we immediately wanted to try the oranges, but I suppose this inclination is only natural for most tourists because all of the low-hanging fruit was gone. There were plenty of oranges left in the trees, but they were all just out of reach, so I made up my mind to climb a tree. I didn’t have to do it alone, however. Just as I was beginning my mount, a nice middle-aged Italian man approached us. At first, I thought he was going to yell at us for trying to climb the tree, but then he held out his hands to indicate that he wanted to help me up. He was so friendly, I couldn’t say no, so I allowed him to help lift me onto a branch where I then shimmied to the end, threw down as many oranges as I could get my hands on (4), and jumped down. What I hadn’t realized is that orange branches have thorns! In case anyone else decides to climb an orange tree, consider yourself warned. Except for a few puncture wounds, scratches and bruises, we came out of the situation victorious. We gave one of the oranges to the nice man who had helped us, and went to the edge of Palatine Hill to enjoy our bounty, saving one for Nicole.

I fully expected the oranges to be the sweetest I had ever tasted, made sweeter by the fact that I had suffered to get them. The peels were a bit thick, but the inside was extremely juicy, and I was already anticipating the delicious nectar as I brought it towards my mouth…Kristin tried it first, and the look on her face said a lot. “Whoa!” she exclaimed, “That is so sour! And I’m someone who eats lemons!” She was right. It was the most sour-tasting orange I had ever tasted. Our faces were contorted in ridiculous expressions the entire time we were eating, but we didn’t want them to go to waste because we had worked so hard to get them. I guess it serves me right for trying to pick oranges in January…

Kristen tossing a coin into the spring. I hope her wish comes true!

The orange trees

View from Palatine Hill

The "Garden of Eden"

Pineapple tree!

We spent a while just relaxing at the top of Palatine Hill soaking up the gorgeous view. From there, we spotted some nice-looking pavilions that we made a note to visit when we got to ground-level. But first, we visited the Palatine Museum. It was very interesting, showing countless relics and dioramas of the area. It seems that every year new discoveries are made that provide more knowledge about the past.

After the museum, we worked our way back through the Roman Forum to the Campidoglio, and after discovering that we couldn’t get into the museum without a 15 Euro ticket, we decided to explore the pavilions we had seen at the top of the hill. On our way, we went by a large protest. We couldn’t tell what the signs were saying or what the protest was about, but it was still interesting to witness.

An opera house down the street from the Colosseum

The pavilion

Beautiful courtyard we stumbled upon on our walk home

We went back to the apartment after that to rest a bit before dinner. We had dinner back by the Pantheon at a restaurant near the one we were at the first night. It was nice because it was small, but good quality. We were the only ones there when we arrived. I was in the mood for some fish, and I guess luck was with me because the owner said they had just gotten some fresh fish that was delicious. Kristen got Ravioli and Nicole got pasta with mushrooms and cream sauce. My fish was spectacular. It was grilled with lemon and balsamic glaze, and was served with a side of arugula salad and what I think was squid. It was a lot of food, but luckily I have a big appetite, and I’m glad I ate it all because it ended up being extremely expensive.

As had become the tradition, we all agreed to find a gelato shop for dessert, but this time we had a specific one in mind which Nicole said served gelato with chocolate on top. It was located near Piazza Navona, not too far away, so we headed in that direction. Together, we are all fairly direction-savvy, and we had been getting by just fine without bringing a map with us. Well, our luck ran out. We got lost and ended up wandering around for at least a half an hour. Eventually, Kristen asked a few Italians directions, but they didn’t seem to be helping. After going in a long circle, we eventually stumbled upon it, but it was closed! The sign says it is closed until February. We were so disappointed, but there was another shop just across the street that looked good. It’s called CamBioVita, and serves only organic and vegan food. They had a great assortment of gelato, specifically fruity flavors (probably because it’s vegan). I tried lemon with mango, and it was fantastic. I could tell that it was very fresh and the ingredients were high-lighted.

We went back to the apartment somewhat reluctantly so that we had time to pack and get ready for our departure tomorrow. We were happy not to be leaving Rome, but we were also sad to be leaving such a wonderful apartment and location. It really was a dream.