Ciao Roma! Bus Tour

Ciao Roma! Bus Tour

Roma 26 Dec 2007

Rome is a huge metropolis. In many ways it feels like a combination of New York City and Washington DC. There are many tight little streets and alleyways, much like NYC, but just like in DC how no building may be taller than the Capitol building, in Rome, no building may be taller than the dome of St. Peter's, so there are zero skyscrapers. (What does this tell us about priorities?). What makes Rome so different (and wonderful) is that it literally is The Eternal City. People have lived continuously on this spot for thousands of years. Consequently, there are historical sites EVERYWHERE. It is a historian's wet dream. I am a historian. Take that as you will.

On December 26th, we wound up in Rome for the first time on the trip. I had never before been to Rome. I was a Roman virgin, so to speak. For the benefit of us innocents, we decided to take a take a bus tour of the major sights, in order to get our bearings. The bus company was called "Ciao Roma!" For those of you NOT in the know, in Italian, "ciao" can mean both "hi" and "bye." So, we said "hi" to Rome via bus conveyence. I should forewarn the reader. Most of these photographs were taken through the window of a moving bus. I am quite proud of the job that I did, all things considered. Nonetheless, please forgive me the occasional slight out-of-focus image or substandard framing job.

The bus tour began at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the oldest churces in the Western world. This Romanesque tower (a relatively recent addition) helped me to locate the church amidst the otherwise labyrinthine streets of Rome. We will return to this spot once the bus tour is over.

The above photo depicts a typical Roman street. I chose to include this image to underscore how much Rome is like any other modern metropolis. This photo could have been taken in Paris or Boston. I promise that it was in taken in Rome. Scout's honor.

The bus stopped at a traffic light, and I snapped this photo. Just on the other side of this fence lies a set of 2,000 year old ruins. Rome is full of ruins. Everywhere you look: Ruins. Again, I am a historian. Take that as you will.

These photos signify my first glances of The Colosseum. I like that it is old, but as coliseums go, I was not all that impressed. 60,000 spectators? Tops?!? That's like a Division II college stadium. WTF? Apparently, the ancient Romans never heard of Ohio Stadium.

The proper name for this structure is, of course, the Vespasian Amphitheater. All joking aside, it was a rather impressive structure. Sadly, they no longer feed Christians to lions for the amusement of tourists. After having spent multiple days unable to visit the best sites due to religious holidays (on my vacation, no less), I could have really used a good Christian eating.

Frankly, I'm quite amazed at how well this photo turned out. One can barely see the reflection of the opposing window. Good job, Bo!

This is the Arch of Constantine. I hope, some day, to have a triumphal arch dedicated in my name.

The bus drove by the Circus Maximus. I can just image Ben-Hur battling Jame's Bond's souped up Astin Martin (or some other type of vehicle with hidden tire-slicing hubcaps - maybe a chariot). Otherwise, it's a big park.

This is a side view of the Circus Maximus. Honestly, I find the ruins to the east to be far more interesting than an old abandoned race track.

Here's another view of the Vespasian Amphitheater. This time, the bus drove the other way around, so the people seated on the port side of the bus could take a gander.

In a city that once housed the seat of the Roman Empire, is anyone surprised that the Italian governmental buildings are replete with Neoclassical glory?

This would be the Piazza Venezia. The column of Trajan can be seen in the background. I also want a column.
This is Mussolini's window. They called him "il Duce," which basically means "the leader." I prefer to refer to him as "il Douche."

The bus passes over the Tiber (Tevere) by means of the Ponte Vittorio Emmanuelle. That is the Castel San Angelo in the background.

St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro). That's the Michelangelo-designed dome to the left and the Bernini designed colonnade to the right. Somewhere in the buildings behind the colonnade, a former Hitler Youth member is wearing a dunce cap.

Big columns. Cittá del Vaticano. Bernini. Look it up.

Frankly, I was unprepared for how temperate the climate of Italy can be. It was December in Europe. I was expecting snow. Instead, I got citrus trees. Can you beat that?

As promised, the bus tour ended at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This church features an ancient basilica floor plan. Check it out...

This simple columns-supporting-flat-wooden-roof plan would be the basis for most churches in the Western world. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the oldest remaining early Christian basilicas. The building dates to the 5th century. Although it has had some superficial renovations over the years, the overall plan of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore remains, more or less, unchanged since before the fall of the Roman Empire.

Pendentive!

Look at the statue of this joker. I think he looks insane.

Look at the corpse of this joker. I think he still looks insane.

Dome!

Ambulatory!

Nave!

So, I'm, like, walking around this basilica, suddenly, Katie tells me to look down, and low and behold, I'm about to step on the final resting place of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. He is one of my favorite sculptors. It was nice to visit his grave.

So, we finished our first evening in Rome by taking a shuttle bus from Termini Station (above) back to Ciampino Airport (where the car was parked). Termini Station was one of the last big building projects of the Fascist period. Is there any doubt that this building was designed by Fascists? Damn. Anywho, the shuttle bus was double decker, and I raced to the top and managed to snag a seat in the very front. There, I wound up in conversation with a girl named Olesya from Britain (of Eastern European descent). It was fun to speak English to someone new. I should email her...