I'm trying hard to diarize my full day as a tourist today while listening to Cristina Aguilera's hits played on MTV, the only English channel we have in the room here at Hotel Conte House. This isn't much a hotel, as you'd picture one, but looking like an apartment-turned-transient house. There are only 6 rooms at Conte House (and they say another 6 at its annex but I don't know where that is in relation to our current location). If you're not paying attention, you'd miss number 191 along Via Merulana where Conte House stands.
This morning, my aunt and I set off before 9am, excited to see what Rome had to offer. A Sri-Lankan hotel staff named Sudat was the first to greet us buon giorno and was extra kind to lend us a map on which he encircled the places he recommended us see. We lost that map later on, by the way. We did not lose our way in anyway today nevertheless. If anything, we enjoyed the adventure of not depending on a piece of paper to tell us where to go.
To start the day off, we had a 5-euro breakfast, one-euro cheaper than our pizza dinner last night (yes, we finally had pizza in Italy!), at a nearby cafe where we were greeted by a nice Italian man in his late 50's manning the store. We each had a cup of cafe latte and what tasted like an apricot-filled croissant. After that, we went to the Stazione Manzoni, buying the Metro tickets from a newsstand just above the subway, then rode off towards Stazione Ottaviano from where most passengers alight, as it is the gate to the Vatican. A violinist played in the train.
We followed where people went. We were too early for our 1PM online-bought tickets to the Musei Vaticani and Sistine Chapel, so we killed time at the souvenir shops. I just realized I wanted to make a new collection. I did not buy ref magnets this time, since my parents bought A LOT of these themselves when they were here last year which now render our fridge door unrecognizable, but I fancied buying one of those miniature glass dome displays--watchamacallit--with a miniature structure inside where what-looks-like snow falls when it's turned upside-down. I think I saw it in some Koreannovela before and I thought it makes for a romantic gift, so I gifted myself one. I will buy an Amsterdam one when I go back to Holland.
We spent an average of only 5 euros on souvenirs, happy that we managed our budget well.
For lunch? 60.
We went into a Cafeteria close by, and probably prodded by the noontime hunger, we ordered without batting an eyelash, not minding to ask how much anything was. We got spaghetti, a fish-cooked-in-tomato dish, sausage & fries, tiramisu for dessert, and a bottle of cola and water.
We left the restaurant feeling held up.
So as not to dwell on regret, we just decided to charge it all to experience. Our consolation was that, at least we so far had not lost our way getting to wherever we planned to go.
We spent the entire afternoon inside the Musei Vaticani, literally amazed by the artistry up there on the ceilings, looking up half the time, and gazing at marble and stone sculptures around that just reminded me of the things I learned in HeKaSi in high school, like pieces used by Nebuchadnezzar, etc., which made me wonder what these Egyptian pieces were doing in a Roman museum. Apart from that brief encounter with a museum polizia who initiated a conversation with us when he saw me smiling for a picture and who profusely congratulated my aunt (he really said "Congratulations, Congratulations") for having, in his words, a pretty niece, the tour was uneventful.
The seemingly 3-hour walking tour was capped off by the no-camera, sshhed entry into the Sistine Chapel. Just as I was targeting to take a shot of the crucified Christ at the chapel's altar, a guard stopped me, in my face. The same guard scolded us for sitting in one of the steps inside. We shared the shame with a dozen others.
So this was THE Sistine Chapel. Marvelous Michelangelo works and Biblical imagery enveloped us. The experience was one of surrealism. It was amazing. I can never give justice to how beautiful, wonderful, enigmatic, surreal everything was through my writing. Even the hundreds of photos I took won't stand a chance.
By then, we were already at the end of our tour. I was delighted by the notebook I bought for myself at one of the museum shops. It was a bit pricey at 11 euros for a notebook, I know, but it felt right buying it. There are times you just want to write on a paper. Sometimes a good writing notebook just can't replace any laptop or ipad or mobile phone when you want to express yourself. The palm of your hand longs for the rough, unassuming feel of the paper. Just like a good ol' friend, paper is patient.
It was only 5 PM when we got out, but it felt like fully evening as it was already dark. We took our last tourist shots before heading back to the hotel. The train was a bit crowded, but I enjoyed it still, riding trains being one of my favorite activities.
We took a some-hour rest, mine consisted of leaning my legs up on the wall to relax them a bit after a day inside those knee-high boots. As the night was still so young at half past 8, we went out for a walk and ended up where the Colosseum was, breathing in its majesty against the backdrop of the night sky and cant-be-bothered countenance like a sleeping but standing giant on one side of that city road intersection, smart cars and sometimes luxury ones passing by, seemingly lulled into dreamland by the faint sounds produced by the still-open bars nearby.
I was dreaming myself, seeing the Colosseum and the Vatican and the famously-named streets of Rome (I need to take a picture of the Via Galileo Galilei street sign tomorrow). This continues tomorrow. Day 2 of Rome will commence in 29 minutes. I need the shut-eye for now. #
 |
| "We... ended up where the Colosseum was, breathing in its majesty against the backdrop of the night sky and cant-be-bothered countenance like a sleeping but standing giant on one side of that city road intersection, smart cars and sometimes luxury ones passing by, seemingly lulled into dreamland by the faint sounds produced by the still-open bars nearby." |
 |
| Latte and Croissant. Italy in my mouth. Only for 1 euro each. |
 |
| The accidental 60-euro lunch. So much for budgeting. |
No comments:
Post a Comment