4 Days of Eternal Bliss: Day Three- Death and Beauty

Do not forget, you still have a valid ticket for the Colosseum from the day before. It is a good idea to go there right in the morning when they open at 8.30.  Or just before they close, because there are less people....but closing time depends on the season and the sunset...You can find that out at the official Roman museum hotline 060608. A very useful number and they do speak English.

I will not tell you much about the Colosseum other than it is a great example of Roman engineering and organization. With a very sophisticated system of ticket numbering they managed to smoothly get 50.000 spectators in and out of the 80 entrances. Just as a location it is very impressive to be there. It is mostly a place of death: an estimated 700.000 humans died there and about one million animals. And by the way, despite of what we know from "Asterix and Obelix" Julius Caesar was never there. The Colosseum was only built after his death...

After the Colosseum you can walk across the street behind the Colosseum and walk up via S.Giovanni in Laterano until you reach the church San Clemente on your left. This is my favorite church in all of Roma. It has a lovely shady courtyard with a fountain, inside are beautiful byzantine mosaics and a Renaissance fresco. The whole atmosphere is magic. 



But the kicker is the underground. Yes, this church will show you again the famous Roman history cake effect. In the 1950ies the abbot of the Irish Dominician monastry that is part of the church complex was wondering about the sound of running water he kept hearing under the church and he started to dig. And they found a church from the 4th century AD  under the church and under this layer they found a Roman house and mythreaum. That is an sanctuary for the cult of Mithras that was quite fashionable in the first centuries AD. It was a very bloody cult where worshippers would kill a bull. Roman soldiers had imported that cult from Persia. It was so popular in Rome that there were about 680 of these cult places. So we can say that this was a serious competitor to Christianity at the time. But speaking of slauthering bull...

Reemerging from your underground trip to the past you will be hungry. Rescue is just across the street at Trattoria Da Domenico in via S.Giovanni in Laterano 134 (+39 06 7759 0225). Although you are in quite a touristy corner of town, this place is the real Roman food thing. Have some pasta and a Saltimbocca alla Romana.

After this you can dooze away in one of my favorite public transport vehicles the tram number 3 that will bring you to Galleria Borghese. Calculate an hour to arrive at the Galleria and enjoy the ride.

The bus stop is just across the street from San Clemente (via Labicana). Hop on and go in the direction away from the Colosseum until the terminal.
I love this tram. Fellini used to take it to get inspirations. It runs this crazy big circle right from one end of Rome to the other. Actually, it this an unofficial city tour tram…it is not the most scenic tour, but certainly one of the most authentic tours. You will cross San Lorenzo, a traditional working class quarter. Pasolini found his amateur actors there and the place is very popular with students today. No wonder, the university is right around the corner. You will also pass the big historic cemetery Verano.
After that you will spend some time on the very long viale Regina Margherita which is part of the posh quaters of Parioli. Get off at the terminal and walk up the stairs into the Villa Borghese Parc and follow the signs to the Galleria.

The Galleria Borghese is the most beautiful art museum in Rome (maybe even in the world). You have to book your tickets online and also choose your time slot. Within this day's planning I would recommend the 17-19h time slot.

At the Galleria taking the audio guide is a must. It is really excellent. The museum itself is baroque art in all its splendor. All the rooms on the first floor are finely decorated with frescos and stucco and in every room you will find baroque sculptures of mouthdropping beauty. 

Every time I enter this room I gasp.

As my son Emilio said it so nicely: There is a kicker in every room. 

I do love the Rapture of Persephone: Hades is grabbing the poor girl to take her to the underworld and it is so impressive to see how Bernini has sculpered the god of the underworld's marble hands that dig into the soft flesh of Persephone's thigh. 

My favorit is in another room: Appollo and Daphne.

 

 

After this intoxicating bath in beauty you will need some quiet time. Have a drink of fresh Roman water at the lovely dragon fountain on the square before the Galleria. 



Stroll downhill from the museum through the lovely parc. You will come to a street and a big arch. go across the street, through the arch and turn dirctly right into Via di Porta Pinciana.

There used to me this wonderful little bus: the amazing number 116 . It was one of Rome's tiny buses and in reality it was more like a little boat that rocks you across most of the centro storico through very, very tight copplestone allies, across the river and up half the Gianicolo hill. It was a real fun ride. Since public transport declined since I have left, this wonderful bus does not existe anymore. This messes up my nice flow. I cannot accept this. So you need to jump in a taxi and go to piazzale Garibaldi. Here you will enjoy one of the most beautiful views over all of Rome. If my timing works out and you are there in the summer, you might make it there for sunset.

Yes, ok, I do not have a picture of the Gianiculo during sunset...plus the sun goes down behind you.

Have a café and/or some campari at the kiosk up there and let it all sink in. Then head slightly down hill on the other side from where you came until you reach the Fontana dell'Aqua Paola - a wonderful fountain with a view. In the movie "La grande Bellezza" all this beauty is too much for a Corean tourist and he is having a heart attack. So breath deeply and enjoy. 

Go back some meters up the hill until you reach a foot path that will lead you downhill into Trastevere.

Personally, I am not a big fan of Trastevere. Too touristy, but ok, it is nice and scenic and you can find some really good restaurants there. Wander a round and challenge yourself to find the Piazza Santa Maria di Trastevere.  In one corner of the piazza is the restaurant Grazia & Graziella (Largo M.d. Fumasoni Biondi,+39 06 588 0398). It looks touristy, it is touristy, but they have a killer pasta Amatriciana or pasta Cacio e Pepe.

After dinner you might want to hang around a bit and taste the movida of Trastevere. Walk versus the Tiber to Piazza Trilussa where Roman and international youngsters meet. You can walk across Ponte Sisto, keep going straight up via dei Pettinari until you hit via dei Giubbonari, turn right and have a night cup on the Campo dei Fiori. 

If you are still strong enough for a night stroll continue to Piazza Navona. Also quite romantic by night. If you leave Navona to your right you can then  get the bus 87 on Corso del Rinascimento that will bring you back to the Colosseum. The 87 is a very special bus: I love it, if it comes; I hate it for the many long times I had to wait for it either too long or in vain. In the latter case just get a cab. 

Or if you still are full of eternal energy walk home: by now you should be able to find the Pantheon. With the Pantheon in your back, turn the first street right and keep going until you reach the via del Corso, turn right and keep walking all the way up the via dei Fori Imperiali. I warn you this is quite a walk. But, of course, it is fabulous.

Buona Notte, principessa!