Ciara Purton recalls her adventures in Rome
Travelling – love it or hate it – is the start and end of every journey. It can ruin a trip with delays and cancellations, and if you think travelling alone or in small groups is hard, try travelling in a group of 20. Thankfully, the travel gods looked kindly upon us, and we were granted a fairly smooth passage to Fiumicino Airport just outside of Rome.
I’d been to Rome before but never to the catacombs, and who wouldn’t want to walk through cramped, underground tunnels made of dirt and brick? Movies may have you believe that these were the secret underground meeting places for Catholics under the pagan emperors. Exciting right? Also, untrue. We were told by our lovely American tour guide that the catacombs, with all their buried Christians and saints, were actually allowed by the empire. The part that we visited ran under St Sebastian’s church and was mostly raided, with plenty of empty coffins for the deceased – who were shockingly short – and a monument for Saint Sebastian directly under the church’s floor.
The Hotel Archimedes was the perfect hotel for the trip. It was comfortable, had great facilities, and a perfectly average breakfast buffet. There was only one problem – it was located just outside of central Rome: theoretically incredible but practically it meant walking. Too. Much. Walking. My biggest advice for visiting Rome: BRING COMFY SHOES!
But if you’re not a fan of annihilating the soles of your feet, there’s always the Metro. It’s like the tube, except everything’s in Italian and you might get ID / passport checked. It’s practical for small groups or individuals, but for a group of 20 …… well, let’s just say it’s a good thing there were two adults on the trip. Luckily nobody was lost to the Italian tube, and we all made it to our destinations … eventually. It’s safe to say we decided to walk for most of the trip.
There is no history more prevalent in Rome than that of the Catholic Church. On our second day in Rome, we had a guided tour around the Vatican. And wow. It’s incredible to think of the vast skill that went into constructing such timeless architecture and art. Of course, we saw the Sistine Chapel, which practically defines art – breathtaking, encapsulating, storytelling. My neck hurt from constantly marvelling at the ceiling, trying to absorb every paint stroke into my brain.
On our way back to the hotel, we also managed to squeeze in a trip to the Pantheon. Now, the proud building is a church – the basilica of St Mary and the Martyrs – but once it was a Roman temple, perfectly preserved with the inscription in Latin at the top “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this.” But the main attraction isn’t the statues, the columns, the altar, the gift shop or even the burial site of the renaissance painter Raphael (well… I guess people do come here to see him) but the giant circular hole in the dome ceiling. I know, its incredible! But what’s even cooler is how the sun shines through the giant hole – it was designed so that at certain times of the year a beam of light is cast along the interior, marking the changing of seasons.
The third day in Rome was the day I finally got to see the Colosseum. What a sight. I like to imagine how it was in its prime: thousands of cheering Romans with their free food and entertainment (that I am totally not jealous of), staggered throughout the layers of seating, with an almighty emperor looking down from the pinnacle, on the edge of his seat as he and the eyes of Rome watch two fearsome warriors brutally battle it out until one of them succumbs to death and the audience roars with morbid delight. Now though, there’s some stunning arches, rubble, and a monumental history that keeps the masses returning to wonder and envisage every summer.
The Roman Forum, now THERE’S some history. A tour guide is in fact necessary though, as – while visually there are some amazing sights – it would be a waste of a trip to not understand all that is hidden in the Forum. One of these (fairly) hidden sights is the burial place of Julius Caesar, where people throw flowers and notes on the grave of one of Rome’s most hated dictators – how sweet. The Forum was previously the centre of day-to-day life in Rome; where triumphal processions and elections took place, alongside public speeches, criminal trials and gladiatorial matches, as well as commercial and legal affairs. I would highly recommend visiting, even if just for the perfect picture of Roman architecture and an excellent view of the Colosseum – an Instagrammer’s heaven.
Now, we all know about the Trevi Fountain – throw your coin in and you’ll come back to Rome. Four years ago, I threw my coin in, and it worked! But this trip, I did not have the opportunity to throw once more as now you have to throw your money at the security guards and then queue to throw even more in the fountain itself. How they could block off a public fountain, I will never understand, but at least I saw it… from the gargantuan crowd pushing and pulling and shoving me every which way.
Day four came and all of a sudden it was my last day in Rome, with us leaving that afternoon. But never underestimate the amount of walking you can do in a morning in Rome. We started with the Spanish Steps, and my God there are SO MANY steps. My legs were not prepared.
Once arriving at the far-too-many-steps we were given free time to roam around in Rome. So, with my friends I set off, to see some sights and spend some money. And spend and see we did. We visited several bewitching churches, including one containing part of the skull of John the Baptist … allegedly. We also trekked to Hadrian’s Temple! Sounds exciting right? A temple built for emperor Hadrian; I wonder what’s inside? Well, there was…. the walls of the temple, …. And an empty presentation area…. And a really long information video that plays every half an hour. But that’s not all! For inside was none other than HADRIAN’S ROBOT!!! A hardly moving, silent, robot named Adriano whose only purpose is to welcome people to the temple. He mustn’t have been feeling very social when we visited as apparently, he also shakes hands and provides information. He was a cute robot though.
I’ve never been a huge fan of lemons. Sure, they’re not bad but most lemon flavoured things don’t capture the real citrus-y bite of a proper lemon. But the Romans seem to really like lemons (or at least making money from them), and when in Rome, do as the Romans do. And the Limone shops in Italy…. I’d have to be restrained by Hercules himself to be stopped from going in. It was in one of these shops that I met my soulmate, my missing piece, the love of my life: lemon sorbet. But not just any lemon sorbet, no no no! This delicacy was deliciously, unmistakenly, irresistibly lemony. Not only was it the truest meaning of ambrosia but it was served in an actual lemon! (And a huge one at that). WITH a lemon flavoured wafer! Hands down the best part of the trip. Since that day the memory has haunted my days, gone too quickly. It is my Roman Empire.
Alas, all great things must come to an end and eventually we had to head back home to dreary old England and the woes of everyday life. The trip home felt like it took an eternity, like I was on my own personal Odyssey. Finally, the outline of our beloved Bexhill College was becoming clearer by the second. Half an hour later I was conked out in bed, full of plane sweets and memories. My adventure was over.
