Today was another day of highlights we’d missed on previous days. They were on opposite ways from the hotel. I suppose if we had planned better we could have had more contiguous sites. But whenever we tried to plan out our trip back home we got all glassy-eyed reading the guide books. It all makes much more sense seeing it IRL.
I finally got up early this morning to get pics of St Peter’s at dawn. I was out on the street by 6:30am! It was only 2C so I was heavily bundled up.
Realized the sunrise wasn’t as far east as I expected cause it was winter, so I’d have to find a different location for pics. Walked about 30 minutes down the Tiber for a south-facing view. This is the place to be for sunrise pics in winter.
Took a more direct path back to the hotel, passing through Piazza Navona. The lighting was still good and the piazza was empty so took a bunch more pics.
Got home and was awake; Heather was still trying to sleep so I caught up some more on my blog in the brunch room with a pot of tea.
Later we had breakfast and then walked over to Castel Sant’Angelo. There was a ten minute wait to buy tickets. The self-guided tour is excellent, following the ‘itinerary’ arrows. I was rather impressed with the castle. There’s great views from the top of the Vatican and other Rome highlights. I was disoriented from the perspective and it took a while to place all the sights in my head. There’s also a café near the top with tables in the crenels (probably not the right term as these were a couple feet wide) which was a cool place to have a coffee and check out the views.
It took over an hour to get through the castle. Next for today was Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, 3km east.
It was a fairly direct route to the Basilica. The route took us past some of the more famous sites, with casual down-street views of the Colosseo and other places we’d seen earlier.
The basilica was framed in the last street we took for about 1km. It was already 2pm so we decided to have lunch first.
The hotel phone’s battery was dead so we couldn’t look up reviews, and had to resort to how things were done in the old days. We looked at menus and how busy places were and picked a spot.
We ordered quite a bit for lunch. The anchovies in the starter were very salty. The pasta was quite good - pappardelle with artichokes and mushrooms (we’ve been looking for the pasta labeled ‘homemade’ on the menu). The grilled lamb wasn’t so great. The espresso was so-so.
Maybe there is something to this internet and crowd-sourced review thing.
So onto Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. There was a short five minute line up for security. It looked like there was a mass starting shortly so we didn’t spend much time inside. There was also a mass in progress in one of the side chapels.
The basilica was huge but probably 3rd out of the three papal basilicas we’ve seen.
The walk home was straightforward. We’re starting to get to know our way about with all the walking we’ve been doing :)
Our hotel wasn’t able to get us in for dinner anywhere (we wanted an a la carte dinner for NYE). The hotel was having a little soirée on the rooftop terrace, with small bites. We were still full from our big lunch so just small bites for dinner sounded good (and is more typical here).
Quickly showered and headed up to the rooftop. Most outside areas in Rome are enclosed in wind breaks and covers, with heat lamps, and are quite pleasant even with it being only 7C or so outside.
Grabbed some key seats between two heat lamps. Had our free prosecco, then some wine. The small bites were tasty and enough food.
There was a good turnout (I think there’s only 15 rooms in the hotel so we recognized most of the guests). People started to peter out so we did too.
Around 11:30pm the fireworks started, lasting for almost an hour. There were three locations, we were at the epicenter. We were tired from the long day of walking and fell fast asleep after the fireworks were done, we didn’t hear any late revellers at all!
Monday, December 31, 2018
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Rome, Italy — Trastevere
Heather had been fighting a cold the past couple days mostly successfully but today she wasn't 100% so we didn't plan for much. We'd also been having full days and we didn't mind some time to relax and for me to catch up in my blog and photo captions. So we just planned to wander around Trastevere. We hadn't really seen much of it except for a couple popular streets with restaurants.
First off was Santa Maria in Trastevere. Unfortunately there was a mass in progress (it was a Sunday, so maybe we shouldn't have been so surprised) so we didn't enter.
Took some random streets, keeping an eye out for the brass cobblestones that marked the last chosen place of residence of victims of the Holocaust. We did see some, usually in groups where a family had lived.
Stopped into a random basilica, Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. It was a beautiful basilica. There are so many of these in Rome it's ridiculous.
Some more random streets and photo ops (somebody had conveniently locked their green bike on a street of red / orange buildings which made a great subject), and then we crossed back to our side of the Tiber.
There were NYE preparations in progress, as well a large line up of tourists for Bocca della Verita, literally mouth of truth, which is a marble mask where supposedly you stick your hand in the mouth and if you tell a lie it bites off your hand. I would suggest there's better ways to spend your time in Rome. But to each their own.
We wanted a cosy place for lunch and thought about the place we had lunch in the piazza with the turtle fountain. It was packed with visitors to the fountain so instead went to Il Vinaietto, a cosy little place kitty corner to other place. It was more of a small bites place with stools and little counter spaces, jazz CDs playing in the background. I had a bagel with salami, Heather had a soup of the day (carrot and potato with freshly grated ginger) and a broccoli pie. It was pretty good and fit the bill.
Back at the hotel, Heather took a nap and I tried to catch up a bit in my blog.
For dinner we figured on just finding a place in Trastevere. We had arrived on a Sunday and not had any problems. However it was way more busy today, possibly because we were out at a more respectable dinner hour of 8ish rather than 7pm. Gino 51, where we ate last Sunday, had an hour wait. Actually, it was more of a come back one hour which didn't necessarily mean we'd get in an hour. More like just come back and check if there's availability in an hour.
So we went back to Ai Bocci where we ate last night. The host was a bit hesitant when we said we didn't have a reservation, but luckily the owner recognized us and seated us.
We wanted to try the zucchini and shrimp (highly recommended by our hotel manager) but it got lost in translation and we just got the zucchini. It was stringed, breaded and deep fried and excellent. For pasta we had the cacio e pepe, a little salty but still good. For the main we tried the steak, served sliced with pecorino and balsamic. I was curious to try it (the table near us had it last night), but I found the pecorino made it taste dry-ish. Had an espresso and a deconstructed cannoli (which to me was just cannoli after you've taken the first bite). It was very tasty. Finished with a limoncello, which I'm liking more than amaro.
First off was Santa Maria in Trastevere. Unfortunately there was a mass in progress (it was a Sunday, so maybe we shouldn't have been so surprised) so we didn't enter.
Took some random streets, keeping an eye out for the brass cobblestones that marked the last chosen place of residence of victims of the Holocaust. We did see some, usually in groups where a family had lived.
Stopped into a random basilica, Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. It was a beautiful basilica. There are so many of these in Rome it's ridiculous.
Some more random streets and photo ops (somebody had conveniently locked their green bike on a street of red / orange buildings which made a great subject), and then we crossed back to our side of the Tiber.
There were NYE preparations in progress, as well a large line up of tourists for Bocca della Verita, literally mouth of truth, which is a marble mask where supposedly you stick your hand in the mouth and if you tell a lie it bites off your hand. I would suggest there's better ways to spend your time in Rome. But to each their own.
We wanted a cosy place for lunch and thought about the place we had lunch in the piazza with the turtle fountain. It was packed with visitors to the fountain so instead went to Il Vinaietto, a cosy little place kitty corner to other place. It was more of a small bites place with stools and little counter spaces, jazz CDs playing in the background. I had a bagel with salami, Heather had a soup of the day (carrot and potato with freshly grated ginger) and a broccoli pie. It was pretty good and fit the bill.
Back at the hotel, Heather took a nap and I tried to catch up a bit in my blog.
For dinner we figured on just finding a place in Trastevere. We had arrived on a Sunday and not had any problems. However it was way more busy today, possibly because we were out at a more respectable dinner hour of 8ish rather than 7pm. Gino 51, where we ate last Sunday, had an hour wait. Actually, it was more of a come back one hour which didn't necessarily mean we'd get in an hour. More like just come back and check if there's availability in an hour.
So we went back to Ai Bocci where we ate last night. The host was a bit hesitant when we said we didn't have a reservation, but luckily the owner recognized us and seated us.
We wanted to try the zucchini and shrimp (highly recommended by our hotel manager) but it got lost in translation and we just got the zucchini. It was stringed, breaded and deep fried and excellent. For pasta we had the cacio e pepe, a little salty but still good. For the main we tried the steak, served sliced with pecorino and balsamic. I was curious to try it (the table near us had it last night), but I found the pecorino made it taste dry-ish. Had an espresso and a deconstructed cannoli (which to me was just cannoli after you've taken the first bite). It was very tasty. Finished with a limoncello, which I'm liking more than amaro.
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Rome, Italy — Capitoline Museums
Last night we looked through our guide books to plan out the next few days. There's a lot to see in Rome.
First on our list for today was Basilica di San Clemente, which is a 12th-century basilica built atop a 4th-century church built atop a 2nd-century temple over a 1st-century Roman house. Unfortunately we arrived just after noon and the lower levels are closed from noon until 3pm.
So onto our next site, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterno. From the 4th to 14th centuries, this was the most important church for Christians. It's still the pope's seat as the bishop of Rome.
We had trouble finding the entrance, first getting nice pics of the obelisk in Piazza Giovanni Paolo II, and then the octagonal Lateran Baptistery which was pretty cool. Finally found our way the entrance of the basilica, fronting on another piazza bearing its name (or maybe the other way around).
The Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterno is amazing. As we read later, it's one of the four papal basilicas in Rome (this being the 2nd we've seen). The interior is designed mostly by Borromini, whose work we're seeing more and more (at least, we now recognize his name).
It was time for lunch so we searched for something close. Ended up at Le Virtù in Tavola. We split the cacio e pepe for the pasta and the veal saltimbocca for the main. It was excellent, one of our favourites meals so far.
We wandered around some of the nearby streets. We were a bit off the tourist trail and the streets had a nice vibe.
It was nearing 3pm by this point so we headed back to Basilica di San Clemente. Got our tickets, and then descended under the basilica. The self-guided tour of the excavated ruins is pretty cool.
On our way back to the hotel, we walked by the Capitoline Museums and we still had energy, and figured there would be fewer crowds at 5pm. So climbed up the stairs to the entrance, got our ticket, and entered.
The museum is very impressive. The masterpieces such as Caravaggio's La Buono Ventura have a plastic reproduction for visually-impaired to 'feel' the paintings, which I hadn't seen before. We had many of the rooms to ourselves which was nice.
Bought a couple small souvenirs at the gift store, and then exited. We then realized there was a whole other building in the museum that we hadn't seen yet. Later I looked it up in the guide book and there's a tunnel between the two. We were done for the day so even if we had figured it out at the time I'm not sure we would have spent much more time.
We asked our hotel for dinner recommendations (they said we'd need reservations as it was Saturday). They booked us into Ai Bozzi. Our hotel manager wrote down the names of the owners (he knows many of the restauranteurs personally) so we could name-drop at the restaurant.
Trastevere was hopping and we were glad to have the reservation. Dinner was great - we tried the sea bass carpaccio with a pistachio sauce, followed by a shrimp ravioli. For the main we decided on pig's stomach because it sounded interesting, until we realized it was a loose translation of pork belly. We also messed up ordering the wine, again lost in translation was that we were okay with going by the glass to make it easier to match. Instead we ended up with the house red which was good, but they have a large wine selection which we would have preferred. Oh well. It was an excellent day of eating all around.
First on our list for today was Basilica di San Clemente, which is a 12th-century basilica built atop a 4th-century church built atop a 2nd-century temple over a 1st-century Roman house. Unfortunately we arrived just after noon and the lower levels are closed from noon until 3pm.
So onto our next site, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterno. From the 4th to 14th centuries, this was the most important church for Christians. It's still the pope's seat as the bishop of Rome.
We had trouble finding the entrance, first getting nice pics of the obelisk in Piazza Giovanni Paolo II, and then the octagonal Lateran Baptistery which was pretty cool. Finally found our way the entrance of the basilica, fronting on another piazza bearing its name (or maybe the other way around).
The Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterno is amazing. As we read later, it's one of the four papal basilicas in Rome (this being the 2nd we've seen). The interior is designed mostly by Borromini, whose work we're seeing more and more (at least, we now recognize his name).
It was time for lunch so we searched for something close. Ended up at Le Virtù in Tavola. We split the cacio e pepe for the pasta and the veal saltimbocca for the main. It was excellent, one of our favourites meals so far.
We wandered around some of the nearby streets. We were a bit off the tourist trail and the streets had a nice vibe.
It was nearing 3pm by this point so we headed back to Basilica di San Clemente. Got our tickets, and then descended under the basilica. The self-guided tour of the excavated ruins is pretty cool.
On our way back to the hotel, we walked by the Capitoline Museums and we still had energy, and figured there would be fewer crowds at 5pm. So climbed up the stairs to the entrance, got our ticket, and entered.
The museum is very impressive. The masterpieces such as Caravaggio's La Buono Ventura have a plastic reproduction for visually-impaired to 'feel' the paintings, which I hadn't seen before. We had many of the rooms to ourselves which was nice.
Bought a couple small souvenirs at the gift store, and then exited. We then realized there was a whole other building in the museum that we hadn't seen yet. Later I looked it up in the guide book and there's a tunnel between the two. We were done for the day so even if we had figured it out at the time I'm not sure we would have spent much more time.
We asked our hotel for dinner recommendations (they said we'd need reservations as it was Saturday). They booked us into Ai Bozzi. Our hotel manager wrote down the names of the owners (he knows many of the restauranteurs personally) so we could name-drop at the restaurant.
Trastevere was hopping and we were glad to have the reservation. Dinner was great - we tried the sea bass carpaccio with a pistachio sauce, followed by a shrimp ravioli. For the main we decided on pig's stomach because it sounded interesting, until we realized it was a loose translation of pork belly. We also messed up ordering the wine, again lost in translation was that we were okay with going by the glass to make it easier to match. Instead we ended up with the house red which was good, but they have a large wine selection which we would have preferred. Oh well. It was an excellent day of eating all around.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Rome, Italy — Palazzo Barberini
Rome is a city of neighbourhoods, and our plan over the two weeks was to explore them bit by bit. Today was to Tridente, Trevi and the Quirinale.
First we stopped into the little church attached to our hotel. It's only open for two weeks over Christmas and the hotel desk staff suggested we check out the crib (or crypt, we weren't sure). Every church and lots of other places all have nativity scenes so we were pretty sure it they meant the crib.
The local priest welcomed us and gave us some pamphlets about the church. A younger kid gave us a little baby Jesus in a manger. They showed us their nativity scene (so it was 'crib') and offered that we could walk through, usually reserved for kids only. We left a small donation for the church.
Then onto Palazzo Barberini. The neighbourhoods we were going to today contain some of the more popular selfie sites in Rome - the Trevi fountain, and the Spanish steps. The streets were busy with selfie-stick brandishing tourists.
Palazzo Barberini is off the main tourist track, likely as a result of the €10 entry fee. It was commissioned by the Barberini family to celebrate their rise to papal power. Both Bernini and Borromini worked on the palazzo - I really liked the staircase by Borromini. The ceilings were amazing, as well as all the art. It took us a while to find the entrance - the Lonely Planet and google maps just show it in the middle of a block, but don't indicate the front. We got it on the third side we tried.
It was time for lunch so we tried a random place across from Palazzo Barberini. Heather had the gnocchi with sea bass, and I had a pasta with clams and guanciale. We realized after that these were both considered pasta dishes and weren't intended to contain much protein. So at least we knew for the future to split a pasta and then split a meat. I guess we sort of knew that already but forgot.
After lunch we walked up to Piazza del Popolo. The streets were very busy with tourists. Along the way we walked by Chiesa Della Trinità dei Monti, which is atop the Spanish steps. We walked down and then had to push our way through the crowded streets to get on our way.
Piazza del Popolo is huge. We were there primarily to see the Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo, and in particular the Carvaggios in the Cerasi Chapel. So were hundreds of other people. I have some nice pictures of the backs of people's heads.
So we walked back towards our hotel, and passed by the Trevi Fountain. This was ridiculously busy - it was almost impossible to enter the piazza. We didn't get anywhere near coin-tossing range. I did get a nice picture, after cropping out the other people.
Overall for today we most enjoyed the Palazzo Barberini. There's a huge drop-off in numbers from the popular to not-as-popular, which we've also noticed elsewhere in the world. Although we still wanted to see the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps, we just didn't end up spending too much time there.
We had dinner at Pane Vino e San Daniele, named after the famous parma ham. Obviously, they specialized in parma ham. It's in the same little piazza with the turtle fountain, a five minute walk from our hotel. We had the parma ham for the appetizer (very good), then had risotto with artichokes and truffles, and braised beef cheek for the main. Overall the food was good, nothing spectacular.
First we stopped into the little church attached to our hotel. It's only open for two weeks over Christmas and the hotel desk staff suggested we check out the crib (or crypt, we weren't sure). Every church and lots of other places all have nativity scenes so we were pretty sure it they meant the crib.
The local priest welcomed us and gave us some pamphlets about the church. A younger kid gave us a little baby Jesus in a manger. They showed us their nativity scene (so it was 'crib') and offered that we could walk through, usually reserved for kids only. We left a small donation for the church.
Then onto Palazzo Barberini. The neighbourhoods we were going to today contain some of the more popular selfie sites in Rome - the Trevi fountain, and the Spanish steps. The streets were busy with selfie-stick brandishing tourists.
Palazzo Barberini is off the main tourist track, likely as a result of the €10 entry fee. It was commissioned by the Barberini family to celebrate their rise to papal power. Both Bernini and Borromini worked on the palazzo - I really liked the staircase by Borromini. The ceilings were amazing, as well as all the art. It took us a while to find the entrance - the Lonely Planet and google maps just show it in the middle of a block, but don't indicate the front. We got it on the third side we tried.
It was time for lunch so we tried a random place across from Palazzo Barberini. Heather had the gnocchi with sea bass, and I had a pasta with clams and guanciale. We realized after that these were both considered pasta dishes and weren't intended to contain much protein. So at least we knew for the future to split a pasta and then split a meat. I guess we sort of knew that already but forgot.
After lunch we walked up to Piazza del Popolo. The streets were very busy with tourists. Along the way we walked by Chiesa Della Trinità dei Monti, which is atop the Spanish steps. We walked down and then had to push our way through the crowded streets to get on our way.
Piazza del Popolo is huge. We were there primarily to see the Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo, and in particular the Carvaggios in the Cerasi Chapel. So were hundreds of other people. I have some nice pictures of the backs of people's heads.
So we walked back towards our hotel, and passed by the Trevi Fountain. This was ridiculously busy - it was almost impossible to enter the piazza. We didn't get anywhere near coin-tossing range. I did get a nice picture, after cropping out the other people.
Overall for today we most enjoyed the Palazzo Barberini. There's a huge drop-off in numbers from the popular to not-as-popular, which we've also noticed elsewhere in the world. Although we still wanted to see the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps, we just didn't end up spending too much time there.
We had dinner at Pane Vino e San Daniele, named after the famous parma ham. Obviously, they specialized in parma ham. It's in the same little piazza with the turtle fountain, a five minute walk from our hotel. We had the parma ham for the appetizer (very good), then had risotto with artichokes and truffles, and braised beef cheek for the main. Overall the food was good, nothing spectacular.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Rome, Italy — Colosseum, Vittoriano
We were up early to beat the crowds to the Colosseum. Had breakfast, got ready, and were on our way by 8:30am. There was hardly anyone about the streets at this hour. Made it to the gates of the Colosseum around 8:45am, 15 minutes after they open. We already had our 2-day ticket from yesterday so just had to get through the line up for the security check. About five minutes later, we were in!
Took the stairs up to the 2nd level and had our first view inside the Colosseum. This is much less restored than the exterior, and not as photogenic. Still, you can feel the history. Because of the early hour it was still relatively empty and possible to imagine the past.
Walked back down the the 1st level for a different view. With an organized tour you can go to additional levels, but we prefer the independent exploring. Walked back up to the 2nd level where there is a permanent exhibit with the history of the Colosseum, including graffiti from ancient Romans that Heather found pretty interesting. Overall, I'd say the Roman Forum was more worth the wait to enter than the Colosseum. The best views of the Colosseum are from the outside. If I had time for visiting just one I would recommend the Forum.
It was cold at the exhibits, as it was facing the wind and it was only 5C or so. It took about an hour to see the site, after which we headed back up Via dei Fori Imperiali. The sun and walking helped to heat us up again.
It was only 10am and still before peak tourist time at 11am so visited the Vittoriano. It's free to enter, and you get decent views of Rome from the balconies. We paid the €10 each to take the Roma dal Cielo elevator to the rooftop, with amazing views. Realized that there was also a layer of smog over the city, which we didn't feel / see at ground level. Changed my pics from up top to b/w to hide the smog.
Wandered back towards our hotel. Stopped in at a little café in Piazza Mattei for lunch. There's a fountain in the piazza with stone turtles supposedly added by Bernini that we realized is on the group tour path, many of which then stop in for lunch. Fortunately we were there early enough and had a sandwich and red wine, followed by an espresso and dessert, before the place got too busy.
Did some window shopping and found a cheese store that smelled amazing (Beppe e i suoi formaggio, translated as Beppe and his cheeses). Bought some cannellini beans which we have trouble finding in Toronto (we can get them at St Lawrence market but this was easier). Beppe also has a restaurant attached which looked cosy so we booked there for dinner.
Headed home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. Got ready for dinner and then back out to Beppe's. We tried a large assorted platter of 12 cheeses and 6 meats. The cheeses were arranged from mild to strong, and most of them were new to us. They paired it with a sparkling white from Piedmont (Beppe was originally from Piedmont and most of his cheeses and wines are from the surrounding area). It was a lot of cheese.
Took the stairs up to the 2nd level and had our first view inside the Colosseum. This is much less restored than the exterior, and not as photogenic. Still, you can feel the history. Because of the early hour it was still relatively empty and possible to imagine the past.
Walked back down the the 1st level for a different view. With an organized tour you can go to additional levels, but we prefer the independent exploring. Walked back up to the 2nd level where there is a permanent exhibit with the history of the Colosseum, including graffiti from ancient Romans that Heather found pretty interesting. Overall, I'd say the Roman Forum was more worth the wait to enter than the Colosseum. The best views of the Colosseum are from the outside. If I had time for visiting just one I would recommend the Forum.
It was cold at the exhibits, as it was facing the wind and it was only 5C or so. It took about an hour to see the site, after which we headed back up Via dei Fori Imperiali. The sun and walking helped to heat us up again.
It was only 10am and still before peak tourist time at 11am so visited the Vittoriano. It's free to enter, and you get decent views of Rome from the balconies. We paid the €10 each to take the Roma dal Cielo elevator to the rooftop, with amazing views. Realized that there was also a layer of smog over the city, which we didn't feel / see at ground level. Changed my pics from up top to b/w to hide the smog.
Wandered back towards our hotel. Stopped in at a little café in Piazza Mattei for lunch. There's a fountain in the piazza with stone turtles supposedly added by Bernini that we realized is on the group tour path, many of which then stop in for lunch. Fortunately we were there early enough and had a sandwich and red wine, followed by an espresso and dessert, before the place got too busy.
Did some window shopping and found a cheese store that smelled amazing (Beppe e i suoi formaggio, translated as Beppe and his cheeses). Bought some cannellini beans which we have trouble finding in Toronto (we can get them at St Lawrence market but this was easier). Beppe also has a restaurant attached which looked cosy so we booked there for dinner.
Headed home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. Got ready for dinner and then back out to Beppe's. We tried a large assorted platter of 12 cheeses and 6 meats. The cheeses were arranged from mild to strong, and most of them were new to us. They paired it with a sparkling white from Piedmont (Beppe was originally from Piedmont and most of his cheeses and wines are from the surrounding area). It was a lot of cheese.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Rome, Italy — Forum
According to our guide book and our favourite Rome travel site (romewise.com), Boxing Day is one of the lesser-crowded days to visit the Colosseum, Forum and Palatino, so that's where we headed after a late breakfast.
We knew the way having walked there yesterday. Our hotel is pretty centrally located - it's been about a 20-25 minute walk to everything we've seen.
Waited about five minutes in line to buy our ticket. One ticket covers entry to all three (Colosseum, Forum, Palatino), valid for two consecutive days, for €12 / person. They accepted credit card too!
First we explored the Forum. It's quite the collection of ruins, in various states of restoration. It's up there on the list of things to see in the world. It was very uncrowded - in some places we were all alone with the view. I was able to get some tourist-free pics which I wasn't expecting.
Palatino hill was more crowded, but not overbearingly so. There was lots of railing space for views overlooking the forum, I think in high season you have to wait for your turn.
There was a long line up to enter the Colosseum, so we decided to go for lunch and then come back near close. Yesterday we had stumbled across a restaurant in a small plaza down the back streets, so we tried it out. We had a salumi platter, and a artichoke & pecorino pizza. Both were excellent so we booked there for dinner.
By the time we got back to the Colosseum it was about 3:45pm. The last entry is at 3:30pm so we headed back to our hotel.
There were more locals at the restaurant (Vinando), who are usually smartly dressed. So for the first time on a trip I actually ironed a shirt and wore a jacket. Dinner was good. We ordered fried anchovies, ocoptus / potato / carrot salad (the hit of the meal, pasta (orecchiette with mussels) and main (grilled calamari). Lost in translation was that we were splitting the pasta and main so they came out at the same time.
We were very close to home (about a five minute walk) but made a couple wrong turns so it took a bit longer. Another good eating day in Rome!
We knew the way having walked there yesterday. Our hotel is pretty centrally located - it's been about a 20-25 minute walk to everything we've seen.
Waited about five minutes in line to buy our ticket. One ticket covers entry to all three (Colosseum, Forum, Palatino), valid for two consecutive days, for €12 / person. They accepted credit card too!
First we explored the Forum. It's quite the collection of ruins, in various states of restoration. It's up there on the list of things to see in the world. It was very uncrowded - in some places we were all alone with the view. I was able to get some tourist-free pics which I wasn't expecting.
Palatino hill was more crowded, but not overbearingly so. There was lots of railing space for views overlooking the forum, I think in high season you have to wait for your turn.
There was a long line up to enter the Colosseum, so we decided to go for lunch and then come back near close. Yesterday we had stumbled across a restaurant in a small plaza down the back streets, so we tried it out. We had a salumi platter, and a artichoke & pecorino pizza. Both were excellent so we booked there for dinner.
By the time we got back to the Colosseum it was about 3:45pm. The last entry is at 3:30pm so we headed back to our hotel.
There were more locals at the restaurant (Vinando), who are usually smartly dressed. So for the first time on a trip I actually ironed a shirt and wore a jacket. Dinner was good. We ordered fried anchovies, ocoptus / potato / carrot salad (the hit of the meal, pasta (orecchiette with mussels) and main (grilled calamari). Lost in translation was that we were splitting the pasta and main so they came out at the same time.
We were very close to home (about a five minute walk) but made a couple wrong turns so it took a bit longer. Another good eating day in Rome!
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Rome, Italy — Christmas Day
Merry Christmas! We woke up and caught the end of breakfast, it looked like most of the other people in the hotel had the same idea.
Most places are closed on Christmas but for many sights the outside is just as impressive. We started wandering through the Jewish Ghetto, there's some excavated ruins, as well as the actual synagogue that's a beautiful building.
Then walked down to Piazza Venezia, along the way climbed the many stairs to Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara coeli. The weather was perfect for sightseeing, sunny and about 14C.
Then the long approach down Via del Fori Imperiali to the Colosseum. On the right the road overlooks the Forum. There's a subway line under construction that blocks the classic view of the Colosseum, but there's plenty of other vantage points.
It was almost 2pm so we looked for a place for lunch. Most restaurants were either closed or serving the traditional large Christmas lunch. We found a little pizzeria with yummy sandwiches, wine by the glass and beer on tap. A lot of locals dropped by, walking their dogs, have a quick espresso or glass of wine. They had the best espresso we've had so far in Rome.
We decided to hang out by the Colosseum and wait for the sun to set. Our hotel gives guests a Android phone with free local calls and data, so we were able to look up the sunset time (4:44pm), about an hour. We also called to make a reservation for dinner at La Tavernetta 29. It's a popular restaurant and we were only able to get in for 10pm.
Settled on the best location to watch the sunset over the Colosseum. Took a lot of very similar pictures. We could probably string them together and make a movie from stills. Heather's iPhone took much better pictures than my camera, especially with the contrast between the sky and shadows.
We weren't quite dressed for standing around in the cold, and we're getting frozen by the time the sky changed colour for the pictures we wanted. Retraced our route back down Via del Fori Imperiali and back to our hotel. A hot shower fixed us up, and then we relaxed / napped before our late Christmas dinner.
Dinner was excellent, our favourite meal to date. Had starters of artichokes, and a caprese salad, then ravioli with truffles, and grilled lamb for the main. At the end the restaurant kept coming over with free stuff - a lemon sorbet, then a cake, and a shot of limoncello to finish. It was all very good, and another late night for us.
Most places are closed on Christmas but for many sights the outside is just as impressive. We started wandering through the Jewish Ghetto, there's some excavated ruins, as well as the actual synagogue that's a beautiful building.
Then walked down to Piazza Venezia, along the way climbed the many stairs to Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara coeli. The weather was perfect for sightseeing, sunny and about 14C.
Then the long approach down Via del Fori Imperiali to the Colosseum. On the right the road overlooks the Forum. There's a subway line under construction that blocks the classic view of the Colosseum, but there's plenty of other vantage points.
It was almost 2pm so we looked for a place for lunch. Most restaurants were either closed or serving the traditional large Christmas lunch. We found a little pizzeria with yummy sandwiches, wine by the glass and beer on tap. A lot of locals dropped by, walking their dogs, have a quick espresso or glass of wine. They had the best espresso we've had so far in Rome.
We decided to hang out by the Colosseum and wait for the sun to set. Our hotel gives guests a Android phone with free local calls and data, so we were able to look up the sunset time (4:44pm), about an hour. We also called to make a reservation for dinner at La Tavernetta 29. It's a popular restaurant and we were only able to get in for 10pm.
Settled on the best location to watch the sunset over the Colosseum. Took a lot of very similar pictures. We could probably string them together and make a movie from stills. Heather's iPhone took much better pictures than my camera, especially with the contrast between the sky and shadows.
We weren't quite dressed for standing around in the cold, and we're getting frozen by the time the sky changed colour for the pictures we wanted. Retraced our route back down Via del Fori Imperiali and back to our hotel. A hot shower fixed us up, and then we relaxed / napped before our late Christmas dinner.
Dinner was excellent, our favourite meal to date. Had starters of artichokes, and a caprese salad, then ravioli with truffles, and grilled lamb for the main. At the end the restaurant kept coming over with free stuff - a lemon sorbet, then a cake, and a shot of limoncello to finish. It was all very good, and another late night for us.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Rome, Italy — Midnight Mass
We woke up around 8:30am. I had been up since about 3am, jetlagged, so was a bit groggy. The breakfast buffet was good, we both had a cappuccino (when in Rome).
We had to be in line for Midnight Mass by 6pm, so we had planned our day around that.
Walked over to the Christmas Market in Piazza Navona. There's lots of great old buildings surrounding the plaza. We were still new to Rome and not yet tired of churches and cathedrals so stopped into the church fronting the plaza, Sant'Agnese in Agone.
Then walked over a block and into San Luigi dei Francesi, another nice random church. It's amazing how every block has an amazing old church that elsewhere could be the main sight in a town and here it's just a church, not even great enough to garner a mention in the guide book.
Another couple blocks down and we were at the Pantheon. It was the busiest so far of the sights we visited, but wasn't overwhelmingly busy. I didn't find the sight itself particularly amazing but I think it's architecturally significant for the size of the roof at the time.
It was getting close to 2pm so we got back to our hotel, and then out for lunch. We didn't feel like venturing too far and so had lunch at Yotvata, less than a minute walk. Tried the artichokes in a couple dishes, they are in season now. This time we had two appetizers, one pasta and two mains (yesterday had done 2-2-1 but it was too much pasta). However here it was way too much fish for the main, we could have easily gone 2-1-1 for apps/pasta/main.
Got home, and the jetlag and lack of sleep last night got to us and we napped for an hour or two.
Our alarm woke us up to get ready for midnight mass. We dressed in layers because we didn't know how long we would wait outside, or how hot/cold it would be inside with 15,000 people. We had also brought our iPhones to catch up on reading in the line ups.
Got to the Vatican around 5:30ish. There was already about a thousand people in line, waiting for the security checkpoint to open. Waited about 20 minutes, and then found out we were in the wrong line. The line up we were in was for general admission to St Peter's Square. There's a separate line near the left colonnade for ticket holders for the basilica. So we went to line up there. This security checkpoint was open, and in about ten minutes we were through!
The excitement lasted about 30 seconds when we realized we now had to line up again, this time to enter the basilica. So we got in line. The doors open at 7pm. We didn't have long to wait, as it was already about 6:45pm what with our waiting in wrong lineups and the security check.
We knew it was 7pm because the bells ring rather loudly on the hour. We had read that the line surges for the first ten minutes and then it's okay. Sure enough, everyone pushed forward. The little old nuns in particular seemed to have sharpened their elbows. Anyways we didn't get trampled and made it through the first of many ticket checks.
We quickly walked to the front of the basilica (other people were running to get good seats). Our tickets were checked by Swiss Guard after Swiss Guard at every turn and corner. And then we were in the basilica!
Got a very nice program for the mass, which more than made up for the lack of production quality in the ticket.
There were seats too (when we visited yesterday, and probably normally, the chairs are removed to allow easier flow of tourists. We weren't sure if they put in seats for the mass).
We wanted seats near the blocked-off centre aisle to get a good look at the procession of cardinals and the pope. We ended up about 15 rows from the front, and 7 seats from the aisle. Not bad indeed. Although, there was still about 20 rows of clergy in front of the general assembly, and the altar itself is very large. I'd say we were about 250ft from the pope, so he was pretty small to see at that distance.
Settled in for the wait until the start of mass at 9:30pm. There was an orchestra and a choir, although it was over a sound system so didn't get a feel for the acoustics of the basilica. I tried to find the toilets, but it was harder than our ticket pick up process. So gave up and went back to our seats. (From overhearing other attendees, there's only about 4 toilets for 15,000 people, and the wait was over 90 minutes).
Around 9pm they said the rosary, in either Latin or Italian, not sure. At precisely 9:30pm, the TV lights came on (I'm not kidding, it was like a sporting event with a press booth and multiple camera angles) and the procession of clergy began. Eventually that led way to the cardinals, and finally the pope. To be honest I don't watch the news that much anymore and I don't really know what the pope looks like. I assumed I'd be able to tell by his papal hat or robe, but couldn't pick him out of the line up of cardinals. I only figured out it was the pope because of the security detail surrounding him.
The mass was mostly in Latin, except for the prayers of the faithful which had languages from around the world. The fancy program we received on entry had the English translation on opposite pages which made it easier to follow. It was only the homily that we didn't understand, although we could see all the press updating their social media after the pope was done.
I found it a bit distracting with most people taking pics throughout mass (except at holy times like the blessing of the Eucharist), in particular those taking pics on their iPads.
They did serve communion, via the dozens of clergy. Each row shunted along to the central aisle to receive communion.
They cut out the last few pages of the mass, due to time. TV scheduling wins again, the mass had to complete in 90 minutes as another program was starting on TV at 11pm. So they skipped over the last few prayers, a couple hymns were cut, mass ended and we went in peace. (Actually, that line got cut too so mass just ended).
It took some time to exit, but finally we made it out. We walked back to Trastevere and searched out a restaurant whose kitchen was still open. Found I think the only one open past midnight and split a pizza, which was very good.
Read through the rest of the program and realized that by attending midnight mass we get a Plenary Indulgence. I had to google it and I'm still not clear.
We got home rather late for us around 2am and fell fast asleep.
We had to be in line for Midnight Mass by 6pm, so we had planned our day around that.
Walked over to the Christmas Market in Piazza Navona. There's lots of great old buildings surrounding the plaza. We were still new to Rome and not yet tired of churches and cathedrals so stopped into the church fronting the plaza, Sant'Agnese in Agone.
Then walked over a block and into San Luigi dei Francesi, another nice random church. It's amazing how every block has an amazing old church that elsewhere could be the main sight in a town and here it's just a church, not even great enough to garner a mention in the guide book.
Another couple blocks down and we were at the Pantheon. It was the busiest so far of the sights we visited, but wasn't overwhelmingly busy. I didn't find the sight itself particularly amazing but I think it's architecturally significant for the size of the roof at the time.
It was getting close to 2pm so we got back to our hotel, and then out for lunch. We didn't feel like venturing too far and so had lunch at Yotvata, less than a minute walk. Tried the artichokes in a couple dishes, they are in season now. This time we had two appetizers, one pasta and two mains (yesterday had done 2-2-1 but it was too much pasta). However here it was way too much fish for the main, we could have easily gone 2-1-1 for apps/pasta/main.
Got home, and the jetlag and lack of sleep last night got to us and we napped for an hour or two.
Our alarm woke us up to get ready for midnight mass. We dressed in layers because we didn't know how long we would wait outside, or how hot/cold it would be inside with 15,000 people. We had also brought our iPhones to catch up on reading in the line ups.
Got to the Vatican around 5:30ish. There was already about a thousand people in line, waiting for the security checkpoint to open. Waited about 20 minutes, and then found out we were in the wrong line. The line up we were in was for general admission to St Peter's Square. There's a separate line near the left colonnade for ticket holders for the basilica. So we went to line up there. This security checkpoint was open, and in about ten minutes we were through!
The excitement lasted about 30 seconds when we realized we now had to line up again, this time to enter the basilica. So we got in line. The doors open at 7pm. We didn't have long to wait, as it was already about 6:45pm what with our waiting in wrong lineups and the security check.
We knew it was 7pm because the bells ring rather loudly on the hour. We had read that the line surges for the first ten minutes and then it's okay. Sure enough, everyone pushed forward. The little old nuns in particular seemed to have sharpened their elbows. Anyways we didn't get trampled and made it through the first of many ticket checks.
We quickly walked to the front of the basilica (other people were running to get good seats). Our tickets were checked by Swiss Guard after Swiss Guard at every turn and corner. And then we were in the basilica!
Got a very nice program for the mass, which more than made up for the lack of production quality in the ticket.
There were seats too (when we visited yesterday, and probably normally, the chairs are removed to allow easier flow of tourists. We weren't sure if they put in seats for the mass).
We wanted seats near the blocked-off centre aisle to get a good look at the procession of cardinals and the pope. We ended up about 15 rows from the front, and 7 seats from the aisle. Not bad indeed. Although, there was still about 20 rows of clergy in front of the general assembly, and the altar itself is very large. I'd say we were about 250ft from the pope, so he was pretty small to see at that distance.
Settled in for the wait until the start of mass at 9:30pm. There was an orchestra and a choir, although it was over a sound system so didn't get a feel for the acoustics of the basilica. I tried to find the toilets, but it was harder than our ticket pick up process. So gave up and went back to our seats. (From overhearing other attendees, there's only about 4 toilets for 15,000 people, and the wait was over 90 minutes).
Around 9pm they said the rosary, in either Latin or Italian, not sure. At precisely 9:30pm, the TV lights came on (I'm not kidding, it was like a sporting event with a press booth and multiple camera angles) and the procession of clergy began. Eventually that led way to the cardinals, and finally the pope. To be honest I don't watch the news that much anymore and I don't really know what the pope looks like. I assumed I'd be able to tell by his papal hat or robe, but couldn't pick him out of the line up of cardinals. I only figured out it was the pope because of the security detail surrounding him.
The mass was mostly in Latin, except for the prayers of the faithful which had languages from around the world. The fancy program we received on entry had the English translation on opposite pages which made it easier to follow. It was only the homily that we didn't understand, although we could see all the press updating their social media after the pope was done.
I found it a bit distracting with most people taking pics throughout mass (except at holy times like the blessing of the Eucharist), in particular those taking pics on their iPads.
They did serve communion, via the dozens of clergy. Each row shunted along to the central aisle to receive communion.
They cut out the last few pages of the mass, due to time. TV scheduling wins again, the mass had to complete in 90 minutes as another program was starting on TV at 11pm. So they skipped over the last few prayers, a couple hymns were cut, mass ended and we went in peace. (Actually, that line got cut too so mass just ended).
It took some time to exit, but finally we made it out. We walked back to Trastevere and searched out a restaurant whose kitchen was still open. Found I think the only one open past midnight and split a pizza, which was very good.
Read through the rest of the program and realized that by attending midnight mass we get a Plenary Indulgence. I had to google it and I'm still not clear.
We got home rather late for us around 2am and fell fast asleep.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Rome, Italy — St Peter's Basilica
We landed at Fuimicino a few minutes early, just before noon. It was pretty quick to get our luggage and exit the terminal (I guess cause Italy and Amsterdam are both part of Schengen it was like a domestic flight). We didn't see our names on any of the driver's signs so texted him (our very organized hotel had sent us his info earlier). He was at another terminal but came over quickly and we were on our way to the hotel!
There was not much traffic and it took less than 30 minutes to reach Hotel Monte Cenci in central Rome. The hotel is up a small winding street that the taxi van barely fit. It was only 1pm and our room wasn't ready so we had a coffee on the 5th floor rooftop terrace. The hotel manager dropped by to chat and welcome us.
Because it was so quick to reach the hotel we still had time to pick up our tickets for midnight mass (the ticket office closes at 4pm). Our hotel room was ready by now so we freshened up and then headed out.
It was a nice 25 minute walk along the Tiber to the Vatican. The instructions in the email from the ticket people said to go to the Bronze Door where the right-hand Bernini colonnade begins. But is that the right side facing the basilica or from the basilica's perspective? Does the colonnade begin at the basilica or the street?
There was a long line up that I didn't think we had go through. But it turned out everyone entering the grounds goes through security, including just to pick up tickets. It wasn't that long to get through, about 20 minutes.
Then we were on a Bronze Door hunt. It was on the right side facing the basilica, and from the colonnade pillar closest to the basilica. Only one person could enter, so Heather went through the Bronze Door, guarded by Swiss Guards with big swords. Heather had a bag of sand the same weight as the envelope and hop-scotched in, while I stayed outside, took some pics and yelled after her, in the Latin alphabet, "Jehovah" begins with an I *
* some of these things may have actually happened in an Indiana Jones movie or a Dan Brown novel; this whole ticket process seemed rather elaborate.
A couple minutes later Heather emerged with our tickets! I was hoping for some fancy ticket gold-embossed with hand written calligraphy, but it was regular stock blue paper.
We walked up to the front of the basilica for a good vantage for pics of the square. Then we noticed that it was possible to enter the foyer of the basilica so in we went. Wandered around a bit. There was hardly any other tourists around. It was still possible to climb the rotunda so we bought our tickets (there were only two groups in line ahead of us, and they took the elevator. I think normally even just the ticket line has huge lineups).
It's a quick four minute walk up to the base of the dome, about 50m above the papal altar. We only passed by two other tourists going down. I could see this being a long slow walk at other times. We walked around the circumference, with great views down. There's a 10ft high fence so pics weren't possible, although it was one of the few times I would have used a selfie stick.
It's then another 50 or so metres to the top of the dome. This is a more awkward climb, as the corridor slants inwards and narrows to about 30" in places. The last bit is up a circular staircase with a rope down the middle for assistance. Luckily both going up and down we didn't pass anyone going in the other direction. I could see it being stinking hot in the summer too - at this time of year it was fine.
We reached the top in ten minutes, and we were greeted with great views outside of St Peter's Square. The sun was low in the horizon and so the lighting was great.
We took the same awkward climb back down, and exited into a large room with nice artwork. Took us a few seconds to realize we were now in St Peter's Basilica! There might have been twenty other tourists inside. So we walked around, took lots of pics, planned out our seating strategy for tomorrow.
Finally we headed back to our hotel, washed up, and headed out to dinner in Trastevere. It's a popular place for restaurants, just across the Tiber from our hotel. Dinner was good, the wine was excellent, we even had espresso (after 3pm!)
Not a bad start at all to our little trip, considering our flight had just touched down hours earlier.
There was not much traffic and it took less than 30 minutes to reach Hotel Monte Cenci in central Rome. The hotel is up a small winding street that the taxi van barely fit. It was only 1pm and our room wasn't ready so we had a coffee on the 5th floor rooftop terrace. The hotel manager dropped by to chat and welcome us.
Because it was so quick to reach the hotel we still had time to pick up our tickets for midnight mass (the ticket office closes at 4pm). Our hotel room was ready by now so we freshened up and then headed out.
It was a nice 25 minute walk along the Tiber to the Vatican. The instructions in the email from the ticket people said to go to the Bronze Door where the right-hand Bernini colonnade begins. But is that the right side facing the basilica or from the basilica's perspective? Does the colonnade begin at the basilica or the street?
There was a long line up that I didn't think we had go through. But it turned out everyone entering the grounds goes through security, including just to pick up tickets. It wasn't that long to get through, about 20 minutes.
Then we were on a Bronze Door hunt. It was on the right side facing the basilica, and from the colonnade pillar closest to the basilica. Only one person could enter, so Heather went through the Bronze Door, guarded by Swiss Guards with big swords. Heather had a bag of sand the same weight as the envelope and hop-scotched in, while I stayed outside, took some pics and yelled after her, in the Latin alphabet, "Jehovah" begins with an I *
* some of these things may have actually happened in an Indiana Jones movie or a Dan Brown novel; this whole ticket process seemed rather elaborate.
A couple minutes later Heather emerged with our tickets! I was hoping for some fancy ticket gold-embossed with hand written calligraphy, but it was regular stock blue paper.
We walked up to the front of the basilica for a good vantage for pics of the square. Then we noticed that it was possible to enter the foyer of the basilica so in we went. Wandered around a bit. There was hardly any other tourists around. It was still possible to climb the rotunda so we bought our tickets (there were only two groups in line ahead of us, and they took the elevator. I think normally even just the ticket line has huge lineups).
It's a quick four minute walk up to the base of the dome, about 50m above the papal altar. We only passed by two other tourists going down. I could see this being a long slow walk at other times. We walked around the circumference, with great views down. There's a 10ft high fence so pics weren't possible, although it was one of the few times I would have used a selfie stick.
It's then another 50 or so metres to the top of the dome. This is a more awkward climb, as the corridor slants inwards and narrows to about 30" in places. The last bit is up a circular staircase with a rope down the middle for assistance. Luckily both going up and down we didn't pass anyone going in the other direction. I could see it being stinking hot in the summer too - at this time of year it was fine.
We reached the top in ten minutes, and we were greeted with great views outside of St Peter's Square. The sun was low in the horizon and so the lighting was great.
We took the same awkward climb back down, and exited into a large room with nice artwork. Took us a few seconds to realize we were now in St Peter's Basilica! There might have been twenty other tourists inside. So we walked around, took lots of pics, planned out our seating strategy for tomorrow.
Finally we headed back to our hotel, washed up, and headed out to dinner in Trastevere. It's a popular place for restaurants, just across the Tiber from our hotel. Dinner was good, the wine was excellent, we even had espresso (after 3pm!)
Not a bad start at all to our little trip, considering our flight had just touched down hours earlier.
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Toronto, Canada
We're off to Rome for two weeks, mostly for the food and the sights. We were also lucky to get tickets for Midnight Mass at St Peter's Basilica, it's one of the few things we have actually planned.
It's a bit of a process to apply for tickets for Midnight Mass. You need to download an application and then fax (!) it to the Vatican. We signed up for an online fax service and started faxing. There's probably only one fax machine at the Vatican and not surprisingly busy most of the time. Thank goodness for auto resend, it took about 50 attempts. Then about two weeks later, we received an email response that we had been accepted! (I also thought it was cool to receive an email from a .va email address). In the email were instructions on how to pick up our tickets before mass.
Packing was much more straightforward than our other trips - it's just the clothes we'd wear at home. The weather in Rome around Christmas is a little warmer than Toronto, highs of 15C and lows around 4C. Normally about 50% of the days are rainy but according to my iPhone the weather looks good for the next week or so.
Our flight was Saturday at 6pm, so we weren't rushed to leave right after work on Friday. There's no direct flights from Toronto to Rome in the winter so we flew through Amsterdam. In between changing planes we went through passport control and got our passports stamped.
It's a bit of a process to apply for tickets for Midnight Mass. You need to download an application and then fax (!) it to the Vatican. We signed up for an online fax service and started faxing. There's probably only one fax machine at the Vatican and not surprisingly busy most of the time. Thank goodness for auto resend, it took about 50 attempts. Then about two weeks later, we received an email response that we had been accepted! (I also thought it was cool to receive an email from a .va email address). In the email were instructions on how to pick up our tickets before mass.
Packing was much more straightforward than our other trips - it's just the clothes we'd wear at home. The weather in Rome around Christmas is a little warmer than Toronto, highs of 15C and lows around 4C. Normally about 50% of the days are rainy but according to my iPhone the weather looks good for the next week or so.
Our flight was Saturday at 6pm, so we weren't rushed to leave right after work on Friday. There's no direct flights from Toronto to Rome in the winter so we flew through Amsterdam. In between changing planes we went through passport control and got our passports stamped.
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