When in Rome

“There was a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish - it was so fragile.”~ Marcus Aurelius - Gladiator ~

Gladiator is my all-time favourite movie. Not because of the violence, but because of Maximus - a man of great honour and humility. He remains unwavering in faith and conviction through devastating loss and persecution, all for the glory of Rome (topped off with some personal justice too). Because of this film, Rome has always been one of the few cities I’ve longed to visit - unusual for me, since my travels normally lean toward wild, open spaces.

After our time in Venice, we caught a train from Naples to Rome. I found myself seated next to a kid who spent the entire journey loudly video-calling his friend on speaker while playing iPad games at full volume… delightful. At one point, my dad even smacked his leg when he kept pushing against his chair. I, unfortunately, was far too tolerant, waiting for his parents to intervene. They did not.

From the train station, it was only a two-minute walk to our hotel. We trudged through the rain with all our bags, passing the most fascinating fountain I’d seen so far: the Fountain of the Naiads. It boasts four outer statues representing water nymphs from Greek mythology - lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater - each wrestling a mythical creature, with Glaucus, the sea god, dramatically positioned in the centre. I couldn’t help but stop and study its characters each time we passed.

After settling in, we decided to explore. When in Rome… you see history.

We spent the afternoon visiting a few nearby museums. After three days in Venice living off carbs and cream, our South African tastebuds were craving something familiar. So - we had KFC for dinner. It was the fanciest KFC I’ve ever encountered, complete with gentle Italian music playing in the background. Close your eyes and you might have believed you were in a fine-dining establishment.

During our short time in Rome, we crammed in as much sightseeing as possible: the Vatican (including the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica), the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, various museums, and the Greenline bus tours to get around.

The Vatican

We booked a guided tour of the Vatican - the home of Catholicism. Despite visiting in mid-winter, out of peak season, the queues were long. Our guide saved us some waiting time, but there was certainly no “cruising” through the attractions. At less than 49 hectares, Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both population and area. It is here that the Pope resides.

We began in the museums, home to around 20,000 artworks - sculptures, paintings, tapestries, and countless other forms I can’t even name. It is astonishing how artists can carve marble to resemble silk cascading down a body that doesn’t exist. The Map Room was a highlight for me - a long hallway lined with enormous, detailed maps displaying ancient names and cities. It made me imagine ancient explorers, discovering lands and charting new paths.

It was easy to become so absorbed in the artwork along the walls that you almost forgot to look up at the ceilings, which would be artwork enough. The sheer volume of beauty was overwhelming. I tried to soak in as much as possible while keeping up with our guide and her little flag weaving through the crowds.

I would highly recommend using a guide at historical monuments. They bring places to life, illuminating details you would otherwise miss. Passion makes all the difference - you just have to get over the slight embarrassment of wearing bright earphones and following a flag like the ultimate tourist. It does, however, get you through lines faster.

The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking, though incredibly crowded and stuffy. The atmosphere made it hard for me to fully immerse myself - I was hyper-aware of everyone around me. Thankfully, our guide had already given us a rich explanation of Michelangelo’s paintings before entering, which added depth to the experience, and we certainly learnt plenty.

Last was St Peter’s Basilica - the largest church in the world. Massive doesn’t begin to describe it. It made our little Eston farm church look like a toy. The first thing that hits you is the gold. Gold everywhere. Dramatic statues line the walls, representing important figures in Catholicism, and beneath it all lies the burial site of the apostle Peter. A few popes even chose to have their preserved bodies displayed - slightly unsettling, in my opinion.

Even in all its glory, I was reminded of our little farm church back home. And grateful for the genuine love of the people and tangible presence of God, knowing that God doesn’t care where we worship, the building is irrelevant. He's after our hearts.

After a full day of sightseeing and information overload, we stepped outside just as the heavens opened. Rain bucketed down. Of course. The plan had been to visit the Jewish Ghetto for dinner, but after a torrential downpour, we decided to take a literal rain check.

We jumped onto a random bus heading vaguely in our direction, hoping no one would ask for tickets. After about two kilometres, we hopped off, crossed a bridge, and called an Uber. Warm showers and soft beds back at the hotel felt like pure luxury.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!

“The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the Senate, it’s the sand of the Colosseum. He’ll bring them death — and they will love him for it” ~Gladiator~

The day I had been waiting for finally arrived. It was time to visit the Colosseum - the arena steeped in violence and spectacle, the place where, in my imagination, Maximus challenged Commodus and ended his tyrannical rule. Yes, I know Gladiator is fiction, but it draws on real history, which makes standing there feel all the more surreal.

We arrived early at our meeting point and grabbed a quick coffee, hyper-aware of the very obvious pickpocket circling the tourists. Nothing like a little light paranoia to start the morning.

We had booked an exclusive underground tour, which took us beneath the stage of the Colosseum - essentially backstage - where slaves once waited during the games of ancient Rome. This was where the machinery operated, where animals were held, and where men stood listening to the roar of the crowd above, knowing what likely awaited them.

The Romans entertained the masses here in dramatic fashion: gladiator fights, public executions, wild animal hunts, even mock naval battles. These spectacles were political theatre - designed to display Rome’s power, spread propaganda, and reinforce social hierarchy (your seat in the amphitheatre mattered). The games were extravagant, excessive, and completely free to attend, often held after great military victories.

We were the only people down in the underground tunnels at the time, able to look up and see the crowds above us - where spectators once sat. I tried to imagine what it must have felt like for the slaves working below during the games. Dark. Stuffy. Damp. The stage itself has long since deteriorated, so thankfully we walked with open sky above us instead of a wooden ceiling.

Soon we emerged onto the main arena and upper levels. What a magnificent feat of human engineering. It truly is a sight to behold. After the obligatory photos - and a dramatic kneel to scoop up sand like Maximus - we said goodbye to the Colosseum.

We joined a second tour through nearby ruins before heading to the Jewish Ghetto for an incredible (and very cold) lunch. On our way out of the colosseum, Nicole spotted Paul Rudd, who apparently gave her a wink before climbing into his car and disappearing. It would have helped if she’d known his name in the moment - instead she exclaimed, “Ant Man!! I just saw Ant Man!” And now, naturally, he is her favourite actor and, if you ask her, also her close and personal friend.

Dotting Around

One morning we woke to heavy rain. We weren’t about to let that stop us. After buying brightly coloured ponchos from a street-side tourist shop, we set off on an adventure.

Rome is littered with electric scooters with barcodes on them. After some investigation, we discovered you can rent them through the Dott app by purchasing a package. It seemed like the perfect way to explore.

After some debate about whether we trusted Nicole to keep herself alive on one, we tried doubling up - and quickly concluded she’d be safer on her own. We set off down the road, blissfully unaware that we had left Michael behind, still trying to get his scooter to cooperate.

When we finally realised he was missing, Dad went back to search while us girls waited on the side of the road in the pouring rain. Dad had no luck, but I managed to get hold of Mike on the phone, and eventually we were all reunited.

In true Phipps family fashion, it wasn’t long before we were having a full-blown argument on the street - big personalities, strong opinions. I led from the front while Dad brought up the rear… hopefully preventing another lost sibling situation.

We found a lovely park to explore, only to receive notifications from Dott informing us that we were in a red zone and our scooters would stop working if we didn’t leave immediately. Nothing like a little technological pressure to keep things exciting. Dad was always slower on the hills, and after being accused of being “cautious”, he quickly responded with “I was going as fast as the damn thing would go!”.

Soaked to the bone - but once again at peace with one another - we grabbed McDonald’s for lunch before heading back to the hotel. That afternoon, we went to watch the movie Nuremberg, and Mike was mildly shocked to learn it was based on true events.

It felt like a fitting way to end our time in Rome. Naturally, we closed it out with decadent pasta and generous amounts of wine.

Next stop… Amalfi Coast.