• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About +
    • Press
  • Start Here +
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Travel Blog
  • Destinations +
    • Africa +
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia +
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe +
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America +
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania +
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America +
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Resources +
    • Travel Insurance
  • Work With Us

Go Backpacking

Adventure Travel Blog

Go Backpacking > Destinations > Europe > Italy > Rome Is Too Big To Have Been Built In One Day

Rome Is Too Big To Have Been Built In One Day

June 16, 2007 By Dave

  • Share
  • Tweet

Coliseum in Rome, Italy

The following journal entry was written Friday, July 31, 1998:

I met a whole bunch of friendly people last night from all over the world: Australia, Canada,England, Scotland, and Norway. The 18 year old Scottish guy was traveling with his skateboard, so I asked him about what that was like. One of the Norwegian girls was a nurse. One of the Canadians was an airplane technician/engineer. There was a beautiful girl from Canada reading Kafka's “The Basic,” and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I ended up getting a little too drunk by midnight. Instead of staying up and talking some more, I had to lie down and pass out. But you definitely meet more people traveling alone, and so far the freedom has been enjoyable. I still have to work out some things like finding and sitting with people who speak English on the trains. This means I should be waiting a little before I get on the trains. I talked with a girl from New Hampshire who was traveling alone. She seemed to endorse hitchhiking and sleeping out (train station, beach, park). She recommended seeing “Rent” in London. I just hope “Jesus Christ Superstar” is playing. After meeting so many people at the Ostello, I was kind of disappointed that I had to leave.

I started reading “On the Road” during the train ride to Rome. I love Kerouac's language, and the subject matter is a fine accompaniment to my trip. I've been thinking about how odd it was to travel with four other people. It definitely cannot compare to being alone. Even two people that get along are a completely different experience. On the road, alone, forces a person to write, read, survive, think, observe, and meet people. Without conversation, a person can get very lonely (like the girl from Mexico City had said about a friend of hers, two nights ago). I don't even bother with names during casual conversation. I'm getting annoyed with my cold; my ears get clogged in every train tunnel. I arrived in Rome on time, to the minute. I am definitely amazed at the promptness of the European trains. I went straight to my number one pension choice, and got a bed for 30,000 lire. I'll probably stay there the whole time I'm in Rome. It's a big city, and I'll be happy to get to quiet Venice in a few days. I'm at the Coliseum now. It must have been cool to watch man fight beast thousands of years ago. I can't even imagine how beautiful all the white marble that covered everything must have been. My first impression of the inside is how small it looked. Still an amazing engineering feat.

Campidoglio in Rome, Italy

After the Coliseum, I wandered past the Roman Forum and ended up in the Campidoglio, which I recognized from one of my art classes. I also went into one of the two museums. The trapezoidal piazza was great to see from a balcony standpoint. From there, I wandered around the Pantheon. The inside was filled with complex marble designs which reminded me of the Medici chapel. I also saw Raphael's tomb there. The dome, with its nine meter circular skylight at the acme, was an amazing visual effect. The coffers were designed to do just that. I snapped a picture of a white bird encircling the inside of the dome.

On the way back to the hostel, I got lost. By then, I was tired and hot. Next time, I'm going to avoid the scenic (don't know where I am) route. I ate two triangular ham and cheese sandwiches. The white bread appeared to have had the crust (edges) pulled off. Tomorrow I'm going to hit the Vatican, and then I'll probably leave Sunday morning for Venice. The traffic patterns and rules here are scary. There are very few traffic lights. Mostly, you have to cross the street at the painted crosswalks. To avoid destruction at some of the big crossings, I began to wait and cross with other people. But, the mopeds are still crazy and numerous and annoying. My toothache came back today. I hope it is nothing serious. Also, I think the no underwear thing is starting to cause an itchy/irritation around my upper thigh area. The only bad part about pensions and hotels is the lack of a common room. This makes meeting other people a little more difficult. Plus, there is no alcohol allowed.

Birdseye View of Campidoglio in Rome, Italy

My room ended up being filled by nightfall. I continued to read “On the Road” while everyone returned to the room. Above me was a beautiful brunette from NYC. To my right was a beautiful blonde from New Zealand, and there was a girl from Australia. The other four beds were filled by two couples. One didn't speak English, and the other seemed to have a strained and boring relationship. The boring couple went to bed kind of early (10 PM). I slept by the window, periodically turning to see the crescent moon over Rome.

________________

Read more of Backpacking in Europe, or see the pictures on Flickr.

Planning a trip? Go Backpacking uses and recommends:

  • G Adventures for small group tours
  • Skyscanner for researching flights
  • Hostelworld for booking hostels
  • Airbnb for renting rooms and homes
  • Rail Europe for train passes
  • World Nomads for travel insurance

  • Share
  • Tweet

Related

Filed Under: Italy

About Dave

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 65 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Originally from New York, Dave now calls Austin, TX home. Find him on Instagram and Twitter.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sadia says

    June 8, 2012 at 4:25 pm

    I usually execnipree the best flight deal on Southwest. I also usually book rooms directly through the resorts website. I have been noticing deals through reward credit cards and frequent flier programs. You should sign up for email specials at the major Vegas resort companies like MGM and Harrahs.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Dave and I've been backpacking for 20+ years. We're here to make your next trip your best trip! Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Topics

About | Archive | Travel Resources | Submissions | Work With Us | Contact

© 2021 Go Backpacking · All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy