Live: Oct 22 2022 Constellation Mediterranean Passage Transatlantic

[mahdnc]

Under very clear skies, we visited the Roman Forum and Colosseum this morning.  I very much wanted to see the Roman Forum on this trip because the last time we were in Rome (Jun 2007, Millennium), it was a port day and so our touring plans did not include it.

 

We met our private guide, Marisa (photo), at the main entrance to the Roman Forum at 9 am.  She spent 2 hours with us that morning.  Marisa worked as an archeologist which included field work and digging at the Forum a few years ago.  It was clear that the Forum was her passion and she covered a wealth of topics including ancient Roman culture and politics. 

 

 

One note of caution, many of the sidewalks were old Roman roads made up of uneven cobblestone with large gaps and so the footing was tricky which made walking a bit of a chore.  Because we started early in the morning, the Forum and Palatine Hill was very quiet and not busy which was nice.  However by the time we finished at 11:00, it started to get very crowded as the early morning Colosseum crowd made its way to the Roman Forum.

 

 

I originally wanted Marisa to be our guide at the Colosseum, however I told her I was interested in doing the Underground Tour (something we did not do during our 2007 visit).  Marisa told me that she does not do the Underground Tour because the admission tickets (34 Euro pp) are extremely hard to get because large tour companies instantly snap up the small number of tickets that are released on the Colosseum website for each day (one month in advance).   She emailed me specific instructions on how to attempt getting the tickets directly from the Colosseum website (it involved getting up at 2:30 am Central Time exactly 30 days before the tour date).  The bad news was that I overslept and missed getting them!  The good news was a couple days later, I found 3 tickets available for my date and so I snatched two!

 

 

With our precious tickets in our hands, Marisa did a nice job in walking us over to the nearby Colosseum and making sure that we got to the right spot for people attending the Underground Tour.  The group size is 25 and the tour lasted about an hour.  The tour is guided and involved going up and down stairs.  The nice thing about the Underground Tour is that the area is relatively cool temperature wise.

 

[Jim_Iain]

Really enjoying your posts.    Brings back such fond memories.

[mahdnc]

After walking through several areas in the underground, the guide showed us the arena level. The tour ended up concluding there. Afterwards you were allowed to walk around to the other areas in the Colosseum that was open to general admission ticket holders. We walked around a bit although it was getting fairly crowded by then. 

 

 

It was 1pm by then and it was time for us to to head back our room. I had only slept 4 hours last night, my stomach was empty, and I was starting to fade. 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

We are currently waiting in line to have dinner at Trattoria da Enzo al 29. It is located in Trastevere area. "Narrow streets of cobblestone" come to mind. 

 

The restaurant does not take reservations. We got there 30 min before it opened at 7pm. The line was very long. I hope it's worth it. At least the evening is very comfortable. 

 

[Deets]

mahdnc. . . . the Scavi Tour is (to me) the most awesome tour in Rome!  If you haven't already, read the book "The Fisherman's Tomb" by John O'Neill.  

 

From Google Books:  A Texas oilman. A brilliant female archaeologist. An unknown world underneath the Vatican. In 1939, a team of workers beneath the Vatican unearthed an early Christian grave. This surprising discovery launched a secret quest that would last decades — a quest to discover the long-lost burial place of the Apostle Peter.

[mahdnc]

13 minutes ago, Deets said:

mahdnc. . . . the Scavi Tour is (to me) the most awesome tour in Rome!  If you haven't already, read the book "The Fisherman's Tomb" by John O'Neill.  

 

From Google Books:  A Texas oilman. A brilliant female archaeologist. An unknown world underneath the Vatican. In 1939, a team of workers beneath the Vatican unearthed an early Christian grave. This surprising discovery launched a secret quest that would last decades — a quest to discover the long-lost burial place of the Apostle Peter.

 

Thanks. I'll have to look for it. 

 

David

[mahdnc]

 

This is da Enzo. We are getting closer to the front of the line. This means that we can smell the food.....

 

Last night we had dinner at La Ciambella which is behind the Pantheon and hence close to the hotel. 

[vickykay]

So enjoying the review and photos!  Keep them coming.

[NBliving]

Wonderful photos!  We were in Rome in 2019 and really enjoyed the city.  We stayed close to the Pantheon too.  Hope your dinner was delicious!

Edited October 18, 2022 by NBliving
changed word

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, NBliving said:

Wonderful photos!  We were in Rome in 2019 and really enjoyed the city.  We stayed close to the Pantheon too.  Hope your dinner was delicious!

 

Dinner was very good. It was a fabulous place to have dinner because of the people there. The restaurant staff was cheerful and the diners were all happy. Kind of like a cruise ship!

[mahdnc]

I promised myself that tonight I would take some night time shots of the Pantheon and fountain.  This photo was taken from our hotel room balcony. 
 

Edited October 18, 2022 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

The square in front of the Pantheon is still pretty lively in the evening.  It has a Disney World feel to it.  I had to wait until after midnight to take these two 30 second shutter speed photos:

 

 

 

The nice thing about long exposure photos is that most, if not all, the people in the field of view don't show up as long as they are not standing in ones spot.  I had to wait about 20 minutes for the white taxi in the lower left hand corner of the picture to turn his headlights off while waiting for his/her next fare.

 

It's almost 2 am, time for bed.  When I wake up tomorrow, I should have my body clock on Rome time.

Edited October 18, 2022 by mahdnc

[gapeach522]

Looking forward to heading to Rome tomorrow (Wednesday) and am staying at the Albergo as well. Will also be on Connie in March.  Time to check-in on Delta!

[mchell810]

Your photos are just lovely!  I don't know anything about "long exposure" photos, but I've been inspired to learn!

[mchell810]

I was going to email the hotel, but since you're there.... If you get a chance will you please ask if the rooftop bar will be open in November.  Even if the bar is not open will guests be able to access that space? TIA

[mahdnc]

3 hours ago, mchell810 said:

I was going to email the hotel, but since you're there.... If you get a chance will you please ask if the rooftop bar will be open in November.  Even if the bar is not open will guests be able to access that space? TIA

No problem, I’ll ask. I asked about it for our 5 night stay this week.  And they said it would be open.

[mahdnc]

3 hours ago, mchell810 said:

Your photos are just lovely!  I don't know anything about "long exposure" photos, but I've been inspired to learn!

The key piece of equipment is to have a camera tripod which most people including myself are loathe to lug around with their luggage. It keeps the camera steady to preserve the sharpness of the photo. However for this trip, I had these photos in mind since I knew I was staying at them Albergo del Senato. 
 

The other key thing is to be able to trigger the shutter without having to touch the camera to further reduce the possibility of camera shake. Some people use the camera’s self timer. I used the Nikon camera app to allow me to start the photograph with my iPhone

[xamsx]

I saw the title of this thread and had a minor panic… “hey, I am on this cruise! Did I miss the boat!?” and then I started reading. 🙂

 

Looking forward to meeting everyone (assuming we test negative tomorrow). 

[vickykay]

David, loved the photos of the Pantheon, one of our favorite places in Rome.  We were going to have the same view at the hotel.  

[mchell810]

9 hours ago, mahdnc said:

The key piece of equipment is to have a camera tripod which most people including myself are loathe to lug around with their luggage. It keeps the camera steady to preserve the sharpness of the photo. However for this trip, I had these photos in mind since I knew I was staying at them Albergo del Senato. 
 

The other key thing is to be able to trigger the shutter without having to touch the camera to further reduce the possibility of camera shake. Some people use the camera’s self timer. I used the Nikon camera app to allow me to start the photograph with my iPhone

 

Thanks for this; however, you're right -- I won't be dragging a tripod around.  I guess I will just have to enjoy the lovely photos others provide. 😀

[canderson]

7 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

 

Thanks for this; however, you're right -- I won't be dragging a tripod around.  I guess I will just have to enjoy the lovely photos others provide. 😀

There are some mini-tripods that are easily ported around providing you don't need height off the ground.  Placing these little ones on other solid objects a bit higher up is an effective travel alternative.

 

[mchell810]

3 minutes ago, canderson said:

There are some mini-tripods that are easily ported around providing you don't need height off the ground.  Placing these little ones on other solid objects a bit higher up is an effective travel alternative.

 

 

Thanks, but these days I am much more into simplicity.  The tripod will require a separate camera so I prefer to just live with my phone.  It takes good pictures; I just won't be able to do special things like long exposure.

[mahdnc]

18 hours ago, mchell810 said:

I was going to email the hotel, but since you're there.... If you get a chance will you please ask if the rooftop bar will be open in November.  Even if the bar is not open will guests be able to access that space? TIA

 

The front desk told me that in November the roof top bar is only open on days when the weather is good enough.  So you cannot count on it being open, but it is not just simply shut down for the season either.

[mahdnc]

My wife and I just did a self Covid test and we both tested negative. We are going to take the proctored test (final exams) tomorrow afternoon.

[mchell810]

58 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

The front desk told me that in November the roof top bar is only open on days when the weather is good enough.  So you cannot count on it being open, but it is not just simply shut down for the season either.

 

Good to know.  Thanks for taking the time to follow up.