It
was the first time I realised that a Roman holiday could very well
remind you of Bangladesh. Oddly, it is a familiar sight across Rome. A
quick visual audit of the city and nearly every other roadside vendor,
souvenir seller, shop worker and restaurant waiter appears to be of
Bangladeshi origin. Who would have thought that the population of
immigrants from Bangladesh living in Italy exceeded 100,000 as of 2013
to become the second biggest diaspora in the world after Great Britain!
Now
this trip of mine was hatched between my stop-over in Spain, away from
the chaos of Dhaka, my newly-found home at the time, and Santorini in
Greece, well the city that did not end up happening to this date, but I
shall get to that part a little later.
Arrival
in the heart of Rome is somehow coming back home, regardless if it is
your maiden voyage, notwithstanding cultural and language barriers. The
ancient monuments, the strong, willful presence of God towered by the
Vatican, the smiles and even the catcalls from random men on the street
making their presence known and reminding you how well you look! Oh yes,
I was informed by fellow travellers before that I would feel right at
home in the streets of Rome, going from Dhaka!
The best way to
see this city is to walk. Having experienced the unpredictability of the
weather in London or Paris, one can actually count on good weather and
unreliable transportation here. On foot is also where you will discover
the hidden marvels of this city – the warm aroma of a bakery and
handmade leather of a local craftsman, grandmas drying clothes out the
balcony and how can anyone resist the arcane piazzas that seem to be
still stuck in the 16th century!
It is very challenging to get
away from art in Italy. Once you do get a taste of it though, you have
to hop chapels and cathedrals to discover the real masterpieces. Like
most basilicas, entry is free in these churches and is one of those
eyes-feasting pleasures in this world that money cannot buy. While the
entire city of Rome is a museum in itself, Galleria Borghese is quite
the find. You are exposed to antiquities, the Renaissance and other
collections in a 17th century villa made up with a compact course in the
Italian aesthetic.
Before I move on and sweep your feet off with
the treasures held inside the confines of the Vatican, one last
art-related suggestion would be the Giorgio de Chirico House that gives
you a peek into the 20th century with some of the signature works of the
master of classically fuelled surrealism and his sunny attic studio –
the apartment where De Chirico lived for more than 30 years until his
death in 1978.
A travel tip for the first-timers visiting the
Vatican would be to spare an ample amount of time. This is one place,
please take my words for it, that you absolutely do not wish to rush
through.
There
is a vast amount of art and sculptures to view, as you make your way to
the Sistine Chapel. This is where Michelangelo carved the first of his
great masterpieces on Italian Renaissance. The pinnacle of Renaissance
painting and masterpieces, Michelangelo covers the ceiling and altar
wall of the Sistine Chapel, the grand hall, where the cardinals meet to
elect a new pope.
As the history goes Michelangelo, commissioned
by the Pope Julius II to decorate the chapel ceiling, initially
complained that he was a sculptor and not a frescoist, and centuries
later the whole world is just a little bit relieved that a papal
commission cannot be ignored!
After dedicating so many words to
Michelangelo, I believe it would be rather unfair if I did not mention
that my personal favourite inside the Vatican is actually that of
Raphael's – the School of Athens. This is one of the most famous
frescoes by him, representing philosophy, poetry, theology and law, and
depicts the distinct branches of knowledge.
One thing to consider
in regards to dress code is no bare shoulders, no very short shorts or
skirts, if you do not want a bizarre array of spiteful Italian being
gushed at you at any of these religious establishments (okay guilty as
charged!).
Indulging in the mouth-watering gelatos, that can make
any person without a sweet tooth go weak in the knees, my friends and I
had managed to walk around this museum of a city, always clutching our
belongings with dear life at all times.
Having experienced both
Istanbul and Barcelona in a row, this came to us quite naturally. But
what made our mouths drop next was the unmissable sight of Rome's most
famous ruins – the Colosseum! Half circus, half sports arena, we managed
to be one of the lucky visitors to have access to the underfloor
passageways through which gladiators and wild beasts made their entrances. A sight to behold!
Soon after we made our way back to the Spanish steps, a monumental stairway of 135 steps, where the city met after hours. This is one of the busiest parts of Rome where you get to catch a glimpse of McDonald's with a startling reminder that we were still in fact living in the 2000s.
passageways through which gladiators and wild beasts made their entrances. A sight to behold!
Soon after we made our way back to the Spanish steps, a monumental stairway of 135 steps, where the city met after hours. This is one of the busiest parts of Rome where you get to catch a glimpse of McDonald's with a startling reminder that we were still in fact living in the 2000s.
Slowly making our way towards the stairs though, a pack of
men casually circled my two friends and me, in the middle of the
crowded street, and we were robbed off our passports, credit cards and
left absolutely penniless.
It was a Friday night unfortunately, which meant we had to survive till Monday till the embassies re-opened and which also meant that early morning flight to Santorini had to be given a miss. How we survived that super long weekend, why don't I reserve till my next anecdote, next time! Till then, happy travels!
It was a Friday night unfortunately, which meant we had to survive till Monday till the embassies re-opened and which also meant that early morning flight to Santorini had to be given a miss. How we survived that super long weekend, why don't I reserve till my next anecdote, next time! Till then, happy travels!