Our Roman holiday

After the Awesome Foursome of Aunty Polly, our mother, my sister Pearly and I, returned from Paris on the Eurostar, we enjoyed a brief break in London before we packed our bags again and took a flight to Rome.

A section of the massive Trevi Fountain,
the largest fountain in the city of Rome

Cousin Bernice had helped to plan this special summer holiday with our mothers, with transfers and accommodation arranged in advance.

When we arrived in Rome, Pearly and I studied the maps and brochures to pick local tours to visit the must-see sites here, including the Vatican City.

Unlike Paris where its tourist attractions were mostly situated a walking distance away, we decided that it was wiser to join a local tour to see the sites in Rome.

As we explored the city streets, churches and cathedrals, one of the features about Roman architecture that caught my eye were their massive doors, an observation that started with the wooden door into our hotel.

Aunty Polly [Left] and I in the hotel room we shared

I remember this building had narrow corridors and an ancient box elevator which only moved when its collapsible gate was securely closed.

Our hotel stay was in twin-share bedrooms where Pearly paired with our mother while Aunty Polly and I shared another room.

In the room shared by my sister and mother, there was a painting on the wall that portrayed the legendary founding of Rome in 8^th Century BC where twin infant brothers, Romulus and Remus, were suckled by a she-wolf.

Each one of us probably had our own ideas about Rome and Romans garnered from reading the Bible and from watching award-winning 1954 romantic comedy, Three Coins in the Fountain, and epic movies that featured gladiators in the arenas and of course, the iconic chariot race in Ben-Hur.

A hot and sunny scene at the Spanish Steps

In stark contrast to these colourful movie scenes we remember from the big screen, to see the sites in its past glory, we had to stretch our imagination when we had our own experience of the Roman ruins that were once magnificent structures.

Throughout our stay it was hot and sunny, so it was good to find some shade as we explored from piazza to piazza, town squares that were often marked by a monument or fountain.

It was especially refreshing to reach Rome’s largest fountain, Fontana de Trevi or the Trevi Fountain that was happily splashing and spraying cool water.

The centerpiece of this massive fountain was the sculpture of Neptune the sea god, with horses, tritons and shells, where water swirled around the figures and artificial rocks and collected in a large basin which was filled with wishers’ coins.

A section of the four-storey high
Colosseum, the largest structure
preserved in Roman antiquity

This 17^th century masterpiece has been immortalized in films like Three Coins in the Fountain where the characters threw in coins to make wishes.

And even though I did not believe in wishing upon a fountain, I contributed a coin to this fountain to mark my visit!

In the middle of the city, we stepped into the heart of ancient Rome at the Roman Forum, a rectangular forum or plaza which was surrounded by ruins of several important government buildings.

When we stood among the fallen columns and ancient ruins, we had to use our imagination to see in our mind’s eye, the grand arches, impressive walls and columns in the courts, markets and meeting places that once was the center of Roman political and religious life.

The best-preserved monument of Roman antiquity must be The Pantheon, which was rebuilt after it was damaged by fire in AD 80.

It was originally a pagan temple that the first Christian emperors forbade its use for worship, but it was dedicated in 609 and since then, became the burial place of Italian kings and other famous Italians.

At the Vatican City, with St Peter's Basilica in the
background; [L to R] Pearly, Aunty Polly and my mum

Speaking of burials, we read from brochures about midnight cemetery and tomb tours and shivered at the thought of wandering around these eerie places at night…

We, however, bravely embarked on an exciting exploration of the Catacombs, cemeteries or tomb chambers that were several levels underground.

It was indeed a unique and unforgettable experience to see these resting places.

I cannot forget the feeling of increasingly chilly coolness – whether from external temperature or from within – as we ventured lower into the depths of the dark catacombs.

After that chilling experience, it was good to be out in the sun again when we explored the largest structure in Roman antiquity – the Colosseum – and nearby Arch of Constantine.

The Swiss Guard at Vatican City

The oval-shaped, four-storey Roman design of the Colosseum remains the model for present-day sports arenas and football stadiums.

In my mind's eye, I saw this arena filled with excited spectators to watch games, festivals and performances with the royalty, court officials and VIPs seated at the lowest level – for the closest views – aristocratic families who occupied the second level while the third and fourth levels were for the common people.

Exciting scenes from Hollywood epic historical drama movies like the chariot race in, Ben-Hur (1959) and gladiator fights in Spartacus (1960) just popped into my mind.

I knew we were in Rome, Italy, but one of the attractions here was the Spanish Steps.

This was a flight of stairs and landings that led up to a French church, Trinita dei Monti, and at the foot of the stairs, was the Piazza di Spagna – the Spanish Plaza – for which these famous steps were named.

A toast to our Roman holiday!

At the piazza, was the Barcaccia, a boat-shaped fountain that was created by Pietro Bernini, father of the great Baroque architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

On a warm summer’s day, tourists – like us – rested our feet from walking by sitting on the steps to enjoy a gelato treat.

The most anticipated part of our Roman holiday must be a visit to the smallest independent state in the world, the Vatican City, for an experience of the museums of St Peter’s Basilica, and to see the magnificent frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

I remember reminding each other to be wary of pickpockets who chose to prey on unsuspecting tourists, especially while we were distracted by the highlight of the Vatican museums in the Sistine Chapel, while all eyes were focused upwards at Michelangelo’s most famous piece of artwork.

The instruction was Strictly No Photography inside the Sistine Chapel so all we did was to admire and absorb the significance of the nine scenes of creation from the Book of Genesis with the most iconic scene of the Creation of Adam.

At the airport for departure to London and the next
leg of our special summer holiday with our mothers

There was also a time limit for tourists within the compact Sistine Chapel so that each would have their turn to crane their necks and appreciate the ceiling frescoes.

An added attraction at the Vatican City must be the colourful uniform of the Swiss Guard, a military unit that protects the Pope and the premises.

I could not help but noticed the guards’ uniform of bright blue, red, orange and yellow, in a design reminiscent of a distinctly Renaissance era and I surreptitiously snapped a photo souvenir!

Equipped with basic training from the Swiss Armed Forces, the Swiss Guard is among the oldest military units still in operation since it was established in 1506.

All too soon, we reached the final day of our stay in Rome.

I remember pooling our money – it was still Italian Lira at that time – to see how much cash we still had among us and then splurged on more ice-cream and drinks before we bade our farewell to Rome.

Arrivederci, Roma!