Buon giorno from Rome

Saturday, February 3, 2024

We’ve arrived! The overnight flight was so smooth and uneventful; plus we flew Polaris class thanks to our son, Tim, encouraging us to do so, so we could get some sleep. Did we? I think I got more than I would have in Premium Economy - Ed said he slept 3-1/2 hours (of course he watched two movies before that). 

But Polaris class is a world unto itself. Trying to figure out the seat and how everything works took some time. Then, sparkling wine before take-off + warm washcloth and bottle of water. Dinner order was confirmed (we had pre-ordered). Then a glass of wine and a small bowl of nuts followed by the main meal - but first they lay a napkin down on the tray table - WHAT??? And the tray table is big enough to hold the tray and any drinks you may have. And wait - a dessert cart! Vanilla Ice Cream with hot fudge and chocolate chips. They had other topping offerings (and other dessert offerings) as well. Half the time you forget you are on an airplane. And breakfast was offered prior to landing - although not much of an appetite for us.

We arrived on time - went through customs without issue - and then to get our luggage. Well that was a longer wait than we imagined. It seemed that everyone got their suitcases before us (and a few other folks also waiting). We started to feel like Kate and Chris must have felt in Bermuda last June (their suitcases never did arrive). I have to say I started having visions of the same event.  Finally, Ed’s arrived. And then maybe 20 more before Betsy’s appeared. And at that point they were coming onto the belt piecemeal - that was a little nerve-wracking. So much for that Priority tag they put on our suitcases. But off we went and found our driver waiting for us - Francisco - and he sped us away from the airport and to the hotel in about 30 minutes. 

Hotel Dei Mellini is very nice and we were able to get into our room by 10:30 a.m - so we napped a little bit. Even though we slept flat in Polaris class - we were both still a bit out of it without our full 7-8 hours of sleep - the nap helped us push through.

Off to Castel Sant’Angelo - a 10 minute walk from our hotel. Weather is amazing. Sun is hot, not much of a breeze, blue skies - could have used a lighter jacket.

Castel Sant’Angelo was originally built in 139 for the disposition of Emperor Hadrian’s ashes. Emperor Antoninus Pius cremates the body of Hadrian and places his ashes, together with that of his wife Vivian Sabina and his adopted son, Lucius Aelius, in the mausoleum. We toured the Castel Sant’Angelo and walked the same path that the funeral procession would have walked - up, up, up on this curved walkway and steps, eventually reaching the room where they believe his ashes were laid to rest. Bust of Hadrian pictured below:

In 608 Pope Boniface consecrated Hadrian's burial chamber to the worship of the Archangel Michael. Centuries later, a legend spread that while Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) was crossing Ponte Elio in procession, Michael appeared at the top of the building, sheathing his sword to signify the end of the plague that was devastating Rome at the time. 

The Castel Sant’Angelo has been many things since. Pope Clement VII took refuge in the Castle together with the papal court during the sack of Rome (1523-1534). Julius II used it as a luxurious residence, adding a bathroom for the Papal apartment. It was occupied by Napoleonic troops in 1798; in 1870 it ceased to be the fortress of the Vatican citadel and became Italian state property as a barracks and military prison. In 1925 it became a National Museum.

The views of the city from the many levels were breathtaking, including the view of the Vatican. The beautiful sunny day with blue skies added to the enjoyment.

A return to our hotel to determine where to eat dinner (it’s only 4pm at this point but our eating schedule is a mess and we were hungry). Found a restaurant in walking distance - Brillo (yes, we know this word as a scrubbing pad - in Italian it means: to be a bit tipsy or buzzed). It was a busy bar/restaurant and the food was delicious. We shared a homemade stuffed ravioli first course followed by meatballs and sauce for Ed and Eggplant parmigiana for me - delicious meal. The city was busy, busy. It was dark by the time we headed back and people were everywhere. We were on one of the famous streets for shopping with lots of stores and restaurants - we will return to this street.

Shout out to Rita - yes, you can get lost easily on these streets and we did get turned around a couple of times (nothing too much). Our best reference is the Tiber River so as long as we know where that is we can orient ourselves. And walking on the cobblestones and old streets is challenging at times.

Below a picture of the Tiber River as a rowing scull went by - posted this one for Kelly.

We are exhausted and returned to the hotel. Asleep by 8:30 (Ed) and I was not far behind - all in all, a good day!

Betsy