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Page 2 of 12 |
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Page 2 of 12 |
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I cannot think of a better prelude to twelve sinfully
luxurious days on
Silver Wind
than a weekend in one of my favorite cities in Europe: Rome. A city where the ancient
magically blends in with the modern day. Where steps away from the
beautiful Baroque Spanish Steps, people
queue up at the Gucci flagship store in the Via Condotti.
On Saint Peter's Square, crowds cheer as Pope John Paul II appears at
the window high above Vatican City on Sunday. Couples
stroll along the banks of the River Tiber hand in hand.
Tourists find their way amongst the majestic ruins of the
Forum Romanum. Rome, the city of
gelato,
cappuccino and La Dolce Vita. Benvenuto! |
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By the time
the KLM Boeing 737 starts its descend towards Leonardo da
Vinci Airport after a short & sweet flight from Amsterdam,
my good friend Teun Wim and I switch
into "Italian mood". When compared to the Dutch, the Italians
seem to talk a bit louder, definitely dress more fashionably,
but most importantly seem to enjoy life much better. And while
Rome Airport may look chaotic at first, things move fairly quickly.
Before we know it we are speeding towards
the center of Rome in a comfortable train.
Only twenty five minutes later, we leave the hustle and
bustle of the city's main central station behind us and check
into our home base for the next two days. The charming Morgana
Royal Court Hotel is ideally located, just a stone's throw
from Roma Termini in a quiet street. |
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As Rome is basically one big open air
museum, there is no time to waste. We bravely venture into the midday heat and
after a short metro ride we start our explorations of Rome on foot. Every building
here seems more steeped in
history than the previous one. There is no end to the number of monuments,
fountains and Roman ruins that we find on our way. What a city! |
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I love coming
to the
Piazza Navona with its eclectic fountains, lined with touristy
restaurants and overlooked by the Church of
Sant'Agnese in Agone. Rome is a city of churches and it
requires
some research to decide which ones to visit. Not to be missed
it the
biggest one of them all.. Construction of the gigantic Saint
Peter's Basilica started in 1506, incorporating works of all
famous Italian medieval masters. From the stunning colonnades
at Bernini's Piazza to Michelangelo's magnificent dome, Saint
Peter is a sight to behold. And on most Sundays, an eclectic
mix of people from all corners of the world go wild on the
Piazza as the Pope appears one of the windows of his palace.
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Less known, but to me equally
impressive is the hidden church of San'Ignazio di Loyola. We venture into the
church during an organ recital, which only adds to the unique atmosphere. Built
in 1626 by Pope Gregory XV, this church features
a dazzling painted three-dimensional ceiling that make the roof seems to
open up to the sky above. |
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Highlight of our
stay in Rome must be the wonderful evening we spend with our
friends Stefania and Beppe, both born and raised Romans.
In true Italian fashion, they make us feel more than welcome
and show us parts of their city that we
wouldn't have seen otherwise. Of course, an evening in the
Eternal City would be worthless without a proper Italian meal! Stefania and Beppe take us to a charming eatery in one of the
suburbs and treat us to a bacchanal that will be remembered
for long. Bellissima!
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