Roma Aeterna

The Eternal City - we were back to Rome for five days! For the 27th or 28th time,,, but, it's never ever been as crowded as this time! Main reason: "Giubileo 25" - the Holy Year, which only takes place every 25 years, and attracts many pilgrimage groups from all over the world to visit. In addition, it's traditionally the time when student groups go on excursions. Therefore, the city was packed, long lines in front of attractions, museums, churches, intensified by strenghtened security. 

At famous Fontana di Trevi, for the first time only a certain number of people was admitted in at the same time. Once a group left through the "Exit" on one side, there were more people allowed in. No sitting at the fountain's edge (to throw your coin), and, even sitting around the fountain, on the benches, wasn't welcomed. A whole squad of supervisors was busy and constantly whistling when people broke the new "laws". 

Crowds everywhere: At the Colosseo (from top to bottom), at the Pantheon, the Fontana di Trevi and the Piazza San Pietro in Vatican.

 

In addition to the crowds it was a bit disturbing that in this big anniversary year so many sights were under renovation/construction, buildings or views hidden behind scaffoldings and fences - Piazza Navonna's fountain, all of the Capitoline Hill with its famous museum (photo below), the famous viewpoint on the Aventino in the Giardino degli Aranci (popular for wedding photos!), and, many more. One would have thought that they try to get things accomplished before tourists flock in to celebrate 2025. 

Streetcars were only running sporadically and irregularly, not all lines in operation. Planned Metro expansion isn't fully accomplished yet. We especially struggled with public transportation, since we depended on it. We had chosen an AirBnB in Pigneto (photos below show apartment and neighborhood), west of the city center, assuming that we are well connected to town by streetcar, bus and metro. Which was theoretically correct, but, practically, it took us forever to get into town. Most times we changed lines once and waiting times were up to 20 min.! Never again we'll choose a place that far out with no chance to walk ,,,

 

What's still great in Rome are, first, the markets - food and other markets - and 2nd, the food and wine itself. Good deals if you know where to go and what to buy. One of our favs is the pizzeria Dar Poeta in Trastevere (Calzone and "Super Bufala Pizza" below) - good quality, big portions and very modest prices! - and we love to have breakfast in a regular bar, which locals frequent, just a cornetto and a capuccino at the bar.

 

 

Mercado Trionfale near Vatican - it was artichoke season!

Home-cooked meal with gnocci and sugo from the market

 

 Love the markets which sell used clothing and leather goods, too, especially the huge one at Porta Portese on Sundays, with vendors selling at boothes along a stretch of 2.8 km:

Flora and fauna are gorgeous and the weather (at least when we were visiting) was great, sunny though not too warm. Love the parks, the parakeets (Halsbandsittiche/Psittacula krameri) and all the early blooming trees. Even roses were starting to bloom, irises, too, and Judas Trees (redbud?) - Cercis siliquastrum/Judasbaum - were everywhere abundantly covered with pink blooms (left photo).

Tiber promenade

Colosseo seen from Parco Archeologico del Celio

Fountain in front of Giardino degli Aranci

Lupa Romana fountain

Some fountains above. Water quality is good in Rome and there are drinking fountains everywhere, plus, many ornamental ones like the Venus fountain in Parco Borghese (left) or the famous elephant fountain by Bernini (below).

We walked around 50 mi/80 km in not quite five days (and covered many more miles on public transport), found some good new developments (like a pedestrian area around the railroad station, the railroad station itself, the new Parco Archeologico del Celio (photos below) and the newly opened church and rampa with exhibitions on Foro Romano/Palatino).

 Foro Romano:

 Byzantine Santa Maria Antiqua (newly opened on Palatine slope):

Domus Augustana on Palatine - the residence of Roman emperor Domitian -  with its famous stadium:

View from Patatine towards Foro Romano

And here some more archeological sites in Rome at different places, first, Largo Argentina:

Porta Maggiore:

And our fav place on the Pincio on Sundays: The "Pattinatori del Pincio" - a group of roller skaters practising there regularly and fun to watch:

Mural in Trastevere: Jumping Wolf by ROA

View towards the Spanish Steps below 

Centro storico:

Modern FCO - Fiumicino Airport - with big EATALY:

Not to forget: heavenly gelato - one more reason to return!

 

Back home in the cold!

From SFO - on the left photo : South Park/Mission and the piers, below: the Financial District (skyscrapers) in the background and Lake Merced//Zoo, the greenery in front - we flew an extremely northern route from SFO to MUC, over Canada, Greenland, Iceland, but it's been a smooth flight and thanks to Eco Plus seats with the center seat free, it was okay, though can never sleep on the plane. 

 

Worked some, then watched some interresting HBO docu series about the Navajo Police Training Academy and the problems not only to find more police officers, but also with drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, poverty, loss of cultural roots, etc. The Navajo Reservation. The Navajo Nation Reservation is the largest reservation in the U.S.A., about the size of Bavaria. Capital is Window Rock, Arizona, but the homelands reach into Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. 

Food,,, not worth being mentioned in detail - seems that portions get smaller now, too. Arrived in Munich on time, at 9:50 am, after almost 11 hours in the air. 

Luggage came - new record for MUC! - in about 20 minutes, a train arrived immediately and brought us to Munich Central Station, from there another train to Augsburg and by streetcar back home. Took us about 3.5 hours from touch-down to our door. 

It was cold (around 26 deg F/-3 C this morning), there was a bit of snow on the ground, but, at least, the sun was out! Missing Tucson already!!!

 

In the morning, before touch-down

En Route,,,

Didn't sleep well, woke up early, had coffee, packed the car and at sunrise we left our beautiful AirBnB with a last gorgeous view of the mountains:

After a 20 min drive we arrived to Tucson Airport (left photo), a small, comfy airport, with the car rental return directly adjacent to Airport check-in. No bus drive necessary! Luggage and security went quick, plane was on time, though packed to the last seat. 2.5 hours flight to San Francisco, partly with great views:

Leaving Tucson

Mojave Desert

Approaching San Francisco

San Francisco's International Airport has a beautiful outdoors terrace with plants and sculptures (photo below), a good opportunity to catch some fresh air before sitting on the plane for 11+ hours, hopefully with the center seat between us empty! Fingers crossed!