Prague to Rome

Today was "getaway" day, and although we were sad to leave Prague, we are looking forward to our adventures in Italy.

Now that we are experts at negotiating Prague's public transportation system, the trip to the airport was easy, and although our flight was slightly delayed taking off, it was totally uneventful. Our flight path took us over the alps, and Innsbruck, Austria which brought back good memories from our visits back in the early 1980's. There was still snow on the mountains, and we could see some of the ski runs. We probably skied some of them many years ago !

Once we arrived at the airport in Rome, it seemed to take forever to get our luggage, change our Czech Crowns for Euros, and pick up the rental car.

What a nice surprise awaited us when we got to our car . . . there were no tiny cars left, so we were given a spacious (by Italian standards) Fiat 500L with 1700 kilometers on it - and it is a diesel fueled car - not gasoline (or benzine as the Italians call it).

Both suitcases and my carry-on fit in the very back with the security panel over top, and the only thing that had to go in the back seat was our backpack. The 'real adventure' was just now beginning as we had come to understand that Italian driving is not for the timid.

It took about 30 minutes to drive to the Kolping Hotel Casa Domitilla where we will be staying tonight and tomorrow night. It is a small, older hotel, located in a quiet residential neighborhood, literally right next to the Domitilla Catacombs, which we plan to visit on Monday.

Our walking tour of Rome begins at 11:00 am tomorrow !

BRIEF HISTORY OF ROME

Rome is a city and special comune (named Roma Capitale) in Italy. With 2.9 million residents in 496.1 sq. mi., it is the fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome has a population of 4.3 million residents. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula along the shores of Tiber river. Vatican City is an independent country geographicaly located within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason, Rome has been often defined as capital of two countries.

Rome's history spans more than 2,500 years. While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at only around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe. The city's early population originated from a mix of Latins, Etruscans and Sabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization and by some as the first ever metropolis. It is referred to as ‘Roma Aeterna’ (The Eternal City) and ‘Caput Mundi’ (Capital of the World), two central notions in ancient Roman culture.

After the fall of the Western Empire, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, which had settled in the city since the 1st century AD, until in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870.

Beginning with the Renaissance, almost all the popes since Nicholas V (1422–55) pursued an endeavor to make the city the world's artistic and cultural center. Due to that, Rome became first one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, and then the birthplace of both the Baroque style and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors and architects made Rome the center of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.

Rome has the status of a global city and ranked in 2015 as the 14th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. Its historic center is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are among the world's most visited tourist destinations with both locations receiving millions of tourists a year. Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is the seat of United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.


Our Dinner

The restaurant at the hotel doesn't open until 7:00 pm for dinner (they eat late, here), and since we hadn't eaten since breakfast, we were starving. The front desk manager told us that there were several cafes and pizzarias/trattorias quite nearby, and we quickly decided that this was the path to pursue.

One looked particularly inviting, and although they didn't open until 7:00 for inside dining, we could order and sit at their tables outside. It was a pleasant early evening, and many people strolled past us - older couples, families with children, and one gentleman who offered to take our photo. The pizza was outstanding . . . of course . . . we are in Italy!