The first place I ever visited in Europe, outside of the United Kingdom, was Prague in the Czech Republic. I had always seen Europe as an area that I would experience when I had less time available to travel for months on end exploring countries.
I visited Prague for 5 days, I spent most of the tip exploring the city walking around and seeing the sights. All the buildings have amazing architecture, and you walk around the city with your head looking up! I saw the palace and the castle and some beautiful churches with detailed decorations. On one of the nights there I saw the Luxembourg Philamonic Orchestra perform in Prague’s main concert hall. It only cost 15 Euros and we were 7 rows from the front, in England that would probably have cost nearly 75 Euros. Another night we went to see some Jazz which was fun.
The food there was really good, big breakfasts and lots of different types of sausages. The main meal there consists of meat, dumplings and cabbage and was nice. For my last dinner there I had a Czech platter which had 5 different types of meat (rabbit, pork, beef, chicken, duck), 3 types of dumplings and 2 types of cabbage. I think it was meant for at least 2 people but I managed to finish it off! Prague is known for its beer and it was really good and about 1 Euro a pint, mmm!
The clubs are open till 4am there, they play the same sort of music as they do here, I made the most of them on my last night! I picked up some nice black and white photographs and some paintings as souveniers.
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December 10th, 2007
Posted by
Doug Platts |
Europe, Travel |
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They say all roads lead to Rome, and my travels took me there for three days just last weekend.
I have never been to anywhere in Italy, but it has been somewhere i have always wanted to visit. There is such great history there being one of the oldest civilisations, with the Vatican City and the Colosseum it was well worth getting up at 4 in the morning to make my way to the airport.
The hotel I stayed in, Hotel Milton Roma, was just round the corner from the main train station in Rome, Termini, and right by a metro stop. This was a great location as it was outside the expensive centre but was easy enough to get from my hotel to anywhere I wanted to, either by metro or bus. The room was a good size with its own bathroom and a buffet breakfast included in the price, the staff were very friendly and I would definitely recommend this as a place to stay.
Before going to Rome I did some research in what could be, realistically, seen in the time I was there. I was away for 3 days but only really had 2 whole days there, half a day Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday till around 2 before catching my flight back to England. I realised that I would need a whole day set aside for the Vatican city and the rest of the time would be spent viewing as many monuments, churches and piazzas as possible!
After checking into my hotel I only had a couple of hours of daylight left so I proceeded to the Spanish Steps:
Scala di Spagna (Spanish Steps)
Rising over the Piazza di Spagna in the very heart of Rome is a monumental baroque staircase — best viewed in spring when the flowers are in full bloom. It was the work of Francesco de Sanctis in the 18th century. The stairs lead to the Trinitá dei Monti Church. At no. 26 on the piazza is the Keats-Shelley House where Keats died of tuberculosis at the age of 25.
It’s a rare visitor who hasn’t sat for a while on one of the landings — there’s one every 12 steps — perhaps to download an e-mail from home on a laptop or observe the other sitters, most often young. The fountain at the foot of the steps was designed by Bernini’s father at the end of the 16th century, and it’s reputed to have the sweetest water in Rome.
From here I wondered through the back streets, sampling some of Rome’s famous ice-cream along the way before ending up at the Trevi Fountain just after sunset:
Fontana dei Trevi (Trevi Fountain)
This is an 18th-century extravaganza of baroque stonework ruled over by a large statue of Neptune. Visitors come here at night for 20 minutes or so to toss a coin into the fountain, which is said to ensure that you will some day return to Rome.
From here I walked down to Capitoline Hill, past the Forum and to the Colosseum - which were all light up and looked amazing at night, I couldn’t wait to see these in the day light.
After a quick freshen up at the hotel it was time to head out for dinner. The piazza of choice for tonight was Piazza Navona:
Piazza Navona
The most beautiful square in all of Rome — and best seen at night — is like an ochre-colored gem, unspoiled by new buildings, or even by traffic. The shape stems from the Stadium of Domitian, whose ruins lie underneath. Great chariot races were once held here. In the center is Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, floodlit at night. During summer evenings there are outdoor art shows. Some of the oldest streets in Rome surround Piazza Navona. There is no more romantic place to dine in all the city.
Whilst the restaurants around the square were very nice, I ate at one of them on the first night, I would actually recommend exploring the side streets that lead off from the piazza. The narrow streets and restaurants are great to explore, stopping off for an ice cream or a drink at one of the bars.
Day Two:
The next day its was an early start as I planned to see the Vatican City - you need to be up early as the queues to get into the city start early and can get very long.
Whilst the queue stretched round the outside of the city walls, it moved pretty fast - they had a good system in place. Also on the day I went the city was ony open for the morning, some people turned up as I was leaving only to be disappointed as the main doors were closed!
Musei Vaticani (the Vatican Museums) & the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel)
These museums are the richest in the world, and will take up the better part of your day — allow at least 3 hours for a cursory visit. They are well worth your valuable time. There are so many museums here in addition to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, plus several papal apartments.
Piazza San Pietro
This is one of the world’s most famous squares, designed by Bernini in the 1630s. It is the gateway to the largest church in the world. Whilst waiting in a queue that stretched around the piazza the heavens opened and the rain poured down on us getting heavier and heavier until we resorted giving up our place in the line to seek shelter. As the rain sub-sided we dashed out to regain our place and started moving into St. Peter’s Basilica.
Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter’s Basilica)
When the church doors open, rush in. Once here, it’s hard to do anything but gasp at the size and the magnificence. The cupola was designed by Michelangelo, and the artist also created the most famous Pietà in the world. There is so much to see here that you should allow at least 1 1/2 hours.
That evening I returned to Piazza Navona and ate at another of the restaurants in the area and also enjoyed a drink at Campo de’ Fiori.
Campo de’ Fiori
This is not only the geographic center of Rome but a cultural center as well and the site of an open-air food market. After the vendors have left for the day, the cafes and the square come alive. It’s our favorite place in Rome for an evening apertivo at one of the piazza’s cafes and wine bars.Â
Day Three:
Colosseum
Construction on this amphitheater began in A.D. 72, and it was a marvel of engineering since its enormous weight rested in a swamp (Nero’s former lake) on artificial supports. The completed stadium was dedicated by Titus in A.D. 80. Covered with marble, it could hold 80,000 spectators who watched games that nearly rendered extinct many species of animals from the Roman Empire. Allow at least 1 1/2 hours to explore it.
Next to the Colosseum is the:
Arch of Constantine
This spectacular arch was erected in honor of Constantine’s defeat of the pagan Maxentius in A.D. 306. Physically, it’s beautiful, but marred by the hectic traffic zooming around it at all hours. You can gaze in awe at this remarkable arch with its intricate carving for at least 15 minutes before pressing on. Before tackling the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, we suggest a luncheon break in the area of the Colosseum. If you don’t want to waste precious time, you can avail yourself of food on the run at a street vendor, or else patronize one of the trattorie in the vicinity, if you’re seeking a sit-down meal.
Within a short walk of the Colosseum you can take in the glories of:
Forum Romano (Roman Forum), Palatino (Palatine Hill), and Museo Palatino (Palatine Museum)
The Roman Forum was the literal heart of ancient Rome, a center for trade, religion, and politics. The entrance is off Via dei Fori Imperiali, right at the intersection with Via Cavour.
After you view the Roman Forum, you can explore Palatine Hill, which was once covered with the palaces of patrician families and early emperors. Today it’s a tree-shaded hilltop of gardens and fragments of ancient villas. Allow at least 3 hours to take in these attractions and the Palatine Museum.
Fori Imperiali (Imperial Forums)
From the railing that skirts Via dei Fori Imperiali, you can take in the view of the famous forums of Imperial Rome in about 30 minutes. Arm yourself with a trusty map so you’ll know which ruins you’re viewing. Right off Piazza Venezia stands Trajan’s Column, with its intricate bas-relief sculpture depicting Trajan’s victorious campaign against Dacia at the dawn of the 2nd century. Immediately east of the column is Basilica Ulpia, whose gray marble columns rise roofless into the sky. Moving east you come to the Forum of Julius Caesar, the first of the forums and the site of the ancient Roman stock exchange and the Temple of Venus. Next you’ll pass on your left the Forum of Augustus, built before the birth of Christ and once home to a mammoth statue of Augustus. On your right is the Forum of Nerva, honoring an emperor with a 2-year reign (A.D. 96-98). Directly east of Nerva is the Forum of Vespasian begun by the emperor after the capture of Jerusalem in A.D. 71. Immediately following that is the Temple of Venus and Roma, or what little is left of it.
Piazza del Campidoglio
The Campidoglio stands on the summit of Capitoline Hill, the most sacred of ancient Rome, where the Temples of Jupiter and Juno once stood. This was the spiritual heart of ancient Rome, where triumphant generals made sacrifices to the gods for giving them victories. On the way up the graceful steps leading to the Campidoglio, take a look in the shrubs to the left of the stairway. Deep in the bushes is a large cage. In it are wolves perpetuating the memory of the she-wolf who suckled the infants Romulus and Remus.
At the top of the stairs is the fabled equestrian statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Actually, it’s a copy; the original is in the Capitoline Museum on your left. Across the piazza is the Palace of the Conservatori based on an architectural plan of Michelangelo. Save these museums for a future visit.
Walk around the corner (as you face it) of the Senatorium (Town Council) for a panoramic view of the Roman Forum, which we’ll visit later. In the distance you can see the Colosseum, also coming up later in our itinerary. The decaying columns and crumbling temples of Imperial Rome rank as one of the grandest man-made views you’ll see in Europe. Allow at least 30 minutes or more to walk up and down the steps leading to Capitoline Hill taking in the view.
The Pantheon
This fabulous ancient monument was built and rebuilt several times, first by Agrippa who began it in 27 B.C. The present structure is the result of an early 2nd century A.D. reconstruction by the Emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon stands on Piazza della Rotonda, which is complete with obelisk and baroque fountain.. It is in an astonishing state of preservation, considering nearly 2 millennia of vandalism. Allow 45 minutes for a visit.
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November 29th, 2007
Posted by
Doug Platts |
Europe, Travel |
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I grew up in Scotland from the age of 7 to 15, however this was in the Highlands of Scotland in Caithness and I never got chance to explore Edinburgh in that time. 10 years after leaving Scotland I finally made it to Edinburgh!
I'm Doug Platts and this is my travel blog from my trips around the world. On my travel blog I speak about many places I have been to and include my travel photos of what I have seen. If you have a travel blog or have travel photos you want to share please contact me. Or if would like to write a travel article for my travel blog, or would like to share travel tips or advice to publish here please let me know.
