Rome

After returning to Istanbul from Goreme, I flew to Rome. I had read on a blog that it was really easy to find Gluten Free food because Coeliac Disease is a nationally recognised condition. The blog also said that Coeliacs in Italy get two working days off every month to go and find food. I was quite excited at this news, but sadly I did not have quite as easy a time of things as the blog suggested I would. There were gluten free products in the supermarkets and the pharmacies, but most restaurants did not have any special gluten free options on the menu. So I didn't get the chance to sample the wide variety of pasta or pizza that was on offer. Risotto was available in some places, and most of the main courses (like roast chicken and potatoes) were gluten free. There was some interesting food on offer, especially the dried meat, the cheese. and, of course, the icecream At a stall near the river I saw cheese with pistachio nuts embedded in it. Lunches in Italy consist of 2 courses (e.g. a rice/pasta dish followed by a meat/fish dish) if done correctly. Shops and hostels shut down at lunchtime (12-2 or 1-3) and then stay open later into the day.


Motor traffic in Italy included a large number of scooters and smart cars. Pedestrians didn't seem to have right of way so one had to be careful when walking along the narrow streets. It was not uncommon to see smart cars parked in parallel parking spaces with their headlights, rather than their side, facing the kerb: evidently anything goes for them parking wise.


On my first full day I went to the Forum and the Colosseum. It was great to finally see the heart of the Roman empire and the famous monuments. While at the Colosseum I learned what the gladiators used as a substitute for Red Bull:




The next day I went to Vatican City to visit the Basilica of St Peter and the Vatican Museum (which includes the Sistene Chapel). These were some of the most opulently decorated places I have ever seen, everywhere you look there is amazing artwork. The Vatican Museum is so big and has so much great art that by the time I got to the Sistene Chapel at the end I had almost overdosed on it all! Truly a great collection. This is the ceiling of one of the corridors in the Vatican Museum, to give you an idea of the scale of what was on offer:




That night I went to the Trevi Fountain, a local landmark that people visit to sit and have a drink or two before heading out to restaurants, bars, etc. It is traditional to face away from the fountain, throw in some coins and make a wish: apparently every year thousands of euros end up there. It was a great spot to have a drink.










On my final day in Rome I visited a castle near the Tiber River, which was amazing because you could climb right up to the top and look out over the city. Here's the view:






















The hostel I stayed at was called Alessandro's Palace. It was really great: the staff knew where to go to see the sights, get food, etc and the hostel has a bar inside with cheap drinks from 8-9 and 10-11 every night. You had to buy tokens from reception and then buy drinks with them rather than paying cash to the barman directly: I wasn't sure why. The hostel also offered free pizza every night at 8:30. It is really close to the train station so we had easy access to the Metro, which accessed the main sights but not much of the city itself.


All in all I enjoyed my visit to Rome but did not find the city itself quite as vibrant or fascinating as Istanbul.