"Rome, Italy 5th June"
"Map of the Basilica and the statue of Saint Paul, sculpted by Giuseppe Obici (1807-1878), at the entrance to the basilica. Paul was beheaded between 65 and 67 A.D; being a Roman by birth he couldn't be crucufied (the normal way of getting rid of enemies of the state). His body was buried two miles away from the place of his martyrdom, in the sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, owned by a devout Christian woman named Lucina. He was buried in what was a Roman necropolis, due to his Roman citizenship. Shortly thereafter, his tomb would become a place of worship and veneration."
Next stop Rome, or to be more accurate the port of Civitavecchia which is located around 37 miles from the centre of Rome. Knowing in advance that we would need transport to Rome I had booked an 8 seater minicab from Stefano Rome Tours and what a good decision this was. In spite of my concerns that they would not be waiting when we disembarked the ship, no there she was, our wonderful driver, Rosella, who turned out to be a gem. As well as being a very good driver (and you need to be in Rome) she was very knowledgable and gave us so much information during our tour of the city. We also learnt that there is now a restriction on the size of vehicles that can enter the center of the city; this means that if we had taken a coach from an organised tour from the ship we would have had to walk some distance to see the sights.
For our first stop, Rosella took us to the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. This is located outside the city wall and was built during the fourth century AD by Emperor Constantine on the burial ground of St. Paul the Apostle. It was largely destroyed by a fire in 1823 and has been reconstructed and is still undergoing refurbishment. It was a superb introduction to our Rome tour and because it is outside the main attractions of Rome, it is not so busy with tourists and was a very enjoyable stop for us.
From here we travelled into Rome via the Porta San Paulo and our first stop was at what remains of Circus Maximus. ( Reconstruction of what it probably looked like in its heyday)
From Circus Maximus Rosella took us to the Capitoline Hill which has the most dominant structure in Rome, the Vittoriano, a massive mountain of white marble that towers over Piazza Venezia at the top of the Hill in honour Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel II. We walked to the side and rear of the Hill which overlooks the remains of the Roman Forum which in its day was the meeting place for all of Roman society. Over the years the Forum was not preserved very well with much of the stone and marble being taken for use elsewhere, but even so the general grandeur that this once was is still evident. The Forum was at the very centre of Roman society in its day.
From the Capitoline Hill we made our way to the the Pantheon which is one of the oldest structures in Rome and has a very interesting history (more on the photos below). Our final stop before lunch was the Trevi Fountain, probably one of the most famous, visited and photographed sights in Rome. As always it was absolutely packed with tourists but we took our photos and threw some coins, as is custom, into the fountain (right hand over left shoulder). Thankfully it was time for lunch and Rosella took us to a very nice restaurant not far from the Vatican and we enjoyed a rest, something to eat and a very welcome beer.
After lunch it was time to visit the Vatican Museum which, naively I thought would be the highlight of our visit to Rome and I had at least purchased 'skip the line' tickets in advance which was worthwhile to avoid the queues waiting to go in. How wrong I was about the museum though. In a short space of time, however, we were all thoroughly fed up with the entire set-up which involved being herded like cattle along corridor after corridor, like a never-ending journey. There were so many people that it was almost impossible to stop and admire the paintings and artefacts; you literally had to move with the crowd and it wasn't even possible to take short cuts as these corridors and entrances had been taped off to prevent entry. It was just a sea of bodies moving as one in the general direction of the Systine Chapel; it reminded me of many places where in order to leave you have to go through the gift shop; there was simply no choice and it was very uncomfortable for all of us I think. And when we eventually arrived at the Systine Chapel, it was crammed full of bodies looking up at Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling. Unfortunately, there was no space to sit or even stand and you were not allowed to take photos (understandable) and we were so glad to just get out of there and make our way to St Peter's Basilica.
Rosella had told us how to get into the Basilica without paying and I have to say this was such a contrast in enjoyment to the Vatican; a beautiful place, not too crowded and we spent the rest of our stay in Rome here before meeting Rosella for the journey back to the ship.
"The beautiful gardens at the entrance to the basilica and the cloisters (referred to as the atrium) which were built later between 1220 and 1241. The cloister is one of the few parts of the Basilica which survived the fire of 1823. After the fire, many countries made donations for the restoration of the church, which was reopened in 1840. The temple was later declared a national monument."
"More photos from the beautiful gardens at the entrance to the basilica. We thought that the atrium is one of the best parts of the basilica with its columns (150) and the beautiful pilasters at the top. The ornate designs and extensive use of marble can only be found in Italy, I think."
"There are three main entrance doors to the basilica. The doors above are the central and right hand doors and both erected quite recently as part of the ongoing refurbishment. The door on the left with the cross was made in green bronze by Antonio Maraini in 1931 and the door on the right, the Holy Door, was made of golden bronze by the Enrico Manfrini and erected for the Jubilee year 2000."
"The Triumphal Arch in the Basilica holding the Altar of the Holy Sacrament that contains a cedar table that is said to be the one used by Christ at the Last Supper. Recent archeological excavations (2001) revealed that, under the altar, lies an ancient sarcophagus, claimed to contaiin the earthly remains of the St Paul."
"In Dec 2006, the following was reported in National Geographic - 'St. Paul's stone coffin has been found beneath Rome's second largest basilica, but its contents remain a mystery, Vatican archaeologists announced today. The sarcophagus dates back to about A.D. 390 and was uncovered in Rome's Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls'. The sarcophagus was buried beneath the main altar bearing the words 'Apostle Paul, Martyr' in Italian."
"More on the tomb of St Paul. Initially it was stated by Giorgio Filippi, the archaeologist of the Vatican Museum, who directed the excavations that 'Our aim was to unearth the coffin venerated as St. Paul's tomb, not to authenticate the remains'. They were probably concerned about the loss of revenue if the remains were shown to be someone else. Carbon14 dating later showed the remains to be from the same era, although this is not absolute proof they are St Paul's remains as this was a burial ground for many people at the time."
"This is known as the Altar of Assumption erected during the 4th century AD, and restored after a fire severely damaged it in 1823."
"There are around 80 colonnade inside the church and the circular friezes around the beautifully decorated ceiling show images of all the Popes."
"The photo on the right is the Chapel of St Benedict which as with everything else, especially inside, was reconstructed after the fire of 1823. The statue is of St Benedict holding in his right hand the abbatal crozier. I'm not sure what the photo on the left is of."
"This shot was taken through the window of the minibus (hence not so good) but shows the Pyramid of Cestius and the Porta San Paulo, formerly know as the Porta Ostiensis as it was at the start of the Ostia way from Rome to the port of Ostia. The Pyramid was built around 12 BC by praetor Caius Cestius as his tomb; it was built of concrete and brick and covered in Carrara marble; it was later integrated into the Aurelian Wall which helped to preserve it."
"This is what is left of Circus Maximus showing the track on either side that chariots, amongst other things, raced around.The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a 1000 years after the first races. The origins of the Circus Maximus go back to the sixth century BC when Tarquinius Priscus (fifth king of Rome) created a track between the Palatine and Aventine hills. 
"The remains of the Palatine Hill which sits about 40 meters above Circus Maximus; the ruins of what were in ancient times imposing buildings created for high society in Rome. Amongst these ruins can be see places such as Domus Flavia, House of Livia (best preserved), House of Augustus and the Hippodrome of Domitian."
"This is the road adjacent to Circus Maximus and the statue is of Giuseppe Mazzini who was an Italian politician, journalist and activist for the unification of Italy. Its quite recent, around 1949."
"The contrast between the ruins on Palatine Hill and some modern grand buildings; the Palatine Hill is still for Roman high society."
"After leaving Circus Maximus Rosella took us to the Capitoline Hill and on the way we passed two of the oldest structures in Rome. On the left is a photo I took in 2012 (I was too slow this time to get it) of the Temple of Hercules Victor built in the first century B.C. and mistakenly called the Temple of Vesta. On the right is the Temple of Portunus which is one of the best preserved temples originally built in the 3rd or 4th Century B.C."
"Love it or loathe it, as most locals do (they call it the 'wedding cake'), you can't ignore the Vittoriano the massive mountain of white marble that towers over Piazza Venezia at the top of the Capitoline Hill that was built in 1885 to honour Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel II. It's been said rather unkindly that the Vittoriano is taller than the Saturn V rocket and that over 20 people attended a banquet in the stomach of the horse in the equestrian statue of King Vittorio Emanuele II when it was completed. Photo taken from our mini-bus as we drove past."
"The sloping stairs are part of the overall design of the Capitoline Hill, designed by Michelangelo, some 3 centuries before the Vittoriano was built. The stairs are wide and the slope is gentle, supposedly so a person mounted on a horse could ride to the top. At the base are two (dry) fountains with ancient Egyptian black basalt lions; at the top are the massive marble statues of Castor and Pollux, and, of course, the beautiful piazza with the Palazzo Nuovo at the very top."
"Three buildings compose the Capitoline Musuems. These group of museums showcase art and architecture collections from Rome in antiquity and the Renaissance. The buildings are namely Palazzo dei Conservatori, Palazzo Nuovo and Central Monte Martini. This photo is of the Palazzo Nuovo, built in the 17th century, that highlights sculptures most of which are Roman Emperors and great philosophers, one of which the most famous is the Venus Capitolina. The equestrain statue is of Emperor Marcus Aurelius."
"This archway between the Palazzo Nuovo and the Palazzo dei Conservatori leads to a superb viewing place for the Roman Forum."
"I should have taken a panoramic shot of the Forum to get everything in; instead I've used photoshop to join the two views together. The Forum was the center of Rome for many centuries, where the fate of Europe was decided. The surviving remains still hint at the grandeur and splendour of the time with columns and triumphal arches and remains of once-important buildings still visible. "
"The Arch of Septimius Severus is a white marble triumphal arch dedicated in AD 203 to commemorate the Parthian victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of AD 194/195 and 197–199. After Septimius died his sons were initially joint emperors until (typical of Rome in the day) Caracalla had Geta assassinated in 212."
"Two of the main sights visible from our standpoint at the top of the Capitoline Hill, the Temple of Castor and Pollux on the left and the Temple of Saturn."
"Just before we left the Capitoline Hill, Rosella made a point of showing us what is in fact just a small part of the remains of ancient Rome that have been gradually covered and built on over the centuries. This is underneath the Vittoriano at the top of the Capitoline Hill. The images on the right show in more detail what you can see beneath Rome if you have the time to explore, which we didn't unfortunately."
"The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome. As the brick stamps on the side of the building reveal it was built and dedicated between A.D 118 and 125. Each of the 16 granite Corinthian columns at the entrance weighs 60 tons; they were quarried in Egypt, and transported, via the Nile and the Tiber over 500km to Rome to support the portico - quite some feat in ancient times."
"The Pantheon dome, which measures 43.2m in diameter, is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. It was originally covered in bronze but throughout the Middle Ages materials were gradually stripped away to be utilised elsewhere. When the Pantheon was built the only source of light was the 8.2m diameter oculus in the centre of the dome and often referred to as ‘The Eye of the Pantheon’. On 21st April, the founding date of Rome, at midday, sunlight through the oculus hits the metal grille above the door, filling the entrance way with light. This was by design, not accident and is just another small example of the engineering capabilities of the Romans."
"The Trevi Fountain has appeared in films such as Roman Holiday and Three Coins in a Fountain. The precise legend of the Trevi Fountain says you should stand with your back to the fountain and toss a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder to guarantee a return trip to Rome. The girls made their contributions without hitting anyone standing in front of the fountain; an estimated 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day and there are often attempts to steal the coins which is of course illegal."
"Legend holds that in 19 BC thirsty Roman soldiers were guided by a young girl to a source of pure water around thirteen kilometres from the city of Rome. The discovery of the source led the Emperor Octavius Augustus to commission Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, his son-in-law, to construct an aqueduct, the Aqua Virgo or Virgin Waters, named in honour of the legendary young girl, to bring fresh water to the center of Rome. The aqueduct served the hot Baths of Agrippa, and Rome, for over four hundred years. At the time it was a source of clean drinking water; nowdays the water still comes from the aquaduct but is also recirculated for conservation."
"On route to the Trevi and then our restaurant we passed some well know sights that we didn't have time for and we had all seen before. So just to complete the picture I've included a couple of shots from our 2012 visit to Rome including the Colisseum, Spanish Steps and the Arch of Constantine. I did get a photo (from the car) of the Porta del Popolo (bottom right), known as the Porta Flaminia in Roman times, the current structure was built by Pope Sixtus IV for the Jubilee Year 1475 on the site of an ancient Roman gate which, at that time, was partially buried. I guess there is only so much you can see in a single day."
"Just a tiny selection of the artefacts and art on display. The incredible and wide-ranging display of art, murals, paintings, statues (you name it) added to the general perception that the catholic church is all about wealth, I mean where and when did all this come from and where did religion fit into this image. Top right is a statue of Amenhotep II, middle left is an ancient Egyptian mummy. Did you know that even the Germans did not enter Vatican City during the war and this probably explains why this collection has survived without being plundered."
"Wall to wall paintings and murals and what a stunning ceiling."
"The 3rd century mosaic from Tusculum at the Greek Cross Gallery (Sala a Croce Greca)."
"St Peter's Basilica. The Swiss Guard outside the Basilica. The Swiss Guard have their origins during the Renaissance and were mercenary (Helvetian) soldiers, renowned for their courage, noble sentiments and loyalty and on January 22nd, 1506 a group of one hundred and fifty Swiss soldiers commanded by Captain Kasparvon Silenen, of Canton Uri, passed through the Porta del Popolo and entered for the first time the Vatican where they were blessed by Pope Julius II and have been the Pope's bodyguards ever since. During WW2, the Swiss Guards took up defensive positions as German forces rolled into Rome; fortunately Adolf Hitler chose not to enter."
"Inside the Basilica, claimed to be the largest church in the world. Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, chief among Jesus's apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome (Pope). Saint Peter's tomb is supposedly directly below the high altar of the basilica. For this reason, many popes have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period, and there has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great."
"This area is known as the Pine Cone Courtyard and at the far side is located the 'Sphere within a sphere' created by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro who originally created it for the Vatican Church in the 1960s, but later began building them for other organizations and can now be found in prime locations all over the world, including Trinity College, Dublin and the UN Building in New York. I'm not sure of the relevance of this modern art amongst renaissance art."
"Views from inside the Basilica."
"I had researched day trips in Rome from our port Civitavecchia and what a good choice it was. After such a nice day out with Rosella in a very modern and luxurious cab, I wrote a nice review of Stefano Tours (and especially Rosella) and submitted it to Trip Advisor. In return they sent me the above thank-you card"