Veni Vidi Vici

On June 27th 2022 we celebrated our pearl wedding anniversary, 30 years of marriage. It wasn’t quite the celebration we had hoped for but we made the most of the possibilities. It was always going to be the year that we had our dream holiday but, with so much uncertainty over my treatment, we just couldn’t contemplate it. So we decided to take the pressure off quite early on in my diagnosis and shelved the idea for when we could enjoy it properly. At that time we had no idea when that might be.

The world is your oyster but you have to put up with the sand to make your pearl.

At the end of January 2022, three weeks after my first operation, playing it safe, we booked a UK break for July. At that point I had no idea that my diagnosis would change so drastically as I was still waiting for results and felt reasonably confident that the initial biopsy had been correct. We found a magical place to stay, a luxury woodland glamping pod in the heart of the Lake District. We couldn’t go for the actual date of our anniversary as my brother was getting married the day before so we booked the following week. Coincidentally we later found out that my brother and his wife-to-be at that time had also booked a hotel in the Lake District for their honeymoon and our stays would overlap at some point. They would have been a few miles from us but we had said we would try to meet up for a drink or a meal.

In February 2022 I got the results of my lumpectomy and they were not good. I was now looking at a much more invasive treatment plan over the coming months. We didn’t make any hasty decisions at first but eventually believed that my major surgery was likely to be end of April/early May. With this in mind we changed the Lake District booking to August in the hope that I would be far enough along in my recovery to travel and enjoy it. Unfortunately a series of events delayed my surgery and it was ultimately booked in for mid-July. With that in mind there was no way I would be well enough to go away in August, so it was back to the drawing board….

First I checked to see if we could go back to the original July date for the Lake District but the best I could get was only two nights. With a distance of almost 350 miles and a six hour drive that was not going to work for us so we had to admit defeat on that idea. After searching for ages for UK breaks, my daughter suggested that we could find somewhere abroad for the same price as some of the UK packages I was looking at. I had a few reservations about the idea. I had looked forward to not worrying about airports and the stress of packing to fly. Then there was the Covid risk. However, in that respect, I decided I could pick the virus up just by going in a supermarket and I was fully vaccinated so it was something I was prepared to think about. The advantage of opting to go abroad was that my husband would be able to fully relax rather than having to drive for a 700 mile round trip.

It didn’t take long to find the perfect choice for us. We booked a four night break in Rome (also on our holiday wish list). I can’t lie though, it wasn’t a cheaper option to the UK breaks I’d looked at but it was a very good deal! Our flight was on the Thursday afternoon but we booked the train to Gatwick for 9.30 am. Our youngest son dropped us off at the railway station and we were in good time for the train. Anyone who knows my husband will know that we do most things at the last minute and his time keeping is appalling. On this occasion he didn’t let me down and it all felt quite leisurely compared the the usual rushing in ‘by the seat of our pants’! Typically it turned out there were some issues with signals that resulted in all trains between Hastings and Eastbourne being cancelled. We couldn’t believe our luck, or lack of it! Luckily our son was available to take us all the way to Gatwick and kindly obliged at short notice.

Despite what I said about airports, I do enjoy a bit of a mooch when I’m there. It was lovely to have enough time for a bite to eat and to grab a few duty-free bargains before jetting off.

The outgoing flight was very slightly delayed but was otherwise non-eventful. We were met by our transfer driver and he walked so fast back to his minibus that we almost had to run to keep up with him! It was only the two of us on that particular transfer and, if we thought he walked fast, it was nothing compared to the erratic nature of his driving! Welcome to Italy! Thankfully we made the 45 minute drive in one piece and were safely deposited at our hotel.

The hotel was great. It was in quite an urban area and I suspect it is mostly used for business but it was modern and funky and the staff were very attentive. It was in the Marconi area, a little on the outskirts of the city. We were both feeling a bit tired and we had jumped forward by an hour so we decided to explore the surburb we were in and leave our city exploring until the next day.

First we had dinner in a little courtyard of the hotel which was nice then we walked it off with a short stroll. There wasn’t much to see as it was mostly residential but we located the Metro station which wasn’t hard as it was about a three minute walk from our hotel. The hotel was situated on a really wide busy main road with cars parked along the middle. As we were walking we noticed a couple of young girls who were very scantily dressed (I’m talking underwear!). We very quickly came to the conclusion that they were ‘working girls’. When we got further along the road we saw more of these girls who were hanging around a service station which appeared to be a ‘pick up’ point. It was so blatant! Not sure if it was an actual ‘red light’ district but it was by no means subtle. Rather than being shocked by this, I felt a little sad as they really did look very young.

We had a packed itinerary for the first two days then left the Sunday and Monday to be spontaneous. We booked guided tours in advance for the Colosseum and the Vatican. A friend advised us to pay the extra for a small group tour rather than just doing it independently with headsets. This was excellent advice. I feel that with just headsets we would have wandered around a bit aimlessly and it wouldn’t have been so interesting. Our first trip was to the Colosseum. We had to register and collect our headsets and wait for the guide. The headsets in this case were just so you could hear the guide clearly even if they weren’t technically within hearing distance. It worked really well as he was able to gather us up easily for talking points and we could always hear him, even if we were a few steps behind. Our ticket included the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Underground. It was absolutely fascinating from start to finish. The guide was very funny and incredibly knowledgeable. He had a lot of anecdotal insight which brought everything alive and really set the scene for us. The history was mind blowing, especially when we went into the underground dungeons and heard the stories of all the wild animals.

As you descend into the underground of the Colosseum you can see various chambers used to isolate the wild animals before they were sent onto the arena stage. There are square arches used in the tunnel that lead to the underground elevator system which consists of a clever pulley system that was used to operate the trap doors. The dungeons were a flurry of activity during the shows on the arena stage. Someone would be responsible for directing all of the action and hundreds of men would be running around the area. All of the chaos was hidden in the Colosseum underground and the crowds above were blissfully unaware of what was going on.

If you’ve ever watched ‘Gladiator’ or any other films on that subject it feels very surreal to stand where it all happened in real life. Absolutely captivating but such barbaric times!

“Are you not entertained?” – Maximus (Gladiator)

The next day we visited the Vatican with the same tour guide company but a different guide who was also incredibly knowledgeable beyond the standard factual information and very funny. We had booked an afternoon slot and were very surprised at how quiet it was. We were advised to take our passports with us because the Vatican is of course an independent city state (or Sovereign state) so it is the same as entering another country. Because we were in an organised group though, we weren’t asked to show them.

The Vatican museums contain roughly 70,000 statues with around 20,000 on display, the earliest dating back to around 3,000 years ago. Our guide reassured us that she would not be talking about each one, just the most significant ones! Phew! I mean, how many ‘busts’ do you really need to see?! I wasn’t going to say that a lot of them look the same….but, let’s be honest, they kind of do! (Sorry archaeologists and historians!). There was one particularly interesting fact about the statues which is a relatively recent discovery and that is that they were once colourfully painted!

“The 19th century saw the first inklings of possible painted classical sculpture, but it was not until the innovation of ultraviolet light and special cameras in the late 20th century that finally provided unequivocal evidence of the painted marble. In fact, the mere idea that the sculptures were painted at all was considered laughable until the late nineteen-hundreds, when archaeologist Vinzenz Brinkmann proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the statues were once richly painted.” (Ancient-Origins.net)

The Hall of Maps is very interesting and I personally hadn’t heard of it before visiting. It is situated within the Belvedere Courtyard. Instructed by Pope Gregory XIII, Ignazio Dante created the maps to be exhibited in the Vatican. The maps are an amazing perspective of the Italian states in the 16th century before Italy even existed as a country. The painted ceilings are also stunning. The gallery of maps is a visual wonder.

I guess the most famous attraction of the Vatican is the Sistine Chapel and its spectacular ceiling famously painted by Michelangelo. Did you know though, at that time he was a sculpture and did not consider himself a painter, an area he did not believe he was skilled in? At 13 years old, he obtained an apprenticeship from Domenico Ghirlandaio who was one of a team of painters who had been called from Florence to the Vatican to decorate the walls of the chapel. Believing himself primarily a sculptor Michelangelo was suspicious of who had convinced the pope (Julius II) to hire him. Ultimately Michelangelo was one of the leading lights of the Italian Renaissance and was without a doubt one of the most inspirational and talented artists in modern history.

Originally commissioned to paint the 12 Apostles, Michelangelo wanted a much grander scheme and went on to depict many more stories including biblical scenes from the life of Moses and the life of Jesus, biblical narratives from Genesis, the Ancestors of Christ, the Gallery of Popes, the Last Judgement and many more. By the time it was finished Michelangelo had painted over 300 figures.

“I couldn’t give you something mediocre even if that’s all you asked for” – Michelangelo

In the early 1980s one of the most significant conservation-restorations of the 20th century was carried out on the Sistine Chapel and was finally completed and approved in 1994. The reason I mention this is because what you see today is a very brightly coloured spectacle but they deliberately left a small area for comparison which shows it to previously have been very dull and lacking in depth, richness and intensity.

If there’s one other attraction I would recommend on a visit to Rome it’s the Pantheon, a former Roman temple which dates back over 2000 years! The monument which was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian to replace an older temple built in 27 BC is one of the most preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings and over time has undergone a number of renovations. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The Pantheon’s large circular domed ‘cella’ (the central structure of a classical temple) with a conventional temple ‘portico’ front (a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals) was unique in Roman architecture. It’s a fascinating building and one of the most memorable bits of information for me is that at the center of the dome is an oculus, a hole of 9 meters in diameter that allows sunlight to illuminate the interior. But this also means that when it rains, it is able to enter the building. For this reason the marble floor slopes down into the centre into 22 drainage holes to allow water to leave the structure. Many of the Romans thought that the building had special magical powers or it was the work of the Gods as the rain never fell to the ground. What they hadn’t accounted for was the hundreds of candles used in the building back then which would have created a heat barrier and evaporated the rain before it hit the floor!

Wherever you might be in the city of Rome, the Renaissance period is the dominant feature. There are over 900 churches, many of which contain works by famous artists. I wanted to visit one particular church, the Santa Maria del Popolo which stands on the north side of Piazza del Popolo, one of the most famous squares in the city. It includes the works of Raphael and Caravaggio. We happened to go in just before they held a mass which added a suitably authentic atmosphere. I should add here that I don’t follow any religion but I respect those who do and I often feel the spirituality when I’m in a place of worship. I also always feel the need to light a candle for my mum. This strangely gives me some comfort even though I’d probably best describe myself as an agnostic. I’m neither a believer nor a non-believer and often a sceptic, preferring to accept a scientific explanation that can be proved rather than something based on tradition, authority or revelation. I don’t believe I’m an atheist. I choose to keep an open mind which is why I light a candle. Whether or not this has a spiritual reason, I feel that it’s a way of acknowledging the loss of my beloved mum. I hope that doesn’t make me a hypocrite. If there is a God and heaven does exist, I like to think my mum is being looked after by the angels. If there isn’t, well maybe I’ll never know…..

We don’t always have to agree with one another but it is important that we learn to respect each other.

It’s amazing what you can pack in to just a few days. We sat in the Piazza Di Spagna enjoying tea and cakes close to the iconic Spanish steps while ‘people watching’. There are always police officers ensuring everyone respects the rules and there is a constant sound of a whistle being blown when anyone stands or sits on something that isn’t allowed! It is also the hub of upper class Rome with multiple designer stores – Gucci, Prada, Bulgari, Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Max Mara, Jimmy Choo, Montblanc, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, and Céline among others! Definitely only a window shopping exercise for us mere mortals however! That said, I was treated to a few items made from beautiful Italian leather so I can’t complain!

“A piece of clothing should be like a work of art” – Rosita Missoni

The real ‘hubbub’ of the city is in the area of the Trevi fountains. The little lanes of restaurants, boutiques, gift shops and gelateries were bustling with tourists at all times of the day and night. The fountains are a sight to behold and refreshing in the 37° plus temperatures! We spent quite a bit of time in that area probably passing by there at least once on each of the four days we were in Rome. At night the fountains were beautifully lit up so it’s nice to see them both during the day and the evening.

On our third day we decided to have a bit of ‘down time’ in the morning. We booked the hot tub which was on the roof of the hotel. We didn’t pay to have it exclusively to ourselves but luckily for us we were the only ones there for the whole morning. It was the perfect way to give our feet a bit of a break from all those steps and to soak up some sun. As you can imagine the view was magnificent. Feeling fully relaxed and batteries recharged we got ready for another afternoon of exploring.

On the fourth and, what we thought was, our final day (more on that to come) we didn’t really have a specific plan. There was disruption and a number of restrictions on the Metro that day which meant we could only use one line. We made our way to ‘Termini’ which is where the main rail and bus terminals were. Then we just used our phone maps to find our way around. Some of the roads were extremely steep and were quite an effort in that intense heat but it was a great way to see landmarks that we otherwise might have missed. We literally stumbled across one such landmark! We were waiting to cross over a very narrow crossroad junction and I spotted a fountain within an elaborate Renaissance sculpture carved into the corner of one of the buildings. Then I looked around and noticed there was one on each corner, in four different buildings. That’s when the penny dropped! We were in via del Quattro Fontane. Of course, the famous ‘Four Fountains’! It is very subtle with no signs referencing it being there. We could easily have not noticed it!

We saw stunning architecture at every turn and, although we knew the general direction we were aiming for, we had no idea that we were ultimately going to arrive at the top of the Spanish steps rather than the bottom where we had passed or sat nearby on a couple of occasions.

We had to be back at the hotel by mid-afternoon for our transfer to the airport. Our luggage was being held for us so we only had to grab that. We were waiting by the hotel entrance looking out for our driver but the scheduled time passed and we started to worry. I called the number for the hotel transfer company and my call was placed in a very long queue. It got so late that we ended up having to call a taxi at a cost of 40 euros as we couldn’t risk waiting any longer for fear of missing our flight. We had every intention of claiming the taxi fare back but in our haste and anxiety about being late we forgot to ask the taxi driver for a receipt.

I gave up on the phone call and subsequently spent another an hour waiting in an online queue, throughout the taxi journey and continuing into our arrival at the airport. I finally had an online chat with the transfer provider who questioned us about being ready ten minutes before the pick-up time. I told him that we had been watching from the door of the hotel (rather than standing in the blistering heat) and the transport definitely had not turned up during that time. He was not helpful and insisted the driver had been there. Very poor customer service. However, if we thought that was the end of our travel troubles on that trip we were very much mistaken! Despite miraculously arriving at the airport on time for our flight our problems had only really just begun.

We queued at the baggage check-in and it wasn’t until we got to the desk that we were informed that our flight had been cancelled. Oh the irony of the transfer debacle! We were then told that we were being checked in to a flight with a change at Barcelona airport the following day. The airline staff were trying to get a hotel big enough for the passengers whose flight has been cancelled to stay in overnight. In the meantime we found out that the return flight had been cancelled six days earlier before we had even left the UK. Despite this, I received reminders on my phone that day about the original flight times. I now believe that this was the reason our transfer hadn’t turned up, we think they had already heard about the cancellation before we even knew and just didn’t bother coming to the hotel.

After approximately two hours waiting we were finally taken to a coach and seen on board by a member of Vueling staff. He told us that the hotel would have all the details of what we needed to do the next day. I’d say there were about 20 of us. We were then driven by coach back into Rome city centre and this is where it gets farcical. Firstly the driver couldn’t get the luggage area open and this delayed us leaving. One elderly gentleman had a mobility scooter so they couldn’t just load the suitcases inside the coach, they had to find a way to open the ‘hold’. Eventually we left but the driver kept encountering obstacles (such as poorly parked cars obstructing the road) to get to the hotel and we ended up passing the colosseum three times! One of the groups on the coach had been on a rambling holiday a couple of hours drive from Rome so many of them had not seen the city sights. Some got their phones out to take photos and were thrilled at this unexpected chance to view the iconic landmark, albeit very briefly! Silver linings and all that! After what should have been about a 30 minute journey, we finally arrived at the hotel almost two hours later! The shenanigans continued…

Whilst checking in to be allocated our rooms we discovered that the hotel staff knew nothing about our situation. However, they were very helpful and eventually managed to get the information we needed about our transfer the next morning. The hotel was pretty fancy but sadly our dinner wasn’t great. There were no choices so it was a case of ‘like it or lump it’. We were definitely not in the dining room of an A La Carte restaurant, more likely the conference/business area. We also discovered that a family who were supposed to be on the coach had been left behind at the airport because they had taken their young child to the toilet and the rep hadn’t checked that everyone was there before taking us to the coach. They were a young Italian couple who ended up having to get the train and had to fork out for the fares. I’d be absolutely outraged if that had happened to us but they seemed accepting of it. I had noticed them at the airport (I always spot cute children) and I just assumed that maybe they had chosen to go back to their home for the night.

Our room was very luxurious but what’s the point if you’re only there for a few hours? We walked off our dinner in the same area that we had walked round earlier that day but didn’t stay out long as we had to be up at 5.30 am the next day. Our coach was due to pick us up the following morning at 6:15 am. However it was over 20 minutes late and, guess what? It was a different driver and he couldn’t work out how to open the boot! He actually had to consult a manual. You really couldn’t write it! One passenger was delighted that it was the same coach though as he had accidentally left his hat on there the day before and it was still there. A good result for him at least.

The first flight to Barcelona was on time. However, there were two further delays for the departure time of the flight from Barcelona to Gatwick. Consequently we spent an entire day either on a plane or hanging around at an airport. We also ended up spending more money on food and drink at both airports. So what should have been a two-hour flight home ended up being two two-hour flights and a very long day. We both missed a day’s work and my husband missed a meeting with a new client but, despite writing a complaint and seeking some compensation, we didn’t even get a response let alone any reimbursement.

We could have let it spoil the trip but we’d had an amazing few days and it would have taken something much worse to take that away from us. We had made some wonderful memories and we would certainly never forget our ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ adventure!

No journey is too long with the right company.