Our first full day in Rome! I think we will do breakfast after our visit to Domus Aurea. There's a place not too far from there that I'd like to check out.
Domus Aurea. I booked this before we arrived in Italy. The full experience is only available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Today is Sunday. Time 10:00 am. Cost for the 2 of us 48€/$52.42.
After allegedly setting fire to Rome in 64 AD Nero decided to build himself an outrageous new palace. Domus Aurea sometimes called Nero's Golden House occupied part of Palatine and most of Celian and Esquiline hills. Area 25 times the size of the Colosseum. The vestibule on the Palatine side had a huge gilded statue of Nero. There was an artificial lake, gardens, woods. Palace walls adorned with gold and mother of pearl. Debauched garden parties. Nero killed himself 68 AD. His successors wanted to erase all traces of the monster emperor. Drained the lake and built the Colosseum in its place. A complex of baths were erected over the palace. Rooms from part of the palace have survived. Frescoes and mosaics. Egyptian influences.
I had read that since you're underground it would be cold so I carried a sweater with me but I didn't need it. It was not cold. Visit is by guided tour only. Our guide was full of information. Wish I had written her name down. There is some signage but having the guide made the visit so much better. I wonder what else they will uncover as excavations continuing. At the end we are in a large room with black cubes. We're directed to open the top, take our the headphones/glasses to experience the virtual reality part of the visit. This shows you how Domus Aurea was when it was built. It's an amazing experience. At times you feel like you're flying over the gardens, etc. Definitely worth it!
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| Young Nero and Claudius |
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Agrippina Minor and Nero
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| What it possibly looked like |
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Head of a priest of Isis
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| Statue of Isis |
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| Short video presentation |
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| Anubis |
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| Isis |
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| Domus Aurea entrance |
Coming Out. Brunch. We walk here from Domus Aurea. Small park. Arrived around 12:00 pm. Too late for any true breakfast items and I'm disappointed so the guy shows me a brunch menu of what I could order. I really didn't want so much food but no other choice if I want some semblance of breakfast. So from the brunch menu I was given I order the pancakes, fruit, and yogurt with muesli. Richard is fine ordering ham slices and melon. The food is good but Richard ends up having my yogurt with cereal. Pancakes are tasty-not quite like home but I'm happy. The fruit was wonderful. Drinks-we both have cappuccino and I get orange juice. Cost 39€/$41.69. We walk around here a bit taking in the Colosseum, a fence with many locks on it, some ruins.
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| Colosseum |
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| Sign says Viale Della Domus Aurea |
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| Cappuccino |
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| Orange juice |
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Ham slices and melon
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| Pancakes and fruit |
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| Yogurt and cereal |
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| Outside seating |
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| Ruins |
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| As if!! |
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Coming Out
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| Our hotel |
Pool time. We decide to not do any other sightseeing but instead relax by the pool. (I will come to regret this decision later.) We spend several hours here mostly in the pool. The water is very, very cold but once you get in it starts to feel much better. It's a sunny hot day.
La Fata Ignorante. Dinner. Our reservation is for 7:30 pm. Taxi cost 14€/$14.97. Located inside iQ Hotel. Esquilino neighborhood. Rooftop seating but inside seating also. We are seated at a nice table outside. Lovely warm evening. Drinks-Long Island for my husband, White Russian for me. Yummy! Richard orders white rabbit ragu with fettuccine and aromatic herbs. It's quite tasty. I get the golden tuna tataki and mixed vegetables with soy and grapefruit gel. It was perfect. Dessert-Richard went for tiramisu which he loved. I went for something that sounded good but was too sweet for my taste-namelaka al cioccolata bianca, carmello salato, amaretti e gel al frutto della passione/white chocolate namesake cream, salted caramel, amaretti and passion fruit gel. Excellent service. Fantastic food. Atmospheric setting. Cost 82€/$87.67. Taxi back to our hotel. Cost 11.50€
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| Our taxi |
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| Long Island |
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| White Russian |
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Tuna tataki
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White rabbit ragu fettucine
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Dessert-way too sweet
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| Dessert-tiramisu |
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| Limoncello shots |
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| Taxi back to our hotel |
Back at the hotel we go up to the roof top. The Colosseum is all lit up. Just beautiful. Just soaking in the quiet and beauty of the night. Tomorrow we have our vespa tour! So excited for that.
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