P's next adventure - Rome, The Eternal City

As ever forward planning and organisation are key.

Medication

I stocked up on his medication; he takes about 60 tablets a week and timing is strict. This itself would be an issue because Rome is one hour ahead of UK. Once we had a good stock of tablets we planned the timings of them. We wanted extra tablets with us in case we were delayed leaving or in case of emergencies.

Health Insurance

I checked our EHIC was still in date. EHIC is a European Health Insurance card and as members of the EU ( not for long ) we are entitled to free health care in all member states. 

Plenty private health insurance is also advisable. 

Good walking shoes 

We were planning on walking round Rome so good walking shoes were essential. I didn't want to be going around the underground train system as we would miss so much of the city sights.  

Sights

I wanted to stay in the city so if we needed any support, it would be close at hand. We planned what we wanted to see before we went. 

Taxi 

We ordered taxis to and from the airport rather than make our own way so we could travel more easily and not be wandering around and crossing with luggage.

When we arrived we went out to lunch. For nearly 40 years, my husband always walked by the road side to make sure I was safe. Now things have changed. I walked with him on the inside and I walked next to the road. This presented a challenge regarding the motor cycle thieves. People solve this by walking with a bag slung diagonally across their front. That, plus my “best teacher scowl “  were sufficient to scare off any cycle robbers. 

We had lunch at a little eating house by Santa Maria Maggiore, which is the largest church dedicated to Mary in Rome. Then we crossed the road. I held my hand on my husband's elbow and walked on the car side so I was next to the cars rather than him and then I steered him over the road safely. This was obviously my best routine as I used this throughout our stay. 

Legend states that one night a wealthy couple had a dream telling them  to build a church to Mary where they found snow and the next day despite it being August, it had snowed on one part of Rome. Hence the church Santa Maria Maggiore was built on Esquilino Hill in Rome where the snow fell in August.  (Rome reputedly has 7 hills.) 

We went for a walk to get our bearings and found some little churches. Most of them look nothing from the outside but inside they are stunning. This is Santa Maria and the Angels and Martyrs. I have included the ceiling which was very beautiful. 

We continued to the Victor Emmanuel monument, often referred to as The Wedding Cake and named after an Italian King. It is spectacular. 

A good walk on Day 1 was useful so we would be loosened up for our big day … day 2. For this we planned to visit the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The weather was so very hot that it was necessary to buy bottles of water to make sure that my husband was hydrated but also to make sure he could take his medication with water at the prescribed times. 

Buying a personal guide for a few hours seemed to be the best thing to do so my husband wasn't queueing up for hours. Though expensive, she was excellent. She walked us through the day and knew ways around. She could point out things we didn't know and was worth every penny. She was so patient with us and kind. 

The Colosseum started to be built during the reign of Vespasian approx. 72 AD and took approx. 8 years to build. It was covered in marble and the holes in the walls are where the pins held it together. When Rome was sacked in later centuries, the marble was stripped off for other ventures.

At one point in its history the base was covered in water and people would visit and watch reconstructions of naval battles. The water was then moved out to the land which now houses the famous Piazza Navona. 

The entertainments over the years included prisoners known as gladiators who would fight and kill wild animals, other gladiators and then Christians. When Rome adopted Christianity as its official religion in approx. 395 AD, the killing of people stopped. 

The underneath of the arena is now open to view and includes the animal and gladiator stalls.

To avoid queues, our guide took us into the Forum by Palatine Hill and she knew every place to make it easy for us. The Forum was one of many including The Julius Caesar Forum. The main forum was the most important one and was the absolute centre of everything, political, legal, economic everything. Our guide showed us how to see The Forum from up above. 

Over three hours of walking in Roman heat was enough though and I took my husband for a cup of tea and a cake for a bit of a sugar boost. 

This last full day was really what my husband was keen to see: The basilica of San Clemente. We had a good walk beforehand though and saw the Trevi Fountain and The Pantheon. There was a rule in Rome that any ancient temple could not be turned into a Christian church. The Pantheon is the one exception to this rule.  

It is very dark inside and has a big hole in the roof for light and air. When it rains, it falls on the floor and drains through 22 holes. 

The Trevi Fountain is famous for a legend which says if you throw money in it, you will return to Rome one day. 

This is a remarkable place. The Basilica was built in the medieval times ON TOP of a 4th century church which in turn was built ON TOP of a 1st century temple to Mithras. Unfortunately photographs are strictly NOT allowed. Therefore I can't share any with you. The whole place though is incredible. 

If anyone is in a similar situation to ours, then it is manageable to take your beloved on an adventure and also positive mental attitude is vital to success. Why sit at home when with a bit of careful planning and common sense you can enjoy life? 

Maybe next time though,  a trip to the cinema might be good !  :)