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The 2008 Golden Age of the Roman Empire Tour Our Lukeion Family Tours inaugural journey was a huge success. 44 people, ages 7 through a very young age 53, jumped with both feet into the best of both modern and ancient Italy on our 11-day trip, May 8-18, 2008. Next scheduled trip to Italy will not be until 2012.
Day 3: The group heads first to the iconic Colosseum after
a (slow) spin through the heart of Rome (alas! Roman traffic!).
Once we arrive our talented guide Joanna zips us past a 2-hour line of waiting
tourists because WE have already made reservations! Cameras click in rapid
fire: every angle sports an amazing view of ancient Rome, not the least of which
is the Arch of Constantine nearby. Next we wind our way through the streets of old Rome (no gaps, group!) until we get to the Trevi Fountain. Our tour director Mimmo cautions the ladies about the correct number of coins to toss over one's shoulder (3 if you want to marry an Italian and settle in Italy) and warns the younger set that a dip in the fountain carries a 2-year sentence in an Italian language immersion program (jail). More walking through the shops and narrow streets as Joanna leads the group to the Pantheon, oldest, largest, un-reinforced concrete dome in the world...a description doesn't give appropriate credit for how beautiful this structure is. Hot and hungry, the group disperses for lunch (many make a hasty path to the nearest gelato store). Recharged, we are
Day 4: An early morning ride gets us to Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli before traffic or other tourists get in our path. Part of the group stays with the Barrs as we stroll through the gardens, pools and ruins (watch out for that Nile crocodile) while the other half of the crew has a tremendous time freely exploring the nearly deserted but vast estate of the emperor Hadrian. This off-the-beaten-path visit was listed as "my favorite place" by quite a few of us. After lunch we head to the Baths of
Caracalla. Again, this is not on the list of most canned tours, but
allowed for casual strolling through the ruins and then some
Day 5: A pleasant bit of cloudy weather settles in but that's ok, we are headed under ground to see the Catacombs. Everyone in the group had a tremendous time in these mysterious underground cemeteries filled with inscriptions and symbols to indicate that many there were Christians. Next we head to the smallest nation on the planet: Vatican City. We started with free time in the shops (some learned about making mosaics) where we grabbed some lunch or purchased items. Joanna, our guide, met with us in St. Peter's Square to once again lead us past the
2-hour line of waiting tourist because WE have reservations. Once in the
museum, we are forced to become accustomed to seeing a world-famous work of art
every three or four feet. Camera-finger fatigue sets in but we get some
rest as we are lead silently into the masterpiece Sistine Chapel. There we, and
about 1,000 other "silent" tourists, stand and look up in amazement.
We end our time there at St. Peter's Basilica. Michaelangelo's Pietá,
sculpted while the artist was still in his 20's, is visible near the entrance
but there is plenty more to see throughout this amazing structure.
Next stop is a restaurant outside Pompeii for a filling lunch of Pizza Margherita and then the whole afternoon at the site, destroyed in a matter of hours by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. The first part of the site was marvelously guided by Marco, a second generation guide at Pompeii, who had everyone spell bound and deeply involved in life in old Pompeii. Then the group dispersed for exploration time (its a whole city! who can see all of it?!).
Day 7: An early drive back down the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento where we board a ferry to the Isle of Capri. Nearly everyone purchases appropriate island head-wear, perfect for the sunny tour around the island in our own private boat. Then we take the funicular up the steep hillside among shops and winding paths, enjoy lunch, and visit the Gardens of Augustus for more breath-taking views--(or were we just panting from walking up and down the narrow, car-less streets?). Time to explore, swim or shop. Again, half the group joins the Barrs to find the ruins of Tiberius' palace on the far end of the island (Villa Jovis). We count ourselves lucky that we only took one wrong turn, but who can complain which all these gardens and estates along the route? (ok, some people complained...but that's just because the hike was up hill the whole way). The victorious hikers can hold their head up high...or rather duck low...so we can get their photo with the Amalfi Coastline in the distance. Then back we go by ferry and exciting bus ride to Termini where our adorable inn-keepers have dinner hot and waiting when we arrive. By now, most of the teens have grown attached to playing "spoons" each night in the lobby while the younger kids form close-knit groups and the adults visit cheerfully. Day 8: We have to coax everyone to leave Hotel Termini but waiting for us today is the site of Herculaneum in the morning. We were shocked that many tours skip this site---but not us! This city was also destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79, but by pyroclastic flow instead of ash. The result was a much greater degree of preservation, some buildings preserved up to four stories high. I can't begin to describe how amazing this site is so I won't--join us on tour in 2011. After lunch we arrive at the Naples Museum which houses most of the treasures discovered in Pompeii and Herculaneum. There were so many amazing and beautiful objects there that the Barrs took around 350 photos! (we are VERY grateful for digital technology!). Camillo points the bus toward Rome while we snooze and visit for a few hours. Our new hotel has lovely rooms. Day 9: Today we see a few of the most famous churches in Rome, starting with St. Paul's Outside the Walls and then St. Peter in Chains. Next, our group keeps appointments with archaeologists of the Domus Aurea for special hard-hat guided tours. This once splendid palace of Nero (literally "Golden House") was later filled to the ceiling with dirt and rubble by Trajan for his elaborate baths. Sadly, a large portion of the now underground painted passageways are deemed unsafe and are closed off. Our final stop for the day is the Ara Pacis, the Altar to Peace erected by Augustus Caesar in honest recognition of the longest period of peace in human history. The elaborate alter provides a snap shot of Augustus' family, and is now housed adjacent to the Mausoleum of Augustus. Day 10: Up early is the key to beat beach traffic driving to Ostia Antica, Rome's ancient port city. Herculaneum was a resort city for the very rich, Pompeii for the middle to upper middle class, but Ostia is an excellent example of how the work-a-day, average joe lived--not bad at all! The site is immense so after guiding our group to the center for a photo at the theater, we all split to ramble through the ruins and enjoy exploration one last time. Afterwards, our group discovers little sandwich shops and restaurants for lunch before we take one last trip into the heart of Rome for free time, shopping, or a final visit to see Trajan's Column, and the Imperial Fora. Day 11: Our first group takes a taxi at 4 am and the rest follow at 6 am by bus to the airport. Nobody is ready to leave so it must be time to go! One should always finish a trip ready for more. |
Copyright © 2008 The Lukeion Project
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Day 1 and 2: Everyone arrives safely in Rome, meets as a
complete group for the first time, and eats a satisfying meal on the beautiful
patio of a restaurant half a block from our hotel.
off to the Roman Forum. Mrs. Barr was very pleased to have a new
photo of the funeral pyre of Julius Caesar--fresh flowers and all! Last,
some free time to climb the Palatine and stroll through the water features and
gardens of the Palace of Domitian and get excellent photos of the Forum,
Circus Maximus, and maybe even the humble remains of the House of
Augustus. We enjoyed dinner across the street from the Coliseum.
Perfect day!
much needed play
and visit time by the whole group
. We finish our time down town with some
free time at the train station before dinner--a vast shopping mall where
everyone can purchase items inadvertently left at home or the latest fashionable
scarf. I'm pretty sure there were more visits paid to the gelato stores
here as a few participants make a serious effort to sample every flavor in
Italy.
Day 6: Up early, bags packed, today we head south. We stop at
Tiberius' palace at Sperlonga along the sea shore. This
really-off-the-beaten-bath stop takes us to an interesting sea-cave dining room
where Tiberius showed off his exotic collection of "ferocious" fish. The
cave was once filled with larger than life-size sculptures representing portions
of Homer's Odyssey which were nearly destroyed in a partial cave collapse
that almost killed the emperor. We heard a recap of the story of the
monster Scylla and Polyphemus then headed down to explore the cave. 
About
half go with the Barrs to the Villa of the Mysteries, an intact estate
painted with famous ancient Roman frescos. Next, its back onto the bus for
a breathtaking drive up the Amalfi Coast. We were never more impressed
with our bus driver Camillo when he took on this challenge with calm fortitude.
We stayed at Hotel Termini, hosted by Rosemarie and Luigi--the perfect hosts and
excellent cooks. Balconies give everyone a taste of the next day's visit
but an unexpected midnight rain shower makes the wash a bit soggy!