Rome & Beyond

All roads lead to Rome, but did you know that Rome leads to many roads as well?

After taking in the sights of the city, first on our own, then on a tour organized by Globus, we headed north of Rome to both quaint medieval villages like Orvieto, Assisi and Spello and to the bigger but no-less picturesque cities of Florence, Padova, Venice and Milan, with a side trip to Lake Como (where I secretly held on to the hope of meeting George Clooney!).

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A view of Assisi from the hilltop.

While in Rome, we walked through the streets like they were alleys in an open-air museum, except that the artifacts and the relics weren’t on shelves but were monuments on a hill, temples by the roadside, and catacombs in a labyrinth.

When in Rome for a brief visit, and when planning to go beyond the city to make the most of your transcontinental flight and your precious Schengen visa, it is best to leave your itinerary to an expert tour group like Globus.

Touring via Globus is a legacy from my parents Frank and Sonia Mayor. My father has passed away but my mom always boasts he made her travel in style and comfort with Globus during their two European sojourns.

Our Globus tour of Italy, called the “Italian Vista” tour, began with a highlight — a tour of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. This is where the Globus advantage is easily felt, because they secure hard-to-get tickets for you and have access to the entrance with no lines or the shorter lines.

Elena Bertola, our knowledgeable and accommodating guide for the entire tour (there are also local guides per city), told us at the beginning of our tour: “Be ready to be surprised. We will show you a lot in a week.” And how!

A typical building in the town of Assisi.

We rose early for our tour of the Vatican, which is a state within the Rome area. We visited the astonishing Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, restored in the 15th century, famed for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected.

I learned something new from our guide: a “fresco” is painting on wet cement, thus when the painting dries, the fresco is indelible. Michelangelo is considered by some as “the greatest artist of all time” and aside from the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, his Pietà is a major attraction at the nearby St. Peter’s Basilica.

Before spending some free time at the Vatican Square and shopping for souvenirs, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica. For the Catholics in our group of 40, it was a spiritual highlight as well as an awesome venture into a magnificent edifice.

St. Peter’s is the largest church in the world and the burial site of Saint Peter, the first pope. Saint Peter’s tomb is directly below the high altar of the basilica. Inside the basilica, we admired the Pietà, and the altar with the Bernini columns. The central feature is a baldachin, or canopy over the papal altar, designed also by Bernini.

One observer wrote: “St. Peter’s Basilica is the reason why Rome is still the center of the civilized world. For religious, historical, and architectural reasons it by itself justifies a journey to Rome, and its interior offers a palimpsest of artistic styles at their best...”

After spending half a day at the Vatican, we drove to the Roman Forum to visit the ancient Colloseum, where gladiators once fought. Our day was capped by a welcome dinner at Mino, a traditional Italian restaurant where the head waiter who looked like George Clooney gave each of the ladies a red rose.

Flowers in bloom in Spello.

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The first road we took out of Rome led to Orvieto, perched high atop a volcanic rock, some 90 minutes away from the capital. The Duomo of Orvieto shocks and awes. It’s a magnificent building that brings together different architectural styles, like Gothic and Romanesque styles. We were treated to local pastries at Caffè Montanucci, a pasticceria (bakery) for more than 100 years now, before continuing on to Assisi.

Looking back, several members of our tour group cited Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as in the Top 3 of their favorite cities in the tour, especially because it emanated not just beauty and history, but tranquility.

“I felt so peaceful in Assisi,” said one. Everything prominent in Assisi is within walking distance. The focal point is the Basilica, founded by St. Francis, the hub of a religious order devoted to the ideals of “humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for all God’s creatures.” The basilica’s collection of frescoes and paintings rivals many art museums. In fact, just like in the Sistine Chapel, we were not allowed to take photos inside the basilica.

The Duomo di Orvieto, arresting in its beauty.

In the lower sanctuary is the Cripta di San Francesco, the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is often credited with being the first person to create a live nativity scene and the tradition still holds strong today, hence Bethlehem is a sister city of Assisi. Each year you’ll see nativity scenes set up in every nook and cranny of the quaint town.

Assisi and the nearby town of Spello are in the Umbrian region, where the best olive oil is reportedly produced. And if you love flowers, you will be spellbound by Spello, which has 1.5 kilometers covered in flower petals during a religious festival from May to June, earning it the nickname, “Capital of the flowers.”

(For more information, contact your preferred travel agency or visit www.globus.com.ph. You can also contact Globus Philippines general sales agent, Baron Travel Corp. at 817-4926 or 812-0441.)

(To be concluded)