Eyes opened at 2:30 in the morning. It would be six o'clock in India at this time. I retired from defecation and went to sleep again. There was no chance of falling asleep again. Still lying down. All the other members also got up according to Indian time. Madhu and Bhanu, after organizing the morning tea, undertake breakfast and food so as to leave early today and catch the 10 o'clock bus.
Today was Sunday. At eight o'clock in the morning the sound of the bell coming from the church spread far and wide in the air. We guessed it must have been coming from St. Peter's Church. After taking breakfast and lunch, he left the house five minutes before 10 in the morning.
We just missed it again!
By the time we came out of our building and came on the road, the bus had arrived. We had to cross the road to reach the bus but there was heavy traffic on the road, could not leave before the red light. On seeing us, the bus left. He couldn't be stopped. Neither by shouting nor by hand gestures. It was not India, we knew it, but it was going to take some time for us to learn to walk according to Italy!
Tomorrow's rain is on again!
Within few minutes it started raining like yesterday and like yesterday we started getting wet again. It seemed as if the city buses were running after watching the clock, similarly the rain also started by watching the clock. Due to the mental fatigue of the hustle and bustle in the museum yesterday, I could not afford to buy an umbrella. Miss Angela had kept two umbrellas in her apartment, they were only for the use of tourists, but due to lack of habit, we could not even take those umbrellas. Father often gets fever after getting wet in the rain, but now there was no other option but to get wet.
Rome's road system and bus-stops
The traffic system and bus-stop conditions here are completely different from India. There are wide footpaths on both sides of the road and the main road situated between them is divided into three parts. The side on one side is for cars, cycles and two-wheelers to go in one direction and the other side of the road for cars, cycles and two-wheelers to go in the opposite direction. is.
There is again a sidewalk-like space on both sides of the wide part of the middle, on which bus stands are made and this part is for the movement of buses and trams. Thus when we are standing at the bus stop, the buses on one side of us and the cars on the other side are moving very fast and the vehicles on both the sides run by throwing rain water on the passengers standing at the bus stop. Because of this we were not only drenched in the rain but were also drenched by the water cannons coming from both the sides of the road.
Don't come my country!
It was as if the Romans were angry at the sight of foreign tourists and were sending us the message by pouring water cannons at us from their vehicles– 'Why have you come to our country! Let us live in peace, go back.'
Seeing the indifference on the faces of the people of Italy towards us, we only guessed yesterday that the common man here is not happy to see foreign tourists, except those whose livelihood comes from tourists. It seemed natural for this to happen. It is true that the arrival of tourists increases the income of the city but also disturbs the peace and security of the citizens!
Deepa's game!
The water cannons coming from all sides seemed to Deepa like some interesting game. Irrespective of the worry of getting wet, she began to enjoy the game. It was like this for about half an hour. Luckily the bus stop was built under a dense tree, so it got some cover.
No Ticket!
The next bus arrived exactly at ten thirty. I again asked the bus driver for a ticket and he said - 'No ticket!' I was very happy to hear this. I expected the same answer from him, because today was a Sunday and according to me, tickets were not to be taken from foreign tourists on this day.
Country of the Old
The population of Italy is very small, the people of Italy live very peacefully. They have no shortage of wealth. Very few people get married there, even if they do, at a much older age so that they can live and see independently for a longer period of time. They find sacred and essential institutions like marriage and family unnecessary and binding. This is the reason why men and women were more visible on the streets of Rome than tourists.
Just as flocks of children are seen in India going to and returning to school, such herds were not seen in Rome. In the area where we were staying, there were five or six storeyed buildings so huge that within each of them there were fifty to hundred flats. Old women were often seen peeping from the balcony of those flats.
Even on the streets, old women who used to go out to buy goods, carried a small and light trolley with them so that they did not have to carry their luggage. Young people give way to old people and fast moving vehicles give way to pedestrians crossing the road. Most older people have dogs that have plastic bags and hooves to pick up their 'feces'.
Bus Route Divert
It must have lasted only ten minutes when our bus turned back at a crossroads. The driver announced in Italian that today an environmental awareness rally is going on in this area, so the route of the bus is being diverted. With the help of some words and seeing placards in the hands of boys and girls outside the bus, we understood that the route of the bus has been changed, and for this reason it has been changed.
We wondered, when we can understand the message given in Italian language with the help of knowledge of English language then why people here are not able to answer what we asked in English. We had to get down there because we had to catch another bus from the next bus stop and that place was facing forward according to the direction being given on google and was not too far from here.
Poor umbrella purchase!
As soon as I got off the bus, I saw an umbrella. I bought him an umbrella. However, I realized that this umbrella was made of very poor quality and would not be able to withstand the strong gust of wind. Still we had no other choice. Had to get at least one umbrella for dad because it was still raining.
The umbrella man asked for five euros, I asked for two and a half euros. The umbrella man agreed to sell it for three euros after some hesitation. In two hundred and forty Indian rupees, the umbrella was not expensive, if it had some strength in its arches. I had never seen such a delicate umbrella being sold in India. This umbrella used to turn on the other side as soon as there was a slight strong wind.
'Urinal' not 'toilet'
As soon as I got down from the second bus, first of all I asked a 'Vendor' standing there about 'Urinal'. The weather was cold, we were drenched in the rain and now it had been at least one and a half hours since we left the house. So it was natural to have a desire for a short time. Anyway, due to diabetes, I have to urinate frequently. That vendor could not understand me. I asked many people but no one could know what I wanted!
In the end, Vijay told me that after walking 100 meters from here, there is a 'mall' on the left side, which has the facility of urinal. I asked him- 'How did you know?' Vijay said that- 'That man told me.' He pointed to a shopkeeper with his finger. To my surprise, I said that I had asked this person two or three times but could not understand this urinal. Vijay said that- 'I had asked about the toilet.' We understood that the word 'toilet' is there in the Italian language but 'urinal' is not.
Merulana Plazo
After getting off the second bus, we had to walk for about a quarter of a kilometer. We had to go to Merulana Plazo, from where we had to get a boarding pass for the next day to see the ruins of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. For tomorrow, Vijay had got the tickets booked online in India itself, but had to pay here and get a boarding pass. As soon as I got here, I had to go again for a short break. Fortunately this facility was available there. We all used this feature. Merulana Plazo was an expensive restaurant. There was a small crowd of wealthy tourists from all over the country and abroad.
Trastevera
After leaving Merulana, we again stood at the bus-stop. No tram came even after standing for half an hour. When we asked a young couple the reason why the bus was not coming, they told that a huge environmental rally is going on in the city today. Due to this, the bus service on this route may have been suspended. You walk around this street, there you can find the metro. After a while we got a metro. He took us off the Trastevera. It is the richest residential area in Rome. The wide roads here, the flowering trees standing on either side of them and the big residential buildings drenched in the rain were producing the visuals seen in the photographs and calendars. Vijay looked on Google and told that this area is one of the old areas of Rome and the richest people of Rome live here. Had it not been raining, we would have walked around this area for a while longer.
Piazza Venezia (Venice Square)
From Trastevera we again took a tram to Piazza Venezia and landed in a shoal square located in this area. This is probably the most beautiful and grand place in Rome and it is called the 'Central Hub' of Rome. Roads meet here from many directions, including 'Via del Fori' 'Imperiale' and 'Via del Croso' are major. 'Trojans Forum' Not too far from here. One main street from here Colosseum This street is called 'Via de Fori Imperiali' says.
If the most tourists see together in any one place in Rome, then this is the place. Here 'Capitoline Hill' At the foot of the hill called 'Palazzo Venezia', there is a huge white building in the middle of a huge square. is called. Construction of this building Venetian Cardinal Pietro Barbo (later Pope Paul II).
To say this is a building, but it is so big in size that it is not less than a locality. This building was the embassy of the Republic of Venice during the princely period. In the 1920s to 40s, Mussolini used to address the people of Rome by standing on the stairs of this building.
'Saint Mark's Church' named after the great Saint Mark of Venice, near Palazzo Venezia made up. 'Altair della Patria' near Palazzo Venezia There is a monument to Vittoria Emanuele (II), the first king of Italy, in one part of which is located the tomb of an unknown chief warrior of Italy. In 2009 AD, when the earth was excavated here to build a metro rail, the remains of the library of the Roman emperor Hadrian were found.
We have mentioned earlier that Trajan, the adopted son of the Roman emperor Nerva, is considered the great conqueror. During his time Roman armies conquered Dacia, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Armenia, and during his time the Great Roman Empire had reached its zenith. He was honored by the Senate as the best emperor. He ruled Rome for about 20 years.
He died on 7 August 117 at the age of 63. Architecture in Rome reached its zenith during Trajan's successor Hadrian. During his time, huge buildings were built in Rome and new designs of buildings were developed. The entire region is actually associated with the Roman emperors of the same period. One has to climb a lot of stairs to enter this multi-storey building.
The Sainik Museum has now been established in this building. Large statues and sculptures of ancient kings and queens of Rome, famous rich-feudal, warriors, philosophers etc. are placed around and above this building. Most of these crafts have been created by the great sculptors of Florence and Rome, including Leonardo da Vinci (E.1452-1519), Michelangelo (E.1475-1564) and Raffiello Sangio etc.
By the time we reached this place, the rain had stopped but a strong and cold wind was blowing. We ate lunch on the benches in the park built in a part of this square, which Bhanu and Madhu had brought with them from home. Having lunch at this place in Rome was like entering two thousand years old pages of history. On the back side of the building, some old ruins made of bricks were visible in which a large number of small cells were made.
They may have been used as residences for the servants of the ancient Roman emperors. Who knows gladiators have ever been among them! On one side there is a bus stand and a tram stand at this intersection. We took a bus and left for St. Peter's Church. That was the only target we had set for today.
Survive without ticket
Since yesterday we have been traveling in Rome's buses and trams but we did not have to get tickets anywhere. Whenever we asked for a ticket from the bus driver, he would say 'No ticket!' एक टिकट चैकर बस में चढ़ा।
उसने हमसे टिकट मांगा। विजय ने अपनी जेब से वे पाँचों पास निकालकर टिकट चैकर की तरफ बढ़ा दिए जो हमने मेरूलाना प्लाजो से प्राप्त किए थे। टिकट-चैकर ने वे पास बस में लगी एक मशीन के स्कैनर के पास ले जाकर स्कैन किए और हमें लौटा दिए। टिकट-चैकर की इस कार्यवाही से मैं चक्कर में पड़ गया। अभी रविवार समाप्त कहाँ हुआ था! आज तो हमसे टिकट मांगा ही नहीं जाना चाहिए था! कुछ दिन बाद जब पीसा की मीनार देखने गए तब हमें यह बात समझ में आई कि हम क्या गलती कर रहे थे!
दरअसल टिकट बस में नहीं मिलता था। इसलिए हर ड्राइवर कहता था- ‘नो टिकट!’ और हम समझते थे कि हमें टिकट लेना जरूरी नहीं है। जबकि हमें बस में बैठने से पहले बस या ट्राम का टिकट बसस्टॉप के आसपास स्थित किसी दुकान से खरीदना था तथा उसे बस या ट्राम में लगी मशीन के स्कैनर पर स्कैन करके उसे वेलिडेट करना था, ऐसा किए बिना हम बस में वैध-यात्री नहीं थे, हम विदाउट टिकट थे किंतु बस का ड्राइवर इस बात को अंग्रेजी में नहीं बोल सकता था, इसलिए प्रत्येक ड्राइवर केवल ‘नो टिकट!’ बोलकर चुप हो जाता था।
कुछ दिन बाद जब वेनेजिया गए तब जाकर यह समझ में आया कि ऐसा तो संभव ही नहीं था कि इटली में किसी विदेशी पर्यटक से भारी शुल्क और भारी कर वसूल किए बिना उसे कोई सुविधा उपलब्ध करा दी जाती। हमें तो ईश्वर का धन्यवाद देना चाहिए कि हम दो दिन की यात्रा में विदाउट टिकट नहीं पकड़े गए थे अन्यथा हमसे कितनी पैनल्टी वसूल की जाती इसका हम अनुमान भी नहीं लगा सकते थे! एक ऐसे अपराध की पैनल्टी जिसे हमने किया नहीं था किंतु हमसे हो गया था!
सेंट पीटर चौक
सायं लगभग साढ़े तीन बजे हम सेंट पीटर्स चौक पहुँचे। यह एक विशाल वृत्ताकार क्षेत्र है जो चारों ओर विशाल वर्तुलाकार प्रस्तर-स्तम्भों एवं बारामदों से घिरा हुआ है। इसी चौक में सेंट पीटर्स बेसिलिका बनी हुई है। चौक के मध्य में एक विशाल स्तम्भ है। उसके निकट ही कुर्सियां लगी हुई हैं जहाँ पोप महीने में कुछ दिन देशी-विदेशी पर्यटकों, श्रद्धालुओं एवं जिज्ञासुओं से मिलते हैं।
इस समय ये कुर्सियां खाली थीं। चौक के एक तरफ मनुष्यों की एक साथ तीन-चार लम्बी कतारें लगी हुई थीं जिनमें देश-विदेश से आए हजारों पर्यटक खड़े थे। इन कतारों में लगकर ही बेसिलिका में प्रवेश किया जा सकता था। हम इतने थके हुए थे कि हमारे लिए इन कतारों में खड़े होना संभव नहीं था।
दिन भर बरसात में भीगते रहने से शरीर बहुत थक गया था तथा इस समय तक लघु-शंका की इच्छा भी बहुत प्रबल हो चुकी थी किंतु आस-पास कहीं भी पेशाबघर नहीं बना हुआ था। हमने कुछ लोगों से पूछा भी किंतु वहाँ सब हमारे जैसे थे। कौन बता सकता था! अतः हम लगभग एक घण्टा सेंट पीटर चौक में रुककर अपने सर्विस अपार्टमेंट के लिए रवाना हो गए।
यहाँ से हमारा घर लगभग डेढ़ किलोमीटर की दूरी पर था। फिर भी हमें बस की सहायता लेनी ही पड़ी जिसने हमें ठीक हमारे अपार्टमेंट के सामने उतार दिया। बाकी का दिन हमने सर्विस अपार्टमेंट में ही व्यतीत किया। इस समय का उपयोग मैंने विगत दो दिन की यात्रा का विवरण लिखने में किया।