Today I'll be travelling to the South of Italy, the Calabria region, to a town near to Lamezia, where my colleague, Francesca is staying. Before I got to know my colleague, I did not know about Calabria. So i did spend a little time reading up Calabria what there is to offer. Apparently, this part of Italy has the best seafood, the best weather! hahaha..... and the beaches, sea are just so nice.... coz its mediterranean weather.
Anyway i woke up as usual, paid my rent to Fulvia and went exploring some parts of Rome. Coz I would be taking the train at 12.37pm. And I've got like 3hrs to kill. So after a pretty heavy breakfast, I decided to walk along the street 'via Cavour' to visit the church 'Santa Maria Maggiore'. Apparently, this church is the largest Roman Catholic Marian church in Rome and its also one of the basilica that is owned by the Holy See. Apparently the famous Bernini was buried here! Hmmm.... but I did not see his tomb... probably it was written in Italian or I just passed it. Anyway, this church was majestic!
Santa Maria Maggiore
The otherside of Santa Maria Maggiore
Statues on the basilica's walls
Bronze door at the entrance of Santa Maria Maggiore
Main hall of the basilica
Man in confession
Obelisk in front of Santa Maria Maggiore
The next place I headed to was another church, but a smaller church. and This church was built on a mini hill. I had to climb a flight of steps to reach it.
Flight of steps leading to Saint Pietro in Vincoli
The church is Saint Pietro in Vincoli. This church is best known for housing Michelangelo's statue of Moses, which is part of the tomb of Pope Julius II. The statue of Moses was different from the usual as Moses was depicted to have a pair of horns on his head.
Michelangelo's station of Moses
The main hall of the church
The main altar of the church
One other thing that I discovered this church is different from other churches are the statues at the sides of the main hall. Hmmm... how should I put it. In all the churches, basilicas i've seen so far, the walls at the sides in the main hall are either decorated with painting, or sculptures of popes, Jesus, Mary or some other saints. However for this particular church, they have sculptures of skeletons! Yup! I'm not bluffing. So I took a few photos of the side walls.
1 of the side wall (think its on the right side of the hall)
Another statue of the skeleton
After visiting this basilica, i wanted to get to Domus Aurea and Colle Oppio, which are ruins opposite the Colosseo. As usual, I tried to follow the map on hand and strolled down the wrong road again. And ended up with Colosseum right in front of me! Hahaha.... i never intended to see the colosseum so soon, as I'v planed to see it on my 2nd last day in Rome (30th Dec). Anyway, there I was. I was totally awed by the colosseum and started to take a few pictures of it. Anyway, the weather was really good, with blue skies and sun, so better to take now than wait until 30th, coz you never know if the weather will be shitty on 30th.
That's me & the colosseo
close up view of the colosseo
Majestic Colosseo. I'll see u again on 30th! =D
After snapping the pictures, it was time to find my way to Domus Aurea. Coz by then it was close to 10.30am and i had to get back by around 11.30am to get my bag. I found Domus Aurea and was greatly disappointed by it.
Entrance to Domus Aurea
Coz most of the ruins were fenced up as restoration works were in progressed. So i did not manage to see it. The next place I thought I can probably check out was 'Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II'. hmmmm i was even more disappointed. Coz it was just a fenced up area of rubble. And worse, it was in a park and I was a little apprehensive walking through the park. Coz in that park, apparently homeless people stay there.... not too safe. In fact that whole region around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II is not safe to venture at night.So its time to head back to the B & B to collect my bag. As I was walking back, I passed by another piazza - Piazza Fanti. This looks better than the previous one... at least there was a nice building in it. hahahaha.....
Building in Piazza Fanti
So i collected my bag and headed to Roma Termini. Apparently, the board had not shown which track the train will be, so I sat down and wait. around 12.10pm, the sign came on. I was unsure if that was the train that I was going to board, but the timing of departure seems correct. I must say, the Italian train signboard is not the best ever. Coz they do not show the train number. At least if they show the train number, I can be assured it is the right train I was taking. anyway, I had to checked with passengers boarding the train to see if I'm taking the right one.
Train platform at Roma Termini station (took this from my window seat)
Once in the train, found my seat and I was happy. Coz I got the single window seat! hahaha.... so i need not worry about disturbing passenger when i go to the toilet. But I must say I was shocked. the passengers were allowed to bring their dogs up into the train. The dogs are not anestisized, but the dogs are pretty obediant. They sit beside their owners.
Inside the train carriage. You can see the dog seating in the middle of the ailse
Anyway I cannot grumble too much, for 19€ travelling from Rome to Lamezia was really a very cheap buy. I've got 6 hrs to kill on the train. I read and eat. The Kindle i bought last year is really a very good buy. Coz These days I have it with me wherever I go. And i've got lots of books in it, hence i can read books anytime i want. =DFinally I reached Lamezia. I had to wait about 5min before Francesca's husband, Emanuele came. He drove the train station with Francesco, their son. It was a short drive about 15min to their house. As it was night i was not able to see my surrounding. But Emanuel's mother and father were waiting at their house for me! hahaha... a very good welcome indeed! After a little catching up, we headed out for dinner. They brought me to a pizzeria. I must say that I was surprised. Coz the table setting was so nice that as if i was eating at a restaurant. And the pizza was cooked in the traditional oven (that's the furnace).
That's the chef who will make and cook our pizza. Behind him is the tradiational oven
They ordered a lot of food. Lots of dishes of antipasti, then 1 huge thin crust pizza for me (which I could not finish), beer and 1 amaretto for me. Which they told me is for digestion. hahahha.... when it arrived i was shocked again! hahaha.... coz it was very strong Italian liquere. But it tasted good. Emanuel's parents told me that the amaretto was made in Calabria so its very good. (think the alcohol % is about 40%) its ok for me i guess... 
the pizza they ordered for me. It had artichokes, sardines, proscuitto, marzorella, tomamtoes and mushrooms
Group photo at the pizzeria
After dinner, they brought me to see a thermal waterfall & pool. and really its as if i was in Rotorua (New Zealand) coz i smelt the Sulphur dioxide. Emanuel and Francesca told me that people come here to soak in the water (and the temperature of the water was just nice). But you gotta wear bathing suits (hahaha... so they are not like the japanese, koreans & taiwanese coz in such thermal pools people had to enter with their birthday suits and I've seen it in Gifu prefecture)
Thermal Waterfall of Lamezia
After viewing the thermal pool, we had to say goodbye to Emanuel's parents. Coz they stay in Lamezia and Emanuel and Francesca's house is in between Farlena and Lamezia (in the countryside). Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day!
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