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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Fleeing the heat, tourists explore Rome at night, underground
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A man fills up a bottle with water at a fountain infront of Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, in central Rome on Aug 11. Rome - It was already 30 deg C at 9.30am as New Zealander Olivia Ansari waited with other tourists outside Rome's Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, seeking relief underground from the punishing summer heat. At a refreshing 15 deg C, the catacombs were a popular place to hide this week as temperatures in the Eternal City reached almost 40 deg C, while other visitors sought out evening tours and 2am walks. 'If we could have postponed our trip, we would have done it, but everything was already booked,' said Ms Ansari, 32, visiting Italy with her mother and an aunt. Instead, they adapted. 'We booked our earliest tour starting at 7.30 am, and aim to be home before midday,' she said, taking refuge on a shaded stone bench near the Appian Way next to her aunt, who appeared overwhelmed by the heat. They do not venture out again before 4pm or 5pm, and, as in many Mediterranean countries, they pushed back their dinner time by three hours to 9pm. In central Rome, Mr Rafael Falcao also headed underground, to the Crypt of the Capuchin Friars on the Via Veneto, which he found relatively cool. He too, had to change his plans as a heatwave punishing southern Europe pushed up Rome's already high August temperatures. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Power fault on Sengkang-Punggol LRT line brings trains to a halt Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore More families in Singapore using childminding and elder-minding services Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Business US Treasuries a draw as yield gap with S'pore govt bonds widens, but analysts urge caution Asia Beijing-Manila row over collision of Chinese ships chasing Filipino boat a reminder of geopolitical risk Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength 'Yesterday, we rented a small car to visit the city because it was too hot to walk,' the 42-year-old Brazilian said. Ms Patricia Kolodziej, a 41-year-old Polish woman living in Britain, said she struggled to find things to do with her toddler in the heat. But she managed to get tickets for the last entry to the Colosseum, the ancient Roman amphitheatre that's a must-see for tourists – but which can be a furnace during the day. 'We have chosen more sightseeing in the evening,' she said. A few steps away, under the shadow of the Colosseum, an Asian tourist who declined to give her name, seemed close to fainting, her forehead sweating. 'We came late on purpose, but it's no use,' she said. Nobody out Online travel portal predicted last October that 'noctourism' – nighttime tourism – will be one of the trends of 2025. It blamed rising temperatures due to climate change, as well as overtourism. Several Rome sites offer evening activities, including the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum which opens late at night twice a week. Tickets quickly disappear but Ms Madison Thibert, from the US state of North Dakota, secured one, allowing her to enjoy the sight of the ancient monument bathed in moonlight. Ms Thibert said she and her boyfriend had been exploring the city after hours, when temperatures reduce, and so do the crowds. 'We just walked around, we saw the Trevi Fountain, came by the Colosseum. We took some of the scooters around on the roads,' she said. 'It was a lot cooler, nobody was out. It was perfect.' AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Fleeing the heat, tourists explore Rome at night, underground
It was already 30C at 9:30 am as New Zealander Olivia Ansari waited with other tourists outside Rome's Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, seeking relief underground from the punishing summer heat. At a refreshing 15C, the catacombs were a popular place to hide this week as temperatures in the Eternal City reached almost 40C, while other visitors sought out evening tours and 2:00 am walks. "If we could have postponed our trip, we would have done it, but everything was already booked," said Ansari, 32, visiting Italy with her mother and an aunt. Instead, they adapted. "We booked our earliest tour starting at 7:30 am, and aim to be home before midday," she told AFP, taking refuge on a shaded stone bench near the Appian Way next to her aunt, who appeared overwhelmed by the heat. They do not venture out again before 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm, and, as in many Mediterranean countries, they pushed back their dinner time by three hours to 9:00 pm. In central Rome, Rafael Falcao also headed underground, to the Crypt of the Capuchin Friars on the Via Veneto, which he found relatively cool. He too, had to change his plans as a heatwave punishing southern Europe pushed up Rome's already high August temperatures. "Yesterday, we rented a small car to visit the city because it was too hot to walk," the 42-year-old Brazilian said. Patricia Kolodziej, a 41-year-old Polish woman living in Britain, said she struggled to find things to do with her toddler in the heat. But she managed to get tickets for the last entry to the Colosseum, the ancient Roman amphitheatre that's a must-see for tourists -- but which can be a furnace during the day. "We have chosen more sightseeing in the evening," Kolodziej told AFP. A few steps away, under the shadow of the Colosseum, an Asian tourist who declined to give her name, seemed close to fainting, her forehead sweating. "We came late on purpose, but it's no use," she said. - Nobody out - Online travel portal predicted last October that "noctourism" -- nighttime tourism -- will be one of the trends of 2025. It blamed rising temperatures due to climate change, as well as overtourism. Several Rome sites offer evening activities, including the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum which opens late at night twice a week. Tickets quickly disappear but Madison Thibert, from the US state of North Dakota, secured one, allowing her to enjoy the sight of the ancient monument bathed in moonlight. Thibert said she and her boyfriend had been exploring the city after hours, when temperatures reduce, and so do the crowds. "We just walked around, we saw the Trevi Fountain, came by the Colosseum. We took some of the scooters around on the roads," Thibert said. "It was a lot cooler," she noted, and, "nobody was out. It was perfect." ved-mdb/ar/tw/tc
