When In Rome

I've been a lazy blogger, so this will serve as both the hello and goodbye to Rome. Rome lasted 1000 years, and so will this post.

My dad and I took a walking tour of Florence before we left the other day. Not only did the tour guide do a great job of giving us interesting background and cool stories, she also enlightened us as to the derivation of some phrases. For example, we stopped in front of a palace and noticed a tiny door in the wall. After big parties, she said, the poor people would come to this small door and beg for the leftovers. The rich feasted, and beggars could enjoy the spoils to go. They'd just go down to "that little hole in the wall" to get a great meal.

The train to Rome arrived on time. They even posted which track it would use. If these things are not surprising to you, shoot my dad an email and tell him to chill out. In his defense, they did not post the track number until about 8 minutes prior to departure. The funny thing about a relaxing vacation abroad is that if you've never been before, it can be incredibly stressful. My dad has never been this stressed in his life. He's slowly calming down as we stay here longer, and I think he'll relax even more when we get down to the coast tomorrow.

The train station in Rome is understandably huge. We almost got conned there. Needing a taxi to the hotel, we headed toward the taxi stand. Two men intercepted us, walked us to their van, and started piling in our luggage on top of boxes. The van didn't say taxi, and they wanted 50 Euro to drive us. When we said that was too much the driver said, "I's'a good price...five people, luggage, gas...i's'a good price."

Red flag. Let the warnings in your head sound anytime you hear someone say "I's'a good price." If they look the least bit illegitimate, haggle them down or walk away. When we said no, he started throwing our luggage onto the ground. Jerk. We left, with my mom apologizing to the man. She has such a sweet heart; don't send her anywhere alone. If I'd read ahead in Rick Steves' book, I would have seen a warning about this exact situation. We made it over to the actual taxis and headed to our hotel.

St. Peter's Basilica

We're staying right down the street from St. Peter's. The largest, most lavish cathedral in the world is our neighbor. I should genuflect when I walk outside. That first night we went for the guidebook's "Evening Stroll Through Rome." Rome is prettiest at night. When the sun slowly dips, all the buildings turn pink and orange. The city feels romantic and warm. Night beckons you out of doors. The day blazes, and warns you to stay inside. We found drinking fountains and the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navare, the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps.

Public drinking fountain: plug spout, open mouth

In front of the Pantheon

Throwing coins into the Trevi Fountain, to ensure our return to Rome

Our first morning in Rome we stood in line for the Vatican Museum. Just before entering, we put on our sweaters. In the Vatican, as Jenny would say, modest is the hottest (and required). We slalomed through the vast place and finally made it to--breathe--the Sistine Chapel. For the first time since I've been here, I broke a rule and took a picture. Don't worry, I turned off the flash. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful place in Rome, and maybe the world. It took Michelangelo four years to complete. All of the ceilings and walls are covered in fresco paintings, with portraits of saints, scenes from the life of Christ, and visions of heaven. A note about fresco painting: the artist works on tiny sections at a time, adding plaster and painting while it's wet. Once it dries, it is finished. He gets one shot. If the nose is wrong, he has to chip off the face and start again. When you know the background, it only adds to your awe (if you could add to your awe).

In front of a tapestry. Amy's getting the boot.

Contraband: Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

We took a secret exit out of the Sistine Chapel which dumped us onto the front porch of St. Peter's. Our first stop inside was Michelangelo's Pieta. Not his only Pieta, but certainly the most famous, this sculpture of Mary holding Jesus is piercingly beautiful. From there we walked and gawked. Pope Benedict XVI's home parish is exquisite. Apparently much of the marble was taken from the Colosseum. This is yet another example of the redemptive nature of God: scavenging beauty from horror for His glory. Check out Michelangelo's dome, the tallest in the world.

A bus tour later that afternoon took us through Ancient Rome's sites: Piazza Venezia, redesigned by Michelangelo during the Renaissance; the Roman Forum, the seat of the ancient city; the Colosseum, site of the Roman games; and St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls, the Vatican's second major church, housing the remains of the Apostle Paul. I love the history of all of it, especially since reading Francine River's Mark of the Lion series. But to me, though it's cool, Rome is kind of ugly. To each her own, though--Mom keeps gazing around at dilapidated ruins breathing, "Just beautiful."

Amy and Mike left this morning. We were sad they had to go, me most of all and for three reasons. One, I never get that much quality time with Amy and really loved it. Two, they're hilarious. Three, I now have to move in with my parents (my mom snores). We're waiting for an email to let us know they made it home safely. After they left, we went for an inside look at the Colosseum, avoiding the brutish men dressed as gladiators asking, "Photo?"

Then we rode the metro, which is much less user-friendly than in Paris. I rode on high alert, guarding my stuff and my body. We made it to Piazza Spagna, where Dad and I climbed the Spanish Steps. Then we all cooled our feet in the Sinking Boat Fountain. That reminds me, all of the water from fountains in Rome is cold and potable (from the spout)--good news on hot days.


Tomorrow we head to the Amalfi Coast. Can't wait for the pictures? Try watching the old movie Only You, with Marissa Tomei and Robert Downey, Jr. We're ready to get out of the city. Ciao, Roma.