When in Rome

When in Rome...Walk like the rest of the herd!

We spent a very quick 3 days in Rome, trying to see as much as we could but with an estimated extra 300,000 people in Rome (beyond the normal heap of tourists) for the Cannonization of a Spanish priest, it was a busy place. Often times we felt like just one of the herd - or maybe flock is a better word - as we took in the sights of this fantastic historical city.

Our first day we decided that walking is still the best way to travel and from then on we were absolutely spent every day. We stayed in a private room which was across town from the Vatican, and as we made our way there we kept happening upon incredibly famous fountains, sculptures, cathedrals and ruins. We would literally come around a corner and recognize the fountain or building from art history classes -and Michael picked out the Colosseum from miles away. We also happened to approach the Vatican from a perfect angle entirely by accident. As we crossed the Tiber River we were facing it and the Piazza San Pietro directly. There is so much history here it is hard to miss, even when just wandering.

Since it was already afternoon by the time we reached the Vatican, we decided we would have to see half of it the following day. We climbed the 'cupola' or dome of the Basillica, which was a bit claustrophobic for Michael. It is one of those places where being short pays off! The staircase wound around the dome just inside the wall, making the left wall curve in toward us. We had to lean toward the inner part of the dome to not bump our heads on the outside wall. Really amazing. Michael probably wouldn't have been bothered if it weren't for the 300 other people climbing the very same staircase!

The view from the dome was, as Lonely Planet said, unparalleled. We could see most of Rome, the Vatican gardens, the Piazza, and even saw a nun washing windows. When we made our way back down we joined a free tour of the Basillica with an Irish priest who not only knew his history, but was a crack up as well. He taught us so much history about Roman times, joked about the not-so-Holy Roman Emperors, the meaning behind the art by Michaelangelo and others, and so much more. It was an hour and half that seemed to fly by. I think I could have spent hours with him chatting about religion and history.

That night we picked a different route to head back to our room and happened upon a few more historical sights, which is when Michael picked out the Colosseum. It is difficult to describe stumbling upon such famous monuments. We had to look at the map to figure out we were standing right in front of the Roman Forum also. Too cool.

The next day we went back to the Vatican Museum, which was packed! We followed the crowd to the Sistine Chapel first, and stood in the middle of the room with our audioguides and headphones soaking up as much info as we could about Michaelangelo's famous paintings on the ceiling and the 'Last Judgement.' We were very lucky to have visited now, as the restorations have taken place just within the last 20 years. I couldn't believe the color after seeing the unrestored version in college art history books. There is no doubt Michaelangelo was a spiritual man, and had such a talent for telling a story with his art.

That afternoon we walked through the Roman forum, and just after entering saw the people we could have only hoped we would see...our new friends from Atlanta we met in Sorrento! We knew they would be in Rome, and thought that with all the people there the chances were so slim we would see them. We were smiling for quite a while after seeing them again. :)

Our last day at the Colosseum was interesting. Most of the old Roman city is in ruin because the Romans themselves dismantled it in order to build other things, which is mainly why the Colosseum is in ruin now. But there is enough of it left to envoke quite a picture of the entertainment that took place there. The gladiators barracks, the sophisticated elevator system that raised the animals from below the arena, and the seats engraved with Senators names are all easy to see. To think of the bloody death battles that took place there as people cheered and whistled is shocking. During the opening of the Colosseum itself, the emperor ordered 100 days straight of games in which 5,000 exotic animals where killed. Not to be outdone, his successor sponsored games for 9,000 animals to be killed in 114 days. We didn't hear of the number of Gladiators that died, but no matter the number it is hard to imagine people watching this for fun. YUK. It makes the movie Gladiator seem all to real.

We are now in Florence soaking up the more cultural side. We saw the famous David sculpture by Michaelangelo, which was quite awesome. Michaelangelo compelted David at age 29 - to think of creating something so timeless at our age is spectacular. A born artist.

We will see a few other famous cathedrals, maybe another (sigh) museum, but as they begin to blend together and get less exciting, we aren't forcing ourselves to see them all. I think it is impossible to fully enjoy them after how many we have seen. Our plan from here is to get out into the Tuscan countryside and stay on a farm to get more of a feel for the lifestyle. They call it Agriturismo. It sounds like it will be just our speed.