Rome is a big city, I am a little person. I did my best. I DID MY BEST!

ROME. Yeah. That's where I was all weekend. It was a long and exhausting weekend but there was a lot to see, strangely enough. Who ever would have thought there would be things to see in Rome? If I actually tried to write everything we did and do descriptive justice I would be here forever and this blog would be a zillion words long. So instead I'm going to highlight a few episodes focusing on my favorite parts.

1. The epiphany moment, when I realized I was in Rome: visiting the Pantheon. It was unfortunately converted to a church but other than that and the deterioration from time it is still the same it was when it was first built. Buried inside the Pantheon is Raphael, maybe you've heard of him? Above his tomb it says (in Latin) "Here lies Raphael by whom nature feared to be overcome while he was alive and, when he died, feared to perish herself." More or less. After seeing his work I can understand why this was written.

the pantheon. yep, its awesome

2. The Vatican parts a and b.

a. St. Peter's Basilica. Its not a church, its a giant work of art. The statues, paintings, frescoes, what have you, encompass multiple eras of style but after a while it becomes repetitive due to the subject matter- if it isn't about Jesus, its about a saint or a pope. It is the Vatican, so duh, what else is going to be in there? But after a while it becomes, been there, done that. I did touch St. Peter's feet though, which is supposed to be a big deal. He actually doesn't have much feet left because of how many people have rubbed their hands over them. The Pièta, by michaelangelo is in here and that was major.

the altar in st. peter's basilica

b. The Vatican Musei and The. Sistine. Chapel. The Sistine Chapel. As in wow. I don't care, this room felt a thousand times more holy than St. Peter's ever could have. We spent a good twenty minutes in there just staring. The other major peice of art that I was dying to see was the School of Athens, by Raphael. (the chapel is Michaelangelo's if you somehow didn't know that, the same guy as sculpted the David.) I fell behind everyone else because I stared at it so long. The rest of the Musei is incredible as well (other than the "modern art" section) but its overwhelming how much and how long this place is. It takes forever to reach the Chapel.

my baby, the school of athens

3. The Trevi fountain. A giant fountain depicting Neptune and the founding of the city's largest, oldest (?) aqueduct.

4. Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit. They built the machines Da Vinci planned in his notebook and you could try them. Of course it was one of my favorites, you know me, I always want to touch and try so an interactive museum is my kinda place.

playing with one of da vinci's machines

5. The Tiber, chocolate truffle things and people making jewelry along the side of the road. Then, of course, the food. Dinner the first night was fancy and a little costly. I had small pasta with tomatoes, eggplant and bufalo mozzerella. Beyond good. The second night was much simpler, a spaghetti-like pasta in a goat cheese sauce but JUST as delicious. I forget what its called but go there if you ever visit Rome. I (staying true to my tendency to forget names while having an excellent sense of direction) remember where it is though not its name :) And, of course gelato. Don't judge but I had it three times. One time was wicked good, near the Trevi but the other two were still good but nothing to write home about. Then lunch was an excellent salad place near the Vatican wall. Very simple but delicious.

my tortufo norcia (norcia is a region in Italy where this truffle came from)

6. Castel San'Angelo built by Hadrian in 123 ad (yes, the same guy as the wall in England) and used by the popes as a fortress in times of danger. A dizzying labrinth that feels like a cave in parts and a normal Italian house or town in others. At the top there is a GREAT view of Rome and Vatican City.

the Castel

7. The Colloseo (Colluseum). Nuff said.

yeah, I went inside this.

8. Other fantastic ruins seen (though not explored) included the Circus Maximus, a temple dedicated to Zeus and another to Hercules, and some excavations in progress near Piazza Nuvona. Rome is also the city of fountains and there are a lot, running the gamut from the intricate enormity of the Trevi to little spouts from concrete lumps. Near the colluseum was a temple dedicated to Rome and to Venus and this giant triumphal arch that was pretty cool.

9. There was a match against Scotland while we were there so there was a lot of men running around in kilts, drinking beer and speaking in Scottish accents. Rock on.

10. Of course we stole food from the hotel breakfast again.

11. Rome is filled with obelisks stolen from Egypt with heiroglyphics on them. There is even a real, legitimate pyramid. So if you can't make it to Egypt, the next best thing is to visit Rome.

12. The weather. It was the middle of February and the day we visited St. Peter's it was HOT. Not middle of the summer hot but hot enough to walk around in short sleeves and sweat a little. There were few clouds and the sky was a light, happy blue. Of course, in similair fasion to Ohio, it was cold again the next day. Not middle of the winter cold but chilly enough for a jacket, mostly because of the wind.

So, all in all, I would have to say Rome was a success. An exhausting success, but a success nonetheless. My favorite sights would probably include the Sistine Chapel, the Castel, School of Athens and the Pantheon though we couldn't really go wrong anywhere we went. I know there were a million things I didn't see including the Forum, which makes me a little sad but we only had three days. But come on, how often do you see this?:

the swiss guard in their fun outfits