When in Rome...

you do lots of walking...

Oh, Roma! Big city...and I've walked a lot of it. Again, this is going to seem like a list of things because I saw so much in a day. I do have to give a huge thanks to Rowan Dorin for making this part of the trip possible, as it was he who sat me down with pen and paper and told me to dictate his daily intineraries of Rome. Rowan, you never...well, almost never...led me astray. (PS...to get to the Campidoglio from the Capitoline Museums, you don't go back down the stairs and around...you go through the square to the left and down a tiny side street...it's ok, small 20 minute detour...)

OK, so I started my trip in Rome, after getting a good night's sleep from the previous day's train craziness, in the ancient city (might as well go chronologically, right?). Hit the Forum at 9AM when NO tour groups were around, and had the rocks to myself. It amazed me that a civilization such as Rome could be so eternal, and yet temporal at the same time. Standing in the middle of the Forum--THE place to be in ancient Rome--I was looking at complete destruction. You can't even start to imagine what it looked like, I felt. Bunch of overgrown rocks with a few standing columns...and arches...I couldn't picture it the way it must have been. And the same with the Pallatine Hill (though the ruins are a little bigger and more intact), which I went to afterwards. HINT: If you want to go to the Pallatine Hill and the Colosseo, buy your ticket at the booth in the Forum. Do not go to the Pallatine Hill street entrance or the Colosseo line...no need. No lines for me and I went right in to both. After wandering through the Pallatine Hill for a bit, went over to the Colosseo to see what it was all about. Well, not much. I mean, it's huge. (And yes, Dad, traffic is a bit crazy over in that area...) But again, ruins. No seats left. No floor. I took a tour and learned that the whole place was basically pillaged/recycled by the popes to make churches. The reason the travertine walls look like swiss cheese is that they took out the metal pieces holding the marble to the travertine to melt down and make guns and church bells. Interesting. Found out the hard way that the Domus Aurea, what is left of Nero's gigantic mansion complex, is closed for renovation. Backtracked to the Circus Maximus...not worth walking to. There is nothing there. I mean, nothing...just grass. But S. Maria in Cosmedin, a beautiful little church has gorgeous tiled floors, mosaics, and the Bocca della Verita, the Mouth of Truth. It's a huge stone face that you stick your hand in, and supposedly, if you are a liar, you get your hand bit off. Happy to say, I am still two handed. Walked back up to the Capitoline Museums, but I was so tired that I couldn't really register anything there. Saw some cool, probably important statues of Augustus, I think... Ended the rock part of the day with Trajan's Column and Market. All very impressive, just tough to visualize it all. Decided to pep up a bit with some gelatto that both Let's Go and the NY Times raved about, the gelatto of San Crispino. It is very good. Took a trip to the Trevi fountain. (Now I understand, Mom.) It's AMAZING! I love it! So powerful. Decided to splurge on a restaurant near the Trevi for some good pasta and bruchetta. Good stuff. Saw the Fountain of Triton and the 4 Fountains. The day of rocks and water. Overall, a good day.

Next day, I woke up at the crack of dawn to get to the Vatican Museums. Rowan advised me to be there at 7AM, and I clocked in at 7:03. 90 or more people had clocked in even before me! You know what...you can't win against those people. As I was naively in line, thinking I would be getting in close to 9, someone said...oh no, we get in at 10. The tour groups get in at 8. What? Yeah...3 HOURS in line waiting for it to open. Granted, even by 8 the line was so far down the street that the people were probably IN the Vatican's piazza, but it was just so long. Passed the time talking to a couple from south of London and a lady from South Africa. Once the doors opened, we got right in, but I chose not to rush through and try to get to the Sistine Chapel first. You know what, nothing was crowded. Tourists go straight for the big pieces, and for la Sistina, but the rest of the museum was wide open for me to peruse. Saw some amazing stuff. The big gems are also very cool as well. But the Raffael Rooms and La Sistina were the best. The School of Athens is just amazing. And well, the Sistine Chapel ceiling...worth every minute in line. It was amazing! So breathtaking that they insure that silence is kept. I like that. Shut the tour guides up for a bit, I say. Anyway, left the museum and laughed at the people still in line as I went to St. Peter's Basilica. WOW. It's just so big and great. Too bad an axe wielding fiend cut off Mary's nose and Christ's hand so now the Pieta is behind glass. It is really beautiful. And what I liked most about it all was the chair and surrounding statue. Bernini really did it right. One would think that the Vatican would have a 30' gilded gold crucifix, perhaps with neon lights saying, WE ARE THE VATICAN. But no. There is no cross in the entire statue. Just the dove...a strong symbol nonetheless, but much less hitting you over the head than a cross, to me at least. It was quite glorious I would say. Another must when at the Vatican is walking up all 551 steps to the top of the dome. (I didn't have enough cash on me to take the lift...but it's better to walk anyway.) Beautiful views from up there! A short storm was coming in, and you could just see the clouds rolling in over Rome. Decided to try to get out of the rain by going to Castel Sant'Angelo, Hadrian's fortress, which is very interesting, but not nearly as cool as the Vatican. Trekked quite a long way to get to a place Let's Go recommended, but it had really good pasta. Well worth the walk.

The third day was supposed to be Big Church Day, but instead I spent most of the day going up and down the river. Started at the Piazza del Poppolo...saw the chapels and the church and the set up of the anti-war protest (did I mention that Bush is in town...). Decided to quickly move to the beautiful Borghese park to stroll amongst the trees, a copy of the Globe Theater, and the Galleria Borghese, a must-see, says all the guide books, but a can't see unless you get your tickets 4 days in advance. Be warned. Walked over to the Spanish Steps...yep, they are there...don't walk up them, no need, and then down to the ruins of the Mausoleo of Augustus and a new glass building by Richard Meier to house the ancient Ara Pacis, a large altar that I did my 7th grade Latin project on. It was really weird to walk up to it and remember all the research I did for that project. I drew up plans of each facade and everything. I think that might have been one of my middle school all nighters even. Oh, good times back at South... Anyway, recharged with gelatto at the Piazza Navona and sat with my feet in a fountain. Walked passed Campo de Fiore and over the bridge to Trastevere, a wonderful area to walk around. Stopped first at S. Maria in Trastevere, a gorgeous church with mosaics, and then walked down to San Francisco dell Ripa, another beautiful church, but not on the regular map. So the friars were going about their regular business and conducting a dress rehearsal for first communion. The little kids were just staring at me as I walked around. Saw a beautiful Bernini statue, checked the clock, and ran back to the Pantheon to make 5PM Mass. OK, so you are wondering, why would the Jew want to catch Mass, ever? Again, a brilliant Rowan tip! Go see a church during Mass! Firstly, you get to see the space as it is intended to be used. Secondly, they clear out all the tour groups who can't get enough of their tour guides annoying voice. Thirdly, you sit there and they sing to you in pretty languages. How can you go wrong? I got there as they were clearing everyone out and closing the doors. I ran up to some guy and said I wanted to go to Mass and he ushered me right in with a smile. Just had to stand and sit when I was told...no kneeling in this Mass oddly enough...and smile and shake hands with people who I think were saying, "Peace be with you." Not sure completely of what happens in a Mass, but I know a lot of it. Anyway, the priest was a very energetic guy. Couldn't understand a single word, but he was very emphatic on whatever topic he was talking about. Then another priest sang in a gorgeous voice. All the while, I'm just staring around the Pantheon, watching the circle of light get higher across the dome, and thinking, "Does anyone get bird pooped on through the hole in the ceiling?" I do wonder. And the building itself is wonderous...how did they do that ceiling? Amazing. I will say that the church doesn't really fit into the original structure, but who am I to judge such things? Ate overlooking the Pantheon in a lovely outdoor cafe and called it a day.

And I'm going to call this a post and get off the computer. I do promise to post more pics as soon as I can get to a place that allows me to plug in my camera card.