Roma (the Eternal City) will truly be in my heart forever!

---

Oh, how I loved this city! Italy doesn't disappoint, and though some of the Roman sights are just like you see in pictures, nothing can take away the experience of standing on the steps of the Colosseum... throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain... or gazing up at the Sistine Chapel.

Tuesday, April 3
I LOVE Rome even more after our first day! We saw the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Il Vittoriano, and other famous buildings and ruins on that square.

Last night we had some time to soak in the unusual atmosphere of Freestyle Hostel before heading to bed. It's very... cozy (read: small and crowded) but clean, colorful and friendly. The downside is only two bathrooms for 35-some people, and one is located through the bedroom we slept in! My bed is in the worst possible location: the door to the lobby opens right in front of me, so people going in and out to use the bathroom walked by within feet of me. Still, the quiet hours are enforced and I didn't have much trouble sleeping. Kumar, the owner, even brought us bowls of complimentary pasta after we checked in. Free breakfast and dinner every day!

Our first priority this morning was finding the Colosseum. It's about a 20 minute walk from our hostel, and straightfoward. Coming into the historical center, it's really obvious where we are, with all the imposing buildings and scattered ruins, not to mention the tourists -- though not as many of these as I expected. We were told to avoid the line at the Colosseum and buy our Pataline/Colosseum ticket at Palatine Hill, so after oogling the Colosseum's exterior, we headed past it.

Then, two people promptly dampened our mood for a little while: First, costumed men who us into paying for a picture with them, and then an extremely rude ticket lady at Palatine. The men, dressed as Roman soldiers, beckoned us over and asked if we wanted a picture with them with the Colosseum in the background. After flirting and goofing around with us, taking pictures on all our cameras in various poses, they demanded €5 each as the price. Not very nicely, either! We gave them our change (€7?), because they had no posted price, and walked away to their protests. They can't do that, can they!? And the ticket lady refused to break our €50s (ATMs only dispense large bills, here) even though we saw her stack of cash. Then, she tried to keep €10 or Mary's change and was generally rude and unhelpful. I guess this teaches us not to be gullible tourists, and not to expect friendliness!

Not letting those experiences get us down, we explored Palatine Hill first, which is a really pretty, interesting complex on top of a man-made hill. It has great views of the city, pretty gardens and an abundance of ancient ruins. We saw lots of German tourists and took a ton of pictures.

Next stop: food! We wanted pizza, so had a mediocre sauce-and-cheese-between-two-crusts imitation of good pizza from a stand. I want REAL Italian pizza!

Time for the Colosseum: I was so excited to finally get in there. We waited in line, and could have gotten in sooner with our pre-purchased tickets, but there wasn't a sign to tell us this. The inside is SO cool! I read up on all the little info signs to get a better idea of what we were seeing. Apparantly, they dont' really know what it looked like, exactly, on the inside, but know many of its uses. Everything from gladiator and wild animal fights to staged naval battles by flooding the arena took place here. Too cool! All of the floor is rotted away (or burned?), so we could see straight down into where they had the passageways. There even used to be a passageway that went under the Colosseum and the street to the gladiator training area, so the men could come straight into the arena without being seen. As for the spectator stands, no seats are visible anymore, but we could see the stadium supports. Over 70,000 people could fit in here -- divided by social class, of course. The really important people had their names carved right into their seats, plus special seats for the royalty. Women and the lowest class sat up top. They outlawed the really bloody games when Christianity took over, and in later centuries, people even took rocks and marble for constucting other buildings. Many famous buildings throughout Italy have bits of the Colosseum in them! On Friday (Good Friday), the pope will come through here and march or something. And as for Christians getting eaten by lions -- I'm still not sure if this is a myth or not, since I didn't read anything about it at the Colosseum. But the reconstruction that they've been doing, lately, on this site is very interesting. They've built triangle-shaped supports for the ends of the ruined walls and are re-building part of the stage to show what it used to look like.

There was also a special exhibition in the second floor of the Colosseum that consisted of art, quotes, historical information, pottery and sculptures focussed on Eros. An interesting concept for a display -- a lot of the content was kind of "out there" compared to what I've normally come in contact with, especially within the context of Roman and Greek history and myths, which I don't know too much about. I think Eros is the son of Aphrodite in ancient lore. We walked through this and thoroughly explored both floors of the Colosseum: great pictures and cool views! The stairs going up were slanted forward, very worn and steep, so we took the elevator down.

After that, we browsed in a gift shop and headed out of Rome's most famous construction. Totally worth the price we paid for today! We wandered down to a visitor's center for information and checked out the buildings in the square, including the Imperial Forums and the Il Vittoriano. This huge, white structure, completed in 1906, was so beautiful and awe-inspiring! I loved all the statues and ornate decorations, plus the Italian flag waving proudly. There is also a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the center, with military guards, which I found really neat and patriotic. It reminded me of Washington D.C., where I had the chance to lay a wreath on the U.S. Tomb of the Unknown. We went inside the museum and saw more art, but couldn't get really far in without paying. Huge paintings and nice lighting, though. We walked up and down lots of steps to figure out how to get out, finally getting back on the street. We took one last look at all the amazing buildings before heading back to our hostel.

On the way, I convinced the girls to get gelato (ice cream) -- since we're in Italy, it's what you HAVE to do! So delish. I like how they make it over here: whipped up and not hard. I had biscuitto flavor, which tasted like white and chocolate cake mix -- heavenly. I'm sure we looked ridiculous, eating ice cream on the street in short sleeves, while everyone around us was in winter coats.

We got back to the hostel around 4 p.m., grabbed our laundry and headed to the Internet cafe/laundromat behind the train station. The attendant actually did our laundry for us! It was €6 for wash and dry, plus affordable Internet access.

We were planning on going to the Trevi Fountain tonight, but it started to rain and was pouring after supper, so we stayed in. Kumar made salad, followed by noodles with a red sauce, with wine in little plastic cups. We just hung out on Mary's bed for most of the evening, then went to bed. I didn't sleep well -- people were being loud in the lobby and coming through my room at all hours!

Wedneday, April 4
An EXHAUSTING, totally packed day... but now I love this city even more. Especially because I had the day to myself, practically. I visited Vatican City (museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's) and then we went to the Trevi Fountain at night.

We got up early and left the hostel by 8 a.m. The Metro is in the train station, and we took it seven stops to Cipro and walked from there to Vatican city. The museum didn't open until 8:45, but we could already see the line stretching around... and around... and around... the walls of the city. It was depressing to have to walk past all those people to the very end! A guy behind us estimated 3-4 hours of waiting.

About 10 minutes after getting in line, I realized I hadn't put my camera battery back in my camera after charging it last night. Oh no! I weighed my options, then took off for the Metro and an hour of sweaty stress to get to the hostel and back. The subway was packed like sardines on the way back, also, and I was literally nose to nose with a smelly old man! I retraced the line (which was now moving steadily) to the end and back, but the other girls had already gotten in. I found a nice woman near the front of the line that looked American, gave her my story, and she let me stand by her and her group. Cost was only €8 for students (€13 regular) and covered all the sights.

By this time I was resigned to the fact that I wouldn't find my friends in the huge complex that is Vatican City. I was secretly glad, even, because being on my own meant I could take my time in the museums, not rushing through like I knew the others would, and take pictures to my heart's content.

I hoped to see all the museums, but have no idea if I found them all. They run into each other, pretty much, so it's hard to tell where one starts and another ends.

I started with the Museum of Early Christian Art, which had mostly whole and remnants of sarcophagi of early Christians. Lots of cool, ancient carvings, and I liked to attempt to figure out which Bible story or tradition was depicted in each scene. Well-lit and fascinating!

Next was the Missionary/Ethnological Museum. Here, only the displays dedicated to Asian cultures (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.), where Christian missionaries had been, were open. I thought it was interesting how there were detailed explanations of each culture's traditional religion and displays dedicated to their pagan beliefs, instead of exhibitions concentrating on the Christian influence and history within each culture. There were, however, things like an Asian Virgin statue, a Christian altar built in the ornate Chinese style, a painting depicting the history of Christianity in Japan, etc. Rather dim in this museum, and I had a hard time finding my way out. Plus, there were only a handful people in these first museums I've described!

After finishing that wing, I headed over to the Picture Gallery, which was more popular... though not really well-explained in the small placards identifying paintings and artists. Maybe I should have sprung for the audio guide! Though that've put me there for days on end. But I saw some cool art by Raphael (one was the Transfiguration) and snooped in on an American couple's private Italian guide's explanation. None of the Picture Gallery rooms were very well lit, and of course cameras couldn't be flashed. It was neat to see such a HUGE collection of Christian paintings by key artists, though rather overwhelming. Many were a staggering size, and I can't imagine how long they took to create.

I ate a very filling slice of mushroom pizza (€2.70) at the on-site pizzeria before moving on to tackle the rest of the museums and the Sistine Chapel.

First was the Lapidary Gallery, full of thousands of statues - many restored, some not, and most of them non-Christian! There were definitely some interesting pieces. This lead into the New Wing, which was more of the same, with a cool sculpture titled Colossus of the Nile. Then, an endless procession of rooms, hallways and galleries as I followed signs pointing to the elusive Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel.) All of the rooms were gorgeous and varied, but I kept expecting to walk into the world-famous chapel at any second, and kept getting disappointed! Just before the final destination were several rooms of modern art, which made a rather startling contrast.

As I stepped into the long-anticipated chapel, I couldn't help but feel... disappointed. It was packed with people, noisy and dimly lit -- and all cameras were banned. I had a hard time distinguishing the famous art, and ended up passing through quickly. I stopped at the nearest gift shop (of which there are an abundance) and spent a half hour or so browsing through Sistine Chapel books and actually learning about what I had just seen, not to mention examing the beautiful, bright, detailed photographs of the familiar art.

Heading out, there were more hallways with art, but the gift shops outnumbered them! I picked up two postcards of the chapel's art and headed out into the cloudy day.

First stop: gelato! How could I not? I had a cone of what is essentially chocolate chip gelato, which promptly toppled onto my hand and wallet. A nice guy at the next-door restaurant cleaned me up and provided a paper bowl and plastic spoon. I ate it as I walked to St. Peter's.

So HUGE. That was my first impression of St. Peter's. Until recently, this was the largest Christian church in the world. The queue to get was equally impressive, stretching almost all the way around the piazza. I joined near the end, and since it was more of a crowd then a queue, was able to sidle my way forward. Security was holding people up initially, to get our bags scanned and go through a metal detector, but after entering the church, I had to wait in another queue that split into the Popes' Tombs or the Copula. With no desire to see dead Catholic dudes, I opted to pay €4 and climb the dome -- 441 stairs.

I stood inside the dome, as high up as you can go in the interior, and was totally in awe once again of the size of the building. The metal cage surrounding visitors was a bit of a disappointment, because it's difficult to get a proper picture (and it's not very well-lit!), but it was still neat. I especially liked admiring and running my fingers along the mosiac walls of the little path we were kept on -- such detail!

I thought that was it, but then saw a sign pointing to the cupula again -- going up! Turns out I could walk to the top of thee dome and see the view from the outside. The stairs got progressively narrower, dirtier and steeper -- at one point, the curve of the dome forced people to walk sideways, and the spiral staircase in another place was so tight that a railing wouldn't fit and a rope was hung straight down the middle! But the unobstructed view from the top made the climb worthwhile. Amazing! I can't get enough of this city. It was sprinkling when I got up there, but I didn't let that stop me from taking a ton of pictures. Looking down on the Vatican City was awesome, as was the skyline.

After visting the nun-run gift shop for postcards, I headed down and into the actual sanctuary. Dimply lit, but so huge that it took my breath away. There were tons of tourists, which made for tight going sometimes -- especially in the penance area, where a dozen confessionals were set up, with green/red lights and signs posting the language spoken there... too crazy! I loved the domes, especially, and interesting statues -- including Michelangelo's Pieta.

With very sore legs, I trekked back to the Vatican Metro stop (a half hour from St. Peter's) and then took a packed trip home to Termini and my hostel. The other girls were starting to get worried about me -- it was 6 p.m. -- but understood about getting separated. They had even waited for me once they got into the Vatican, but so many people made it impossible to find me. It was a nice feeling to be worried about, even though they joked and said they'd called my mom!

Time to rest the legs for more walking... we had salad and pasta (with herbs, not sauce) for supper at Freestyle, and chatted with two Americans from California -- much more mature then some of the other Americans staying here, like some high schoolers studying in Germany.

We headed to the Trevi Fountain on food and enjoyed a romantic, nighttime walk. The buildings look so different at night, and most were lit up, though it would have taken awhile to set up a decent pictures without my tripod. The Trevi is beautiful and very romantic -- note to self: get boyfriend/fiance/husband to take me back here someday! I threw a coin in, backwards over my shoulder, which means that I will be back someday. There were a lot of couples, but plenty of families and students, too. There are a lot of cute little restaurants and cafes down there, and of COURSE we had to get gelato to eat. I wanted orange and chocolate, but the guy added mango and coconut, making for an unusual but delicious flavor combination.

I had navigated our way down there, so let the other girls get us back. We decided to see the museum and Colosseum at night, which was beautiful, but tiring because it wasn't on our way. I could tell Mary was upset about something all night, too, but didn't want to pry. I think she just needed personal space. We headed back to go to bed, and I slept very well, for once.

Thursday, April 5
Our last day in this beautiful city! We visited the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. I was sad to leave, but excited for our next stop: Firenze (Florence)!

I was ready to see a bit more of Rome before leaving for good, so showered early and asked around for things we could do in a few hours. Everyone suggested the Spanish Steps, so I asked the other girls and got an indifferent response. I kind of pushed for it, since I didn't want to just sit around, and they went along because they didn't have a better plan. I wasn't about to waste a day in ROME!

We stashed our luggage in a corner of the hostel and took the Metro to a stop near the Spanish Steps. Turned a corner and... there they were. Steps. With a church or something at the top and a fountain at the base. I appreciated the simple beauty, especially with all the beautiful purple-pink flowers on the steps. A flower truck sat inconveniently between the steps and the fountain, obstructing the view, but it couldn't be helped. Overall, a nice stop, and not too crowded.

At the top of the steps, I found a painter selling his watercolors of the city. They were so beautiful and detailed! I sorted through them all and picked out a vertical one of the basilica reflected in the river, and he gave me (what he claimed was) the student discount, so I paid €20. Very much worth it!

Then Mary, who had been distant since last night, broke the news to us that she was going to go straight to Venice to be with her cousin, skipping Florence, our next stop. I was surprised, but supportive, because it seemed like she really needed to be with family... or at least someone other than the same two people. I think it was a real relief for her to have that settled, though I don't think I would cut my trip short for getting homesick!

We decided to walk past the Trevi in the daytime, and then had yummy pizza at a cafe. I ordered mozzerella (sliced) with tomatos and seasoning. I savored every €7 bite!

After using the Internet, we decided to leave for our next cities. As much as I love Rome, I'm ready to take on the next destination!

---