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Published: August 8th 2007
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Julie J Vanover Ahh, Rome! I arrived in Rome on Wednesday afternoon, not having a hostel booked because I ran out of time in Naples. But one of the girls in my room assured me that I would find a hostel very easily, she said I would get off the train and people would be coming up to me asking if I needed a hostel. Well, I got off the train and noone came up to me. Ultimately this is Italian independence week or something and almost all of the hotels and hostels were booked, so I walked around Rome for 3 hours looking for a hostel, with my pack on my back, in the Rome heat! Ugh. I will never do that again. So after I got settled into my hostel I did not want to do anything. So that was a wasted day, in Rome!
The next day I headed out to the Colosseum. I stepped out of the Metro station and there is the Colosseum, bigger than life! Wow. It was so big and grand. So I explored it and the Roman Forum and Pallantine Hill which is the rest of the ancient Roman city. Now these were cool,
The Floors
Every church in Rome had floors that look like this. but after seeing Pompeii they didn't have the same coolness that they would if I had seen them first. Well all of this was wonderful, but it was here on Pallantine Hill that my feet had a meltdown. It started to hurt worse and worse on my little toe where the blister was, so I looked and the blister had popped. I had to go back to my hostel and put on my other shoes, which I couldn't wear either. So I put on my sandals and headed back out into the Roman streets (I guess that sandals seem a little appropriate). I also realize that I am going to have to buy a new pair of shoes. My two pair that I have are too tight on my toes and I cannot wear them day in and day out.
I saw at least 15 churches, there is a church on every corner in Rome. And of course I have to go into them becuase they are free! I walked the streets and saw the Pantheon (which I didn't realize was a church, this was my favorite church that I saw, Piazza Navona where the Four Rivers fountain is,
but the fountain was down for repairs, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Then I rushed back to the hostel because they have free pasta at 7pm, but I missed it. So I went to the deli down the street and got a panini sandwich with grilled zuccini and mozzarella cheese- hmm so good. Went back and had dinner with Catherine, a lady I met from France.
The next day I headed to the Vatican. I went through the Museum, which was very cool but so crowded. You cannot really stop to see things as the crowd just steadily moves in the one direction. I liked the architecture in the Vatican Museum almost as much as I liked the art. It was all very beautiful, but there were alot of things that were so decorated that they were on the borderline gawdy level. Then I arrived at the Sistine Chapel- sigh. It really is beautiful, not as big as I thought though. I took a few pictures, then the guy came around and said no pictures, oops. I got a few more, but will have to edit out my sleeve and stuff because I was being sneaky. I stayed
Pantheon
This is the ray of sunshine through the hole in the roof. The roof is open all the time, it rains in Church! in the Sistine for a while just looking at all the different scenes, but it was extremely crowded and noone was supposed to talk, but they did which just made it worse.
So then I headed to Saint Peter's Square and Basilica, you walk into the Square and you are just surrounded by beautiful buildings and statues. So I wander around the square, then go up to the Basilica. There are two lines one goes to the Tombs (morbid I think) and the other goes to the Cuppola. So the cuppola must be where I want to go, so I wait in line for 45 minutes to find out that this is the line to climb the tower (at 4€) which is not what I want to do. You just walk into the church, no line. But it must have been meant to be because as I was walking past the line to the church a lady in line asks me if it was worth it. I tell her I don't know, I was in the wrong line. She also just wanted to go to the church, so we walked around the Church together and looked at the statues
Four Rivers Fountain
Under restoration! Ugh. Couldn't they do this when I'm not there! and talked. She was Jane from Oregon and we ended up walking around Rome together for the next few hours, which was very nice to have company. So we parted ways and I ran off to a shoe shop that I had seen earlier and after much deliberation bought a really good pair of walking shoes for 99€. Ouch, I realized on the way home that I had just spent more on these shoes than I had for any piece of clothing ever. They better last and be good to my feet, so far so good.
I headed home, had dinner with Catherine and a mother and daughter from Canada traveling together through Europe, the daughter was in a wheelchair and I so admired her doing this trip. Tomorrow I am off to Venice. Rome was wonderful but right now I am a little churched out.
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ANDREW
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YOU ROMAN BEUTY YOU
All I can really say is wow!The pictures are amazing.Love You