Roma isn't so bad after all

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We've got beds to sleep in and seen a lot in Rome...
In my fit yesterday I forgot to mention all the cool things we've done in Rome aka Roma (that's as much Italian as I know).
The first day, while we were waiting to get our rooms we went to the Coloseum and Roman Forum (the ancient ruins). It was the end of Cultural week in Rome which means the tourist attractions were free. The line ups were quick too (we were told it would take hours to get into any major attraction). It's been really hot outside (pushing 30 degrees) so we sat in the grass outside the Coloseum catching a tan while we waited for our rooms to be ready. The ruins were also really cool, accept we didn't want to pay for a tour, so we didn't know what all of the buildings were.
Yesterday we wasted the morning packing up and walking back to our original hostel so we had the afternoon to sight see...while we waited for our rooms once again. Graham knows a guy who is studying at the Vatican to be a priest. Him and Ashley went on their own to meet this friend and go for supper with him. Me, Rod, Tav and Kris did a bit of sight seeing. We went to the Piazza del Campidoglio (a town square built by Michalangelo with a copy of the bronze statue of Marcus Aerlius and the center of the city government). Then we went to the Pantheon (a temple built to honour the pagan gods...with really awesome architecture). And last on the sight seeing tour was the Trevi Fountain (a fountain built to display water as a symbol of life, health and change...or something like that). We had supper at a little pizza place. Italy is very different from the other European countries we've been too. It feels a little like Mexico or the Dominican. There's street vendors everywhere and they hassel you when you're in restaurants asking to buy rip off designer bags and glasses and other little toys. And I am getting sick of pizza. We've eaten gelato 1 or 2 times a day since we've been in Italy and i'm not getting sick of that so far...we found this cheap place by our hostel with the best pear flavoured gelato i've ever had....mmmmm
Today we went to the Vatican. When we walked up to the front doors of the museum there was no line up. We're all thinking Right on! OH...but the museum is closed today. The bad luck keeps on coming. BUT, we got into St. Peter's Bascilica which some say is even better to see than the Vatican museum itself. It was amazing. There was a procession going through while we were in the church, because Mass was starting. We waiting around outside for a while because the Pope was rumoured to be giving a blessing. Sure enough...good luck! We were blessed by the Pope! He was up in a really high up window so you could barely see him. But you could see a person all in white with his arms up. There were speakers everywhere so we could hear him speaking. He said it in many languages, but all I could make out was Welcome English people...Jesus Christ....God bless. The 6 of us are convinced that our luck will now change.
Tomorrow we leave for Cinque Terra and will stop in Pisa along the way to push over the leaning tower of Pisa.

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