When in Rome!
Day 3: thinking back now, what did we do? our plan was to go to the Coloseum, but since we still hadn't been to the Vatican, and we woke up to a thunderstorm thus inspiring long pants, we decided to hike across Rome to the Vatican for round two. If you recall, the fashion police stopped us the day before. We were dressed Vatican proof for sure and got in no problem. It wasn't the experience I had expected. In fact, I was downright depressed. It is supposed to be this really sacred place where God is supposedly apparent and thriving, but to be honest, I don't feel that god lives there. It is too crowded with snapshot happy tourists, catholic pomp as a show for said tourists, and bad manners, to be frank. It is grand, I'll give it that. and some of the artwork is indeed beautiful, but what that has to do with religion, i am not sure. i don't think god cares about how much gilted ceiling some lowly humans can cram into a vaulted space. whatever. I was bummed. It wasn't enlightening or inspiring. but i do like the funny costumes of the swiss guard...
After that, we walked back into our neck of the woods and ran into fofo from the guesthouse!! how random is that?! as if i would run into someone i know in Rome. small world.
Day three was also our first encounter with the best ice cream in Rome. We visited the Trevi Fountain in the morning before the Vatican let-down and just behind it is the Gelateria San Crispino. wow. I had honey, melon, lemon, orange, and hazelnut and meringue before the end of our trip. we went twice...
We kept dinner more low-key that night, stopping at a fresh fruit stand to snack and then we went off in search of pizza forno ligna. "woodfired". the place was in the piazza navona again and it was sooo good. we stopped in some shops, including a really cute toy store. you can still buy those tin wind-up toys that i think are so cute. but i didn't partake. that night, after dinner, we went to the Spanish Steps to hang out with all the kids drinking there. It was so nice. People were jamming with guitars and singing and drinking wine straight from the bottle. every once in a while a young man or woman would seperate from the crowd and sit alone on the steps just gazing. I am assuming this is the act of "finding oneself".
i was so ready for bed. we walked home, slowly, because my feet had almost no flex left.
ugh. sleep!!!
Day 4: COLLOSEUM! so awesome. we took the tour and learned a lot. Before we could meet up with them though, we walked around the capitaline hill. the weather was absolutely beautiful (note that i said that) and we were hot hot hot. The air was pregnant with the humidity and heat. we looked at some old buildings and made up some stories to go with what we were looking at. We both have a new love of Nero. that kooky fella. haha. so misunderstood!
The colloseum was even hotter, but the tour was really informative. it dispelled all the myths presented in "Gladiator". Gladiators are apparently not slaves sentenced to death. who knew?
After that rigourous morning/afternoon, it was clearly time for more ice cream, so we went back to the trevi fountain and San Crispino.
About this time, Mother Nature's water broke. The weather switched so fast there was nothing anyone could do. It poured. we were almost literally washed out of Rome. By the time we got back to the bag deposit at the train station, we were as wet as if we had fallen in the Trevi fountain. We laughed mostly as it was a pretty funny thing really. no sense getting upset. the rivers flowed through Rome though. let me tell ya.
Then it was time to catch the aiport bus back to Ciampino. easier said than done. They only sent one coach for 150 passengers for flights all leaving within an hour of each other. duh. anyway, it was chaos. there were women throwing punches and swearing and the driver was almost completely overwhelmed. We stayed out of the way, and our patience was rewarded as they did send a second bus which we did muscle our way on. there was still a whole bus load of people left on the curb though wondering if they'd make it home that night.
we did. Duck and all, all the way from Brussels to Maastricht and in bed by 1:00. Big day Friday! my sister arrived!! more on that later...
for now, greetings from Paris! I am writing to you from the bike tour office where we are just getting ready to tour to Versailles! Time to visit the Sun King. A bientot!
After that, we walked back into our neck of the woods and ran into fofo from the guesthouse!! how random is that?! as if i would run into someone i know in Rome. small world.
Day three was also our first encounter with the best ice cream in Rome. We visited the Trevi Fountain in the morning before the Vatican let-down and just behind it is the Gelateria San Crispino. wow. I had honey, melon, lemon, orange, and hazelnut and meringue before the end of our trip. we went twice...
We kept dinner more low-key that night, stopping at a fresh fruit stand to snack and then we went off in search of pizza forno ligna. "woodfired". the place was in the piazza navona again and it was sooo good. we stopped in some shops, including a really cute toy store. you can still buy those tin wind-up toys that i think are so cute. but i didn't partake. that night, after dinner, we went to the Spanish Steps to hang out with all the kids drinking there. It was so nice. People were jamming with guitars and singing and drinking wine straight from the bottle. every once in a while a young man or woman would seperate from the crowd and sit alone on the steps just gazing. I am assuming this is the act of "finding oneself".
i was so ready for bed. we walked home, slowly, because my feet had almost no flex left.
ugh. sleep!!!
Day 4: COLLOSEUM! so awesome. we took the tour and learned a lot. Before we could meet up with them though, we walked around the capitaline hill. the weather was absolutely beautiful (note that i said that) and we were hot hot hot. The air was pregnant with the humidity and heat. we looked at some old buildings and made up some stories to go with what we were looking at. We both have a new love of Nero. that kooky fella. haha. so misunderstood!
The colloseum was even hotter, but the tour was really informative. it dispelled all the myths presented in "Gladiator". Gladiators are apparently not slaves sentenced to death. who knew?
After that rigourous morning/afternoon, it was clearly time for more ice cream, so we went back to the trevi fountain and San Crispino.
About this time, Mother Nature's water broke. The weather switched so fast there was nothing anyone could do. It poured. we were almost literally washed out of Rome. By the time we got back to the bag deposit at the train station, we were as wet as if we had fallen in the Trevi fountain. We laughed mostly as it was a pretty funny thing really. no sense getting upset. the rivers flowed through Rome though. let me tell ya.
Then it was time to catch the aiport bus back to Ciampino. easier said than done. They only sent one coach for 150 passengers for flights all leaving within an hour of each other. duh. anyway, it was chaos. there were women throwing punches and swearing and the driver was almost completely overwhelmed. We stayed out of the way, and our patience was rewarded as they did send a second bus which we did muscle our way on. there was still a whole bus load of people left on the curb though wondering if they'd make it home that night.
we did. Duck and all, all the way from Brussels to Maastricht and in bed by 1:00. Big day Friday! my sister arrived!! more on that later...
for now, greetings from Paris! I am writing to you from the bike tour office where we are just getting ready to tour to Versailles! Time to visit the Sun King. A bientot!
posted by Unknown at Sunday, June 19, 2005
1 Comments:
That ice cream is DAMN good...I am envious :-)
Cheers, Marc
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