The window was cool against my cheek as I peered out at the Italian countryside. Tunes of Coldplay and The Neighborhood played in my ear while the green hills rolled out into a carpet of urban landscaping: stacked buildings scrawled with graffiti and tiny roads congested with smart cars. Rome is fast, Rome is busy, and as the bus chugged through the morning traffic we were suddenly greeted by a looming view of some of the greatest architectural features of all time. I gasped. There was no way this could be real.
If you're going to Rome, I'd highly recommend taking a taxi, no matter how much less it costs to take the bus and then the subway and then just walk the rest of the way to your hotel. It was absolutely terrifying trying to hold onto all our luggage for such a long distance amidst such huge crowds {especially with the subway, since there's only two lines. Every time they try to build another, they discover yet more archeological sights.} It was such a relief to finally figure out the map and duck into a quieter road, but it took a lot of time. As we walked, a band of Santa Clauses played Christmas songs on their trumpets. At last we checked into a cute little hotel where the receptionist treated us with her lovely Italian accent. I swear, why is it that ALL Mediterraneans are so dark and beautiful?!
{Feel free to click larger view of horizontal photos and/or slideshow.}
We walked mostly everywhere. I'm telling you, Rome is one of the most incredible places I have ever visited. At the Colosseum, we used the Rick Steve audio guide app and were amazed as we tried to imagine the huge structure in finer times: the wood flooring and sand hiding the basement, the canvas stretched over the top,the intricate set pieces and the roaring crowds and the countless exotic animals and gladiators fighting to the death. It just makes you wonder how completely different such a culture must have been!
The Arch of Constantine is seen as a gateway for the rise of Christianity in Europe.
I was already baffled enough by the Colosseum, so my jaw just about dropped when I followed the path saying "Roman Forum" and discovered dozens of magnificent ruins uncovered. I don't really know how to describe it other than complete shock and the idea that we were walking along the very cobblestone pathways where the famed old kings had crossed on the way to their grand palaces {now stripped of their marble by looters} There were the temples of Venus, of Romulus. There was even a plaque to mark where Julius Caesar had been murdered. On Palatine Hill {where the word "palace originated," the building that once stood there was so huge that the Egyptain Palaces seemed "laughable by comparison."
History is by far my favorite subject. The fact of the matter is that the world is the way it is because of our precedentors, so it seems kind of as though we owe them for the lives we live, if that makes any sense at all. The concept of seeing what remains of a generation now completely extinct leaves my mind spinning. It was chilling.
A word for Italian food. I absolutely
love their gelato. But I noticed that a lot of their foods-- pizza especially- lacked spices to flavor it up. I didn't exactly expect some of the bland meals that we ordered. That being said, we did have plenty of good stuff including pastries and baguettes. I'd even just recommend some of those cheap little on-the-go cafes!
While the rest of the ancient world was destroyed and buried and forgotten, the Romans built their city around the Pantheon. Interestingly, the ground level dips down in this area too, suggesting how our modern earth has shifted up.
The ancients were absolutely brilliant, knowing the perfect mathematics to create a dome that could last for millennia.
At the Spanish steps, we were completely forced to buy roses from a gypsy. Just be wary.
Rome is not just a city of the Romans. It's a city of a once-powerful empire now boasting the history of several cultures that it absorbed. There are Grecian columns, Egyptian oblisques. That being said, there is distinct culture in Italy tangible in both charm and pride.
Admitably, the most disturbing time of my life was definitely while visiting the Capuchin Crypt. Upon entering, we were greeted by a plaque reading, "As you are now, we once were. As we are now, you will be." Chills. Shudders. Goosebumbs. The crypts were filled floor to ceiling with the bones of thousands of monks, taken apart bit by bit and rearragned into morbidly beautiful designs by a man who I'm concerned was very disturbed himself. I swear I was breathing in must, and it took a long time to unravel the cold knot in my stomach. I felt sick-- and not like the ill sick, but like this otherwordly sadness.
Fortunately, not all Roman's idea of art is so gruesome. I was amazed at the many beautiful frescoes, mosaics and especially the painstakingly-carved busts and statues displayed at the Museum of Rome.
One night was pouring down rain. What else could we do but sit and eat under the porch of a restaurant on the plaza? Rome is absolutely charming-- accordians and violens blend right in with the nighttime ambience. When it stopped raining, we walked through the streets and soaked up the magic of one of the world's most incredible cities while we bonded as sisters/daughters/mother. It was so hard to leave, but you can 100% guarentee that I will be back.
