When in Rome

The beginning of our journey to Rome was a bit hectic and the pace felt more like that of the last two months rather than the start of my vacation. After finishing my exam Rachael and I went to celebrate with all of my classmates and professors over pizza and red wine. Then we packed up everything for our trip and headed to the bus stop. When we got to the stop we read the timetable and saw the last bus had come about an hour earlier. We sprang in to action and began to power walk across town to the train station. We made it to the station just in time to buy the tickets and board the train. We took the all night train to Rome which took about 9 hours and got us into the center of the city at 8am. After a restless night of half sleep we were ready to stretch our legs in the eternal city.

Our first stop was the hotel to confirm our reservation and drop off our luggage. Our hotel didn't offer complimentary breakfast but Rachael pulled some strings and got us a brunch with the Pope. Apparently a lot of others had the same idea and we found ourselves waiting in line in front of one of the most beautiful churches in the world. Even at 8am the square was abuzz. The fountains in the elliptical plaza offer a beautiful entry to St. Peter's. On the top of the cathedral are sculptures of eleven apostles omitting only Peter who is buried underneath. The inside of the cathedral was amazing. We were instantly overcome by the large scale and incredible detail of everything. There were beautiful marble sculptures and gold leaf everywhere. Paintings, sculptures, mosaics, reliefs, and inlays covered every square inch of the magnificent sanctuary. In the middle of the cathedral is the altar covered with relics of saints. Below the altar is the tomb of St. Peter and above is a large canopy with huge spiral columns. Everything was covered in gold and shined brightly in the morning sun that came through cupolas of the many domes.













We decided to get even a little closer to heaven and take the stairs to the ring inside the largest dome which sits over the altar. From inside the dome it was finally possible to gain perspective on how large the cathedral really was. The people walking around were tiny and the huge structure covering the altar was now far below our feet. The paintings that we thought covered the walls were actually huge mosaics that were made with such small stones they appeared smooth. After about 5 minutes my fear of heights began to creep in and despite the beauty of the room I was done looking down at the cold hard marble floors. We exited the dome and began to walk down thinking that the 5 euro we paid to climb to the top was looking like it might have been a little too much. Then Rachael spotted a sign that said cupola and pointed to a staircase.







Feeling like we needed to get a little more bang for our buck we began the ascent. We must not have noticed the sign for the fun house but immediately recognized that we had found the exit from Saint Peter's and the entrance to the Carnival. The walls began to close in and my shoulders rubbed the narrow passage on both sides. Then I noticed I was no longer standing straight up and the walls were actually starting to curve. We were climbing up and around the inside of the dome. It was really crazy and I would not advise it for claustrophobic types, there were a couple of times I didn't think I would be able to fit through the passages. The final climb was up the tiniest spiral staircase I have ever seen with a rope dropped from the top to help you pull your self up. Once on top the view was incredible.





The entire city was stretched out in front of us. We could see the dome of the Pantheon, the large pit of the Coliseum and the expanse of the monument to Vittor Emanuel. The Vatican gardens were beautiful and complete with the Pope's very own grotto. Much like our experience inside the dome after the initial excitement wore off the fear began to set in as the buildings began to look smaller and the wind seemed to blow stronger. With our five euros worth of entertainment we were content to head down the steps and back to solid ground. On the way we started teasing the Pope saying "What the heck! Are you too good for bathrooms and water fountains, GEEES!" Well much to our surprise the Pope got the last laugh as the roof of saint Peter's is more like Disney World than you could ever imagine. There were indeed bathrooms, water fountains, a gift shop, nuns from around the world, huge statues, a restaurant, and even a post office! We couldn't get a cold beer but we did purchase Vatican shot glasses and enjoyed some delicious cookies. Then we headed back down into the real world and began to feel the drain from all of our adventures.







Despite our bodies’ yearn for naps we had to press on to make our appointment at the Galleria Borghese at 1. We set foot off the metro into Piazza Del Popolo, a huge plaza centered around an Egyptian obelisk nearly 3500 years old and anchored by two large fountains. The piazza was at one time used for public executions as well as public sporting events. From there we entered the Roman equivalent to New York's Central Park. Within the Villa Borghese there are sprawling green fields lined with evergreens and filled with people sunbathing and children playing. Joggers and bikers passed on all sides as we walked over the rolling hills to the museum. The museum is in an incredibly beautiful mansion located on the park grounds. The gallery is filled with priceless works of art including sculptures by Bernini and Houdin and paintings by Carvaggio and Titian. In addition to the works showcased in the center of each room the walls and vaulted ceilings were beautifully decorated with ornate paintings and all colors of marble inlays.









After taking in so many amazing things in the first 4 hours we were in desperate need of a rest and decided to find a sunny spot to have a picnic. The weather was absolutely perfect with blue skies and puffy white clouds passing overhead. It was just the right time and place for us to enjoy fresh Mediterranean oranges and reflect on all of the amazing things we had seen. Before falling into a deep sleep we knew we needed to press on and make it back to our hotel for a proper nap. On the way back to the hotel we went by yet another Roman landmark, the Spanish steps. At the top of the hourglass shaped piazza is yet another Egyptian obelisk and a great view of the crowds gathered below. On the Spanish steps it is possible to watch the whole world go by. People covered the steps doing everything from taking naps to taking pictures. At the bottom of the steps is a Bernini fountain that seemed to serve as a gathering place for those who venture down one of the most prominent shopping streets in the world. In a two block stretch we saw Prada, Missoni, Gucci, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuiton, Bulgari, Armani, Fendi, Furla, La Perla, and many others I don't even know. Needless to say Rachael was happy to window shop as we made our way back to the hotel.



When we got back we finally checked in and took an old wooden Otis elevator up to our room. After such an eventful day I took a relaxing shower and laid down for what I thought was going to be a short afternoon nap but turned into a four hour full body recharge.