Roma if you want to
So, Rome, where to begin? As lovely as it was to be constantly surrounded by beautiful old buildings and ruins like you see in textbooks, to eat nothing but carbs and cheese, and to walk everywhere for ten hours a day (ouch, cobblestone shin tension: I had forgotten about you), after five days I was fairly ready to move on to the next place.
The sense of antiquity is ubiquitous. Everything seems to be made out of marble, and everywhere you turn there's another monument to some emperor, family, or pope. It's a cool feeling but after a while can be overwhelming. By our seventh hour of exploration Saturday, my sister would point to something and ask what it was; my reply by then had deteriorated into "Another famous something."
Never have I walked everywhere with a map in my hand. I don't like feeling like a conspicuous tourist, but in most parts of Rome we went it seemed that everyone was consulting one. With good reason: it's easy to get lost when you're not paying attention--and even when you are. Kay and I both have great senses of direction, but the streets change names from one block to the next and never seem to go straight. We got lost only twice (once trying to find the Colosseum, how do you manage that?), but found our way eventually.
However, it was so worth it! The Pantheon, Colosseum, Forum, Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, numerous churches, Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, and tons of other stuff I'm forgetting in the jumble of it all.
I've been told that everyone finds something to move them in Rome. For me it was the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican museum. I really didn't expect it to be so powerful, but I literally had tears streaming down my face the whole time I was inside. You're not allowed to take photos in the chapel, but I took enough other shots in the rest of the museum.
More pictures from the Vatican museum
The other majorly impressive thing was of course, the Colosseum. Kay had to fly back to London Sunday evening, but since we got lost en route we didn't have time to go inside, only to do a lap around the outside. However, I went back the next day by myself and went in; coincidentally it was the day after the Superbowl, which I found amusing. In the age of disposable stadiums, it's clear that the Romans really built things to last.
More pictures from the Colosseum and surrounding ruins
That's enough on Rome for now (I'm getting tired again just writing about it!), though I'll post some additional thoughts and photos tomorrow.