Long way to go

To finish the Rome wrap-up:

-- The food ranged from sublime fresh mozzarella and gnocchi I've ever eaten to the most joyless pizza I've eaten in my life. The best pizza we had was near Piazza de Argentina, the type of place where you pay by the weight of the slice and they cut it with scissors for you. Once my sister left I ate every meal at or from an old man cafe (getting into cheapo depot mode), which meant nothing but pizza and panini. Oh, and delicious cappuccinos. The gelato was of course wonderful, though I abstained from consuming any pastries in anticipation of Paris, where I have averaged one croissant per day since arrival.

-- I consider myself a life-long champion jaywalker, but Rome was some next level shit when it comes to traffic. I felt like I was taking my life into my own hands every time I crossed the street. When I getting ready to dart out between cars I'd hear my former boss's advice echoing between ears: "Better. Not. To die."

-- We stayed at a bed & breakfast in Trastevere which I chose basically because of its name: Rome Nice Room (Hi, Lauren!). Not a misnomer at all; the owners were ridiculously nice, good location, huge beautiful rooms. You could definitely find something cheaper in the city center, but everyone I asked told me to stay in Trastevere, which was a lovely neighborhood, not too touristy.

-- I kept having the refrain from "Once in a Lifetime" in my head because reminders of how water/aqueducts made the city possible were omnipresent. Many corners had spigots that were always flowing, though I never drank from any of them (can't say I didn't consider it...).

-- As is my habit, I printed out some essential phrases in Italian before I left since I don't speak the language. However, I found that knowing some French and Spanish was enough to kind of maneuver my way through basic conversations in Italian, which was a pleasant surprise.

-- One of my favorite places was the Keats/Shelley memorial house, which was right next to the Spanish steps, though I may just be saying that because I'm a poet. It felt rather hallowed to sit in the room where Keats died, and it was the one place I went in Rome where there was absolutely no one else around. Though the noise from the steps next door was quite audible, it didn't permeate the peacefulness of the place.

-- I had a really great time being there with my sister. We've never before travelled together, so it was so nice to find out that we are extremely compatible: wanted to see and eat the same things, avoid the same places, take the same pictures, got tired at the same time, never got on each others' nerves. And oh boy, did hanging out with her bring out my puntastic side.

-- I went into several churches and didn't burst into flame!

The remainder of the Rome photos are here and here.

Posted by j3s at 05:11 PM | Permalink

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.

Posted by j3s at 05:53 PM | Permalink