Rome

From Paris we flew into Rome for a few days.

Before the trip, we had done thorough research about the scams and crime that Rome is notorious for. We packed accordingly, myself being extra careful of the electronic things I was bringing, never allowing them to leave my sight. Despite my efforts in being properly cautious, our camera was missing upon reaching our room. I'd like to think that it fell out of the bag accidentally, but Jessica thinks somebody picked through my bag in broad daylight and took it directly from under my nose. It is a possibility considering there are massive crowds and busy travel ports there, and I know that thieves are very cunning and experienced. It bummed me out, because I was unable to take digital pictures of the glorious city and I ended up paying tourist prices on a disposable camera so I would at least have something to visually remind me of the trip. Well, like my dad said, at least it wasn't my wallet, one of the passports, or Jessica's purse!

Besides the theft, the trip was great! There is way too much to see in one trip, and far too much to talk about in a blog. The crime in Rome should never be a deterrent of going. There are armed police everywhere and the crowds aren't too bad unless you're around travel hubs or waiting in line for exhibits (mostly in the Vatican area). Also many thieves are children so be cautious about what they do.

There were so many things to talk about, but I'll keep it narrowed down to the biggies. I mean there is just SO much to talk about plus the history of everything. It is said that months in Rome will only allow one to scratch the surface of things to see and learn.

History: Everything in Rome is old. Really really freaking old. The Romans were very good at what they did, and built huge structures with fine workmanship and materials. The buildings look great, function in their purpose and are holding up to heavy foot traffic to this day. Some of the world's most historically important structures are there, and contains some of the finest artwork and iconic images known to man. As a tourist, the city will knock your socks off (and wear a hole in them). Everything on every corner is done with such grandeur and precision that even modern structures do not hold up to the ingenuity and perfection built hundreds, even thousands of years ago. It is an experience that has to been seen in person to believe. There is nothing quite like seeing the real thing up close and personal.

I had heard that there is nothing like real Italian food, and I read that Rome has a unique taste to the food unlike anywhere else. It's true, it's great, and I'll attempt to describe why. First off, the food is very fresh (goodbye London), and usually has little meat. If meat is served in the dish, it's thinly sliced cured raw meat. An "earthy" taste is there, as if the ingredients come from plants growing in ancient soil giving a heavy nutty taste to the foods, specifically in the breads and pastas. Many restaurants cook using wood fire ovens because it's what they have instead of conventional ovens. Olive oil is sprinkled on everything, and no butter is used; bread is served dry. The cheeses are from local farms, and you will find dishes using goat and sheep cheeses common place. Olives and tomatoes are used in most dishes as well, and the herbs are not dried. The coffee is a way of life there; the Romans drink it all day long. It is served "espresso" style, but even stronger, leaving your mouth yellow and reaky. It tastes good, is cheap and gives you a quick lift. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine (like champagne). Italy and France are known for their wines, so the Italian sparkling wine is about as good as the French's, except it's served everywhere and inexpensive. You can order a prosecco mix drink at ice cream shops. The ice cream or "gelato" is very creamy and sweet, and the flavors are just mixed in so there are no artificial flavors. It is very messy and sticky and popular.

Traveling: Walking in Rome is the only way to get around because getting to the destination was half the fun. Wonderful sculptures and designs are everywhere, and each building has a unique history and story about them. Having a travel book proved invaluable because we could look up the various buildings and read about the history of it while we visited them. The bus system is a nightmare; I still don't know how it works. Taxis are easily available, but it will be pricey with "hidden" costs.

Just an example of what it's like to experience walking around, we stopped into a church near the center of town called San Marco built in 300 A.D. There we saw three world famous artworks, just hanging on the walls, and saw the resting place for dozens of notorious and well documented priests. You walk over the tombs in the ground worn with age, showing the size of the body (a carving). The only thing separating you from the coffin is a thin stone block. In the church was also the "Il Bambino", a carving of baby Jesus covered with jewels that is supposed to have miraculous powers. People from all around the globe write it letters, which are stacked in front of it like offerings. I find things like that dabbling too much in idolatry for my taste, but interesting none the less. This church was just one of the dozens in the area, and wasn't even a destination for the day. We just stopped in on a whim and saw all that!

The Pantheon: We lucked out and stayed at a bed and breakfast that was literally right around the corner of the Piazza Della Rotunda, a very picturesque square where the famous domed Pantheon stands. The square has a nice fountain where tourists sit around and watch street performers and local artists, and there are shops and horse and carriage rentals. The design of the pantheon is one of timeless strength and has been copied globally for its iconic looks. Everything from the Whitehouse to Cathedrals all take from the pillared and domed design. It is mighty in scale; the interior is enormous in air space, an impressive structure especially when knowing it was completed in 125 A.D. It is almost 2000 years old! It is considered the most complete ancient building in Rome. The artist Raphael is there, his tomb on the left hand side when you walk in.

Fontana Di Trevi: This fountain is located off a little side street amongst the clutter of buildings. Jessica said she was taking me somewhere (she had the map), and I had no idea where she was leading us. I had never heard of it before, but what a sight! It is a HUGE fountain carved of marble and rock on the backside of a palace, the length of three or four buildings with a huge pool of cold blue water. The water comes from a natural spring. It looks like something you would read about in a fantasy story. You are supposed to chuck a coin over your shoulder into the pool ensuring your return to Rome, so everybody is throwing coins this way and that. In the old days, you could swim in it, but they stopped it in the seventies, so now there are guards watching everyone making sure you don't jump in. The way it's situated, the sun shines directly on the huge fountain, but the people are in the shade. It's a very comfortable feel to be in the cool shade with the mist of fresh spring water wafting over you from a bright, finely created fountain. I later read that the artist who created the fountain spent over thirty years of his life on it, using a crew of over three-hundred men to tunnel the path from the springs. It is beautiful.

The Vittoriano monument and museum is located in the middle of the modern city. The gigantic statue of Vittoriano on the horse is so large, that it is said that the mustache on his face is three meters long. We had no way to gauge how big it was, but it's huge and is something you can see from all over that part of town. The museum covers much of the hill side, and you can walk around the exterior to see a wonderful view of the city, but be prepared to walk up many steps. The steps are all hard marble, wide and I saw people leaning against the walls taking a breather all the way up. Looking out over Rome on a clear day gives you an idea of how old it is. You experience a vast sea of earth tone structures littered with dome tops poking over the horizon in contrast to the blue sky. There is very little green in the city, reserved for very sparse patches of grass.

The Roman Forum: The forum is the oldest looking part of the city, virtually rubble now, but is the true heart of the ancient Roman Empire and home of some of the earliest organized political and religious institutions. It is here that Caesar lived and the people gathered for most daily activities. The forum was sadly neglected for thousands of years mostly due to Nero's jealousy toward Caesar, thus the only things left standing in entirety are (ironically) Caesar's palace, the immensely huge and I mean HUGE Basilica of Maxentus (one of Michelangelo’s greatest influences), and the Arch of Titus built in 70 A.D. which commemorated Rome's defeat of Jerusalem, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy a mere 40 years after his ascension. Chunks of structures here and there still stand, and with a proper map lay out of the area you can make out where everything was. You absolutely need either a book, or a tour guide for this area. Expect to spend a lot of time there as well. One of the most fun things for me was the fact that you can climb around and sit on ancient hand carved chunks of ruin, where in a museum you can't even touch them.

The Colosseum: Needs little introduction, known as the definitive symbol of the ancient world, and being so for a reason. It is a marvel out and out, a near miracle of design and structure surpassing all expectations of purpose and time, standing in great shape through wars, earthquakes, fires, and riots and even plundering of its material being a source of endless travertine blocks. Through all that, it still stands in good condition and is quite the sight to see! The exterior of the Colosseum has been surrounded by a fence, so a state owned entry fee is required. Of its three stories, only two are accessible, but everything is still in its original state. When you walk up the steps, you walk up the same stone steps the ancient Romans did. Looking over the edge from the second story I noticed it is very high up, I could only imagine what it's like on the third. It is a gigantic arena, a scale equivalent to modern arenas, but everything was built by hand, brick by brick. It held over 70,000 people which, due to its practical design, could enter and exit within minutes. When the Colosseum was completed, the city celebrated for 100 days! In the old times, a wood and canvas flooring was on the arena ground, covering an underground structure of rooms where the animals, trainers and gladiators would stay between events. Now, the canvas and wood is gone, so by looking down from the edge, you see the oval shape and the underground walls. With a little imagination you can see the fighters standing there saluting the emperor, saying "Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you!"

The Spanish Steps: It is located in the most expensive shopping part of town (think of all the top Italian designers, it's where their shops are) and has a fountain at the base done by a famous artist. The Spanish steps are a place where aspiring models hang around in their best attire to meet fashion insiders, such as photographers and designers. There are other artists there too, such as musicians and painters showing their craft. Tourists enjoy sitting on the steps eating ice cream and taking pictures into the late hours of the night. Other than that, there's not much to it.

The Vatican City: This is the quintessential Catholic capital, with the St. Peter's cathedral (holding the tomb of St. Peter) and where the Pope makes his appearances, and is also the sight of the Vatican museum. This city brings droves of people, crowding the streets with almost as many street vendors. Tip: do not buy souvenirs or food here, as it is overpriced and the food is very bland. When we arrived to St. Peter's, the Pope just finished a weekly blessing to the crowd, so there was crowd control, television camera set ups, and the cathedral was closed. Eventually we made our way towards the Vatican museum. I did not expect the line from the museum to be so long. It stretched around the block and traveled at least a quarter mile into town. I kid you not. The line moved along quickly, but still took a good hour and a half before we were inside.

The Vatican Museum: It has the most extensive, richest collection of art in the world. The most precious art from any outlying region comes here, much of it being commissioned works from the different Popes throughout history, making it royalty. It is a huge museum, made of multiple buildings and gardens, and could be a city in itself. It goes beyond extensive and into exhausting. You absolutely cannot properly go through any section of the museum without spending at least three hours.

Any famous Italian artist has works there. Raphael was commissioned to paint the walls of a series of rooms there. You look in any direction, including top corners and ceiling, and you can walk right up to it and get your face as close as your nose to see every little stroke he did. Something funny was pointed out to me in one of the rooms. Someone defiantly scratched his name into one of the walls, "Markus" spelled "MarkVs", using a V instead of U, making it 300 year old graffiti.

Sistine Chapel: On an average day 15,000 people visit the Sistine chapel, sometimes up to 20,000. It is the largest body of painting planned and executed by one man (Michelangelo) and is arguably the greatest masterpiece in the world. Inside the room, picture taking and talking is prohibited. There is museum staff wandering around to enforce these rules. The talking seemed to be a continuous problem, where it starts as a murmur, then becomes a whisper, then a full blown party, when the staff comes in and "SHHHHH"s everyone. It happened over and over again, murmur-whisper-talk SHHHHHH, quiet. Murmur-whisper-talk SHHHHH.

The work is incredible, vibrant and marvelous. I feel privileged to be able to have viewed it in this time, after it was restored. The colors are so bright and beautiful it goes beyond realism into bliss. Michelangelo spent 25 years of his life on it, painting 6-8 hours a day. I found it interesting that you can view the first painting he completed and the last he completed at either end of the ceiling. His first painting Drunkenness of Noah is a nice scene, wonderfully realized but bit flat in perspective and dark in color compared to his final painted scene The Creation of Light, a mystical billowy floaty scene of sheer dynamic magnitude and unnatural color. To me, it showed the progression of his works as a great artist to true master, an understanding not usually demonstrated in such a true and simple form. Amazing in form, scale and execution there is little more I can say about it all. The whole thing is centered by The Creation of Adam scene where Adam's finger reaches towards God's, drawing attention to its center, layering center on top of center, in an allegory of the infinite.

Rome was a wonderful trip. It has magnificent art, wonderful food, outstanding structures, and an unbeatable history. I hope to return again someday!