My Roman Holiday

My Roman Holiday started very early in the morning on Saturday. My friend from Spain, Cesar, came to Torino on Thursday night and after hanging out with him on Friday afternoon, we took the "Midnight Train to Rome". I felt like a character in "North by Northwest" riding in our private sleeper car. We slept the whole way to Rome and arrived at 8 in the morning. When we went to our hostel no one answered the door so we took our luggage on a small tour of Rome. We headed to the Trevi Fountain to meet my friend from Tech, Jessica and her new husband, Jeff.(they were on their honeymoon). It was so great to see them and to speak English at a normal speed. The fountain was absolutely breathtaking. It was a good place to start this great trip. We decided to go back to the hostel and clean up a little before meeting up with them again for lunch. At 1 we met with them at the Spanish Steps and had lunch at a local restaurant. They had a few more places they wanted to see before they left on Sunday, so we decided to say goodbye and part ways. Cesar and I took out the map and just started walking because we knew we would run into some great places. Before seeing the most famous sites in the city, we walked down Via del Corso (one of the main streets) and saw P. Colonna and the amazing pilar in the center. The pilar is carved with battle scenes and is the tallest point in the palazzo. We then decided to go to the Pantheon before it closed. WOW. For all you ID and Architecture students the dome was amazing. A perfect half sphere and still to this day they have no idea how it was constructed cause it is not supported with any trusses. There is a hole in the top and allows beautiful streams of light in on the walls. Because it is a church I was expecting grand altars inside but the walls are stripped and gray concrete. The only decoration are the tombs of Victorio Emanuele II and his Son Umberto and wife. We bought gelato across the street and then ate it on the Pantheon wall. From there we walked to S. Ignazio di Loyola church. But when we entered there was a wedding in progress. We stayed a few minutes but didn't want to be wedding crashers so we left early. We ran into the Largo di Torre Argentina, which are ancient ruins that now serve as the largest cat shelter in the world...one word...gross. We walked past the monument for Victorio Emanuel II that is referred to as Musolini's Typwriter....on Capital Hill. Being with a Spaniard, we went back to the hostel and took a siesta. For dinner we walked around looking for a good pizzeria (Cesar is in love with the pizza) and finally asked a women who happens to be an English Professor at the Univeristy. She gave us a couple of locations and headed in that direction. We finally found a place close to the Colosseum. After dinner we went there to see it at night and walked back to our hostel where we slept like babies.

When in Rome....
We started the day a little more relaxed than Sat. but not as relaxed as Cesar is use to. Since being in Italy I have slowed down to Italy pace but being on vacation in Rome I was definately an American tourist on American time. We walked to the Colosseum and the ancient ruins. Jess and Jeff told us about a place we could get tickets without waiting in line so we headed up the hill and bought tickets for both sites. The Roman Forum, used early as a marketplace and then became the main place for civic buildings. It is located in the middle of Capital Hill and Palatine hill. The spot also use to be a burial ground for Rome during Romulus' rule. Next to the ruins is Palatine hill, during the Republic was most fashionable residence quarter, with house of Marc Antony. Eventually it became the place for just the Cesar and the palace took up almost the entire hill. From the top you can see the Circus Maximus(chariot racetrack where they filmed Ben Hur)-even though most of the track and stadium are gone. After a big lunch Cesar decided to take a siesta and I continued touring the city. I went to the place where Peter was imprisioned before being crucified in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. Then I was on my way to see Piazza Bocca Della Verita (the fountain in Roman Holiday that Gregory Peck pretends to lose his hand) but on my way a met an Italian who told me that its not really that great and only Japanese tourists go....but i was going to go anyways but could not find it and finally gave up and went to the church Santa Maria Maggiore and S. Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains) named after Peter's chains that are under the altar, also in the church the Moses by Michelangelo. Santa Maria Maggiore holds the great architect, Bernini's tomb. I finally met up with Cesar and we went to the Spanish Steps to eat gelato (like Audrey does in Roman Holiday) and then to Piazza Navona to see Bernini's Fontane dei Quattro Flumi ((Fountain of four rivers) Even though the middle fountain was under construction it was still amazing. The piazza was filled with musicians and vendors so we walked around for awhile before we called Steph to wish her a happy 24th!! birthday. I think Cesar was happy because he finally got to have en entire conversation in Spanish. We found a quaint restaurant near the Pantheon and I decided to try my Italian language skills. I ordered the whole meal and talked to the waiter entirely in Italian!! I rewarded myself with Tirimisu dessert.

On Monday we started early and headed to the Vatican. When we got there we decided to take an English tour to skip the HUGE line. Our guide was a girl from Canada and happened to speak Spanish so she translated for Cesar. She told us that Rome is the number one destination in the world and 35,000 people visit the Vatican A DAY!! I felt right at home though being in the English tour group and met a couple from Flowermound. The museum was incredible. I saw many works I studied at Tech and couldn't believe I was really seeing them. Then we headed into the Sistine Chapel.....round 'em up Rawhide!! I felt like cattle being herded but it was totally worth it. There are no words to describe the ceiling and the last judgement. It was truely incredible to gape at the ceiling and think, "how in the world did this man do this for 4 years of his life" We left the chapel and headed to the Basilica....the moment I was waiting for. The number one thing on my list to do was to see Michelangelo's Pieta. I know it sounds funny but I literally got tears in my eyes when I saw it. It was just as beautiful as I had hoped. How he did that at only the age of 25 is beyond me....a true master. The church itself was also breathtaking. By far my favorite church I have ever been in. You could just feel the history as you walked the corridors. We spent the day at the Vatican but no signs of the Pope....maybe next time. We headed to the hostel to get our bags and then to the train station to check our 6 hour ride back home. We arrived in Torino at 11:30 and even though I loved visiting Rome I was really glad to be home. Alberto met me at the station and gave me kisses and told me they all misses me. This morning at breakfast I was greeted with hugs from the boys....nothing like something sweet to start the day. For the rest of the day I am relaxing and then taking the boys to a birthday party downtown.
I have updated pictures so be sure and check out Rome....have a great day!!