Weekend in Rome!

May 31: First full day in Rome!
I'm not sure if I have ever seen so many interesting things in one day before. This trip was definitely amazing and worth walking so many miles. We started off at the Vatican very early in the morning, explored the church, and walked over 500 steps on spiral staircases to get to the very top of the Dome.     

                                                                           Vatican City

Inside the Vatican 

 The view from the top of the Dome--the best I have seen in Rome

Back down the steps: (Mom, try not to imagine this too vividly)

  Taking a step back from the Dome

By the time we had walked back down the steps, the line was stretching around the whole circle of the Vatican, and the entire place was mobbed with people. However, I'm positive it was nothing compared to the Sunday crowds that show up when the Pope is there. Afterward we were lucky enough to go downstairs and see the tombs of past popes, which is only open to the public on certain days.

It sounds obvious, but the whole experience of being in the Vatican is just surreal; it is almost impossible to fathom how much work was put into every single detail, and how long it took to complete- especially when you consider that its creators did not have to tools and means that we have today. 
We went to the Vatican museum next, the sheer size of which is very hard to imagine. We were told that if a visitor looked at every piece of art for only one minute each, it would take him or her over four years to get through. So, plot twist: that is where I will be for the next four years instead of completing my college degree.

Vatican Museum

          

The highlight of the museum was the Sistine Chapel. It was very cool to look up at the ceiling and witness, in person, the images that we have studied in class over and over. The whole hushed-but-energetic atmosphere is one I will never forget.

We explored the rest of the city in the afternoon, and even as the thunder continued and the clouds rolled in, it miraculously never poured on us. However, the menacing sky and bright buildings make scenes around the city look extra dreamlike. We watched the lightening over Saint Angelo's Castle from a nearby bridge.



We saw Italian plazas with cafes and street performers, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish steps. 




                                                                      Outside the Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

                                          This random girl and I wishing for all our hopes and dreams.

    View from the Spanish Steps

All of these iconic places were of course breathtaking, although some of the coolest parts were just looking around at all the details of the city streets. There really isn't such a thing as a normal Roman street; every single one has unique architecture or history behind it, and the city preserves and cares for it all so well. I kept wondering if America would keep certain ruins around, if we were old enough to have them, or if they would tear it down because they didn't look polished enough.

While we tried to navigate

                        

I cannot believe (or I guess I can, because I enjoyed it so much) how many tourists travel to Rome in a weekend. Those trevi fountain statues have doubtless posed for more photos than all of the most paparazzi-stalked American celebrities put together.

June 1: Started the day off with a trip to the Colosseum. It is quite a sight to step off the metro and see the Colosseum right there in front of you, looming just outside the exit. We signed up for a tour, but the tour guide was incomprehensible so we soon ditched that and explored it ourselves. At first I was horrified to learn about the history of gladiators and how thousands of people would gather just to watch people fight for no reason, and then I realized that people still do that today, and then became more horrified…anyway, the experience was quite awesome overall, nonetheless.

Tried to be fancy and take this picture:

 and then this happened….

who is he? I do not know; he ran away seconds later.

Annnyway, afterwards we saw the ruins and the Rose Gardens, two of my favorite views in Rome. I feel like I keep on saying that. All of the views are just beautiful; I suppose it's hard to choose.

       Ruins a few blocks away from the Colosseum

Rose Gardens

These nuns were pretty swell:

We then came across the National Museum, which is spectacular and completely free.

From the top and back of the museum:

There were also many seagulls casually posing:

Walking down a blocked off street back toward the Colosseum

All over the city of Rome, there are people forcefully offering typical tourist products or asking if you want your picture taken, but every once in a while there are really unique street artists such as this man:

One of the most ironic street vendor scenes was a man selling pictures of Pope Francis and Bob Marley side-by-side. Unfortunately I did not get a photo, but imagination is enough to suffice for that one.

At night, we re-visited the Trevi Fountain. It was a much more relaxed and less crowded atmosphere than during the day, and entirely different seeing it light-up.



That concludes our weekend in Rome! Photos and news from Week 2 coming soon...I have a very long paper and presentation this week, an awful Internet connection, and only a few days left in London, so it may be a while!