Oh! I've never heard of it. -- Ron Burgandy
Roma! I'm back and ready to tell you guys all about it. It was quite the running adventure. Myself, and yes, 6 girls, did Rome in 3 days. It was enough time to get a good effect, not enough to get the full effect I suppose. I will explain my favorite parts shortly, but here is the run-down of everything I saw:Day 1
- St. Peter's Square
- Vatican Museum
- Sistine Chapel
- Vatican Guards (as seen to the right)
The Vatican Guards wouldn't let me take a picture with them; I wouldn't know why :) The Sistine Chapel was indeed quite the sight to see. You weren't allowed to take pictures, but I didn't use my flash; so that is okay, right? I got in trouble for taking pictures twice. The photo below is of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment," a work he completed some 30 years after(1541) he completed the chapel ceiling in 1512. You can also see one of the many ceiling depictions of Jonah and the large fish, or whale, in the central part above.
It was a very cool experience. You enter after going through the Vatican Museum and immediately the mood changes, as guards mosey around shushing the crowd and yelling, "No pictures," to college kids trying to sneak them. I spent an hour trying to take it all in, walking the length of the chapel, straining and craning my neck to feel the power of the Bible in story-board format.Day 2
- Portese Porte (famous market, bought myself a euro-coffeepot!)
- Circus Maximus (the Romans marching above, something we stumbled upon)
- Palatine Hill (where the rich used to live)
- Colosseum!
- Arch of Constantine
- Arch of Titus
- The Pantheon
- Della Palma, Gelato di Roma (indecisive overload, seriously over 100 gustos!)
Yep, I was absolutely exhausted after day 2! The theme of this day was definitely, things you think about when you think of Rome. Very cool to be wandering around shops, and then op, here a ruin, there a ruin. I didn't really have a favorite this day, but have since ordered Gladiator from Amazon, the Colosseum inspiring me to pay international shipping fees. So, it's got that goin' for it :)To the left is me standing by the Arch of Titus, the entrance to the Roman forum, the old sector square and markets. This pictures gives you an idea of the grandeur of the city--so much size, so much history!
Day 3
- St. Peter's Basilica
- Vatican Day procession (of some sort, Pope not seen unfortunately)
- Roman Forum (including Julius Caesar's grave)
- Mamertine Prison (where Paul and Peter were once imprisoned)
- Trevi Fountain
Here I am in the Mamertine prison, near the Roman forum. Although, it may be more legend that Peter and Paul were once prisoners there, it was an atmosphere reminiscent of prisons they actually were in--dark, cramped, mildewed. It was cool to see an atmosphere Paul wrote some of the letters of the Bible in. In the picture you can see the post they were supposedly chained to, and a basin of water, used to baptize new followers of Christ. I was a fan of this low-tourist "attraction," even splashing around in the basin a bit, still containing water :)Currently Liking:
1) Book--"Searching for God Knows What" by Donald Miller. Good reads centering on our relationship with Jesus, and how the Bible isn't a "formula" to follow.
2) Music--"When in Rome" by Nickel Creek. Sorry, had to say it :)
3) Movie--"Catch Me if You Can". A feel-good classic.
4) Sport--Fútbol. Champions League is currently going down, with teams like Chelsea, Real Madrid, Roma, Arsenal, shall I go on? Barcelona, Manchester United...even for me with my limited knowledge of soccer, this is exciting stuff. I watched Barcelona take down Celtic on Wednesday night with some of the guys--very fun!
Prayer Requests:
1) Praise, traveling with 6 girls proved to be very blessed by God. I was able to get enough alone time away from them that I didn't really get frustrated once.
2) Prayer and Praise, making friends with the guys is coming along.
Buena!
alé
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