Rome doesn't need an introduction. All I have to say is that it's overwhelming. It would take weeks to visit all the important sites that span thousands of years of history... but why try? I just made it a point to see a few of my favorites, and practically tripped upon others along the way. |
"AL SUD"
Steve and I continue our journey into Italy.
The rustic Swiss chalets were slowly replaced by Italian villas with
their typical red roofs as the train continued south.
There was a layover in Milano. The city looked boring,
so I didn't bother exploring.
This is sad, two McDonalds not even 100 yards from each other.
This logo with the heart symbol looked familiar. I noticed it in every
country I visited, but the brand name was different in each one.
It wasn't until I got home that I solved the mystery.
Napoli C. Le. Hey, the train I'm taking has my name on it. Steve took
a different train that was faster, but more expensive to get to Rome.
We said our goodbyes and parted ways.
The interior of my 2nd class inter-city train. I'd never been in a train
with separate compartments before. It reminded me of Harry Potter.
A guy even came by with cart of refreshments once in a while.
Another incredible train-ride... this time through the Tuscan countryside.
The golden sunset lit the landscape ablaze in orange and red hues.
The seats can be adjusted to create a sort of bed. It wasn't until the last
few hours that I was able to relax like this though. For most of the ride,
I had to share the compartment with a bunch of obnoxious Koreans
speaking loudly on their cell phones.
Woohoo!!! Finally, Rome. I didn't arrive until after 10PM because the train
was delayed a few times, made many stops, and moved ridiculously slow.
(many I should've booked the faster one).
And for some international cuisine...
YAY! The Colosseum! Once capable of holding 87,000 bloodthirsty Romans.
It was truly
a wonder to behold. I couldn't get the theme from Gladiator out of my head.
(Maybe it's because I was listening to it on my ipod :)
A view of the Colosseo from ground level. It was nice to visit at night
because the air was scorching hot and there weren't hordes of tourists
to ruin the experience.
A peak inside.
Another view of the Colosseo.
There are lots and lots of homeless people in Rome, especially around
the station.
Stazione Termini, the public transportation hub in Rome. Strangely, there are
only two metro lines in this big city. Italians love their cars and motor scooters.
Breakfast... I had so many panini al prosciutto e formaggio on my trip.
It was staple food #2... after gyros and kebab of course.
The walls of Vatican City. Let me take this moment to tell you...
...Charles is an idiot story #3... I had a miserable night sleep... I wasn't in Northern Europe anymore. Summer nights in Rome are sweltering. My hostel room was full of loud snorers and it smelled. There was an enormous Dutch girl in the room wearing pink underwear who sounded like she was raking leaves when combing her hair... But all that didn't matter, because it was Wednesday, and the Pope has his weekly general audience that day. I was going to see the Pope! I woke up before the sun rose to get ready and quietly crept out of the room. I arrived at Stazione Termini and bought my panino, keeping the change in my pocket to pay for the metro ticket. With panino in one hand and metro ticket in the other, I gleefully made my way underground. It was morning rush hour and I became part of a massive crowd pushing its way onto the trains. There was a large police presence keeping order. I finally boarded the third one, packed like a sardine, crushed like a tomato, still nibbling on my panino and sipping on my fanta. I glanced up at the metro map to double check where I needed to get off. Six stops until Ottaviano - San Pietro. The train made its first stop and a few passengers got out. Phew... room to breathe. This is when I patted my pockets to do my regular wallet and camera check, but something was awry. I cupped my right pocket and felt my camera, but I felt nothing in my left pocket except for some change. The zippers were open. Hmm, did I leave them open? I felt around a little bit more, probably appearing to grope myself to the other passengers. No need to get nervous, maybe I probably put the wallet in my backpack for safekeeping. I searched the bag... nothing. Damn! I continued frisking myself as I replayed my last memories of it in my mind. Panino... metro ticket... crowd... subway... could it be? Could it be that I was just robbed. Damn! I'd been warned... ever since my Italian teacher told tales of entire families working together to pickpocket unsuspecting tourists. I was prepared, purposely wearing pants with zippered pockets, secure I'd feel somebody opening it. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! I said out loud as the the train slowed down to stop. I glared at the other passengers... looking for suspicious faces. They knew... they knew I'd just been robbed, and I saw them feeling for their own wallets and holding on to their Gucci handbags just a little tighter. There was little I could do at that point. Luckily for me, the wallet only carried my Hostelling International card, IYTC card, credit card, hostel key (€10 to replace), and €40 in cash. My passport, spare credit card, and debit card were in my money belt. When I finally arrived at my stop, I had to search for internet and telephone to cancel my credit card and get my other cards replaced. What the pickpocket really stole from me was an opportunity to see the pope and my sense of security. From that point on, for the next two months, I became super paranoid with my belongings. Backpacker Rule #12: Watch your shit |
Where were these guys when I needed them?
"CENTER OF THE WORLD"
By the time I arrived at Saint Peter's Square, the morning's crowd was
cleared out. I was pissed off... but in true backpacker fashion, I had to
move on, and enjoy the moment.
Refreshing water continuously flows from the fountains at Vatican City.
Silly looking Swiss guards.
Much to my delight, the Papal tombs and Saint Peter's
Basilica were free.
Incredible statuary fill every nook and niche imaginable, not just in Vatican City, but
all over Rome. They were so ubiquitous, I started taking them for granted.
Fanta flavored holy water.
The tomb of Pope John Paul II. There was a huge crowd
gathered around it, and security was constantly trying to get
people to continue moving forward. But a few were not budging,
obviously in deep prayer. I got my picture, and got out of there.
The purported tomb of Saint Peter, one of Jesus'
Disciples. It looks like there's a mystical blue force field
blocking the way, but it's just reflections on the glass.
There were many tombs for popes who've presided over Christianity
for the past few millennia. It was humbling to be in the presence of
some of the most powerful men in Western Civilization. It also sort
of felt like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie.
After the tombs, I made my way inside the Basilica.
This is Michelangelo'sPieta. Wow.
Totally awesome. Even though I'm still sporting the lost wallet pissed off look.
Interior of the cupola. This architectural masterpiece from the Renaissance was
the largest church dome until the Basilica of Our Lady Peace Yamoussoukro was
built in Ivory Coast a few decades ago. Standing in the magnificent nave, I just
couldn't fathom how they constructed it without modern technology.
The dove behind Saint Peter's throne.
People take turns rubbing Saint Peter's Bronze
foot off.
A model of Pope John XVIII as if he was laying in state. There was a queue
to walk by it, but I didn't see the big deal.
A lady taking a break.
Next stop... up into the cupola itself. This actually cost money,
there was a long wait, and it was a strenuous climb to the top.
Hopefully it would be worth it...
First... the walkway around the interior base of the dome for a view
of the people below and an up close look at the mosaics.
Next... an extremely claustrophobic climb within the interior of the double
layered dome. It was simple at first, but then the space got very narrow.
I couldn't imagine how large people could fit through. The crowd and
summer heat made the journey stifling, and I inhaled a deep breath of
fresh air every time I passed by a small window.
Finally... A glorious 360 degree view of the Vatican City and all of Rome. Oh my god...
I'm not a religious person, but standing above what was viewed to be the center of
humanity for centuries, took my breath away... or maybe it was the crowd pushing me
against the railing, I'm not sure.
A time capsule of 2000 years of history.
Nice... a souvenir shop on top of the most important
church in the world.
A nun... there were lots of nuns.
DOME!
The Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world
and has its very own post office, separate from the Italy's.
I never send postcards, but I just had to here.
The colonnade surrounding the Piazza San Pietro.
The Egyptian obelisk that stands in the center of the
Piazza dates back to 13th century BC... that's old.
Souvenir stand. The Italian are almost as bad as the Chinese with
their kitschy souvenirs.
The Italians invented gelato (ice cream), so what better place to have some...
...then in the shadow of Saint Peter's.
Saint Peter's Basilica Towers over everything else in Rome. Unlike other cities that
like to tear things down and build them up all modern. Rome has thankfully held
onto it's past. Skyscrapers are a dime a dozen... hopefully Rome stays this way.
An unimpressive view of the Tiber river, on which Rome was founded.
I should've tried a little harder on this one.
After I left Vatican City,
I made my way back toward the hostel. I wasn't so keen on taking the
metro, so I just walked... walked... and walked. But it was no ordinary
walk, because Rome is simply littered with sights. Just go in any direction
and you're bound to run into something historical. So that's what I did.
African merchants line the bridges luring tourists to buy designer
knock-offs.
A typical Roman alleyway. Makes me wonder how
much has changed (or not changed) in the last 1000 years.
I don't get it.
Yay, nuns. I spotted nuns from all over the world, dressed in an
assortment of colors. I guess it makes sense that nuns and priests
have to go here for official business or holy pilgrimages.
I went to Spar in Italy and got punch.
Some ancient Roman ruins...
...overrun by cats.
You must choose... choose wisely.
The Pantheon is the oldest building in the world with its original
roof still intact. Now THAT'S craftsmanship.
This building dates from antiquity, unfortunately Christians did a bit of
an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
in the 7th century.
A typical Roman street with the Vittorio in the background.
It's weird how for Italians, a view like this is commonplace.
Imagine seeing this on a commute home everyday.
Some scary underground worship place from when Christians
were still prosecuted in Rome and fed to lions and stuff.
Is that an upside-down cross?
I'm ruined!
Ancient Roman ruins are scattered all over the place.
Hey, the Vandals probably did this.
Italy has a warm, yellow ochre, dusty feeling to it. So different from home.
A family of plonivles.
I think we should fight.
Shadows on the Colosseo.
The Colosseo at sunset.
This strange skinny man had been laying in bed all day according
to the
others in the room. He was the one who snored and moaned all night
keeping me up. I didn't think much of it and went to the lounge. Soon
after, I heard some commotion coming from the room.
When I arrived,
I saw him on the floor with vomit at his feet, and people in the room
helping him up. Hostel personnel removed him from the room and I
was happy.
A typical bar.
I had pizza... IN ITALY! Woohoo! except that it wasn't very good
where
I got it. I mean... what the fuck? a slice of hard boiled egg? Oh well...
I'll have many more opportunities for some incredible pizza later.
That's Eric from California... only semi-normal person
I met at the hostel.
A typical refreshment truck.
The plan that morning... go to the Vatican Museums...
and gawk at the excessive riches of the Catholic Church.
Scooby-doo
A hallway of marble statues and busts from antiquity. Simply
overwhelming.
I think someone should film a fight scene here.
Now you can learn to say "Please don't walk on the grass" in four languages.
Laocoon... one of the many many masterpieces in the
Vatican museum. I took pictures of many, but didn't
want to bore non-art people.
Hall of maps showing out the wealth and power of the
church. A strange contrast of natural and artificial light.
Roma
Francesco's been bad.
Follow the flag! Or in this case, the rolled up map! The museum was
full of tour groups that day. I think that during the time I stayed in
the Raphael rooms, I saw over a dozen different tour groups briskly
passing through, hardly appreciating Raphael's genius.
Raphael's School of Athens, one of my favorite Renaissance works.
Rock star.
Museum security must the THE most boring job ever. All the
promises and dreams of thwarting a heist just never came to be.
Un panino al formaggio e prosciutto. HAHA. My Italian
teacher used to get on my case for always ordering
the
same thing during oral practices. Who knew it would
actually come in such handy.
AGHHH!!! Sistine Chapel!!! I've admired this artwork since I was a child.
To see it in person... AGHHH!!!
"NO PHOTO!", the security guards yelled. But no one listened.
Some held their camera at low, discreet, angles. Some hung
their cameras around their necks... sneakily taking a shot
when
they thought no one was looking.
A few blatantly had their
cameras out, snapping away. It just doesn't
make sense
that
photography is allowed everywhere in the museum but the one
place that people would really want to take pictures. In the end,
there was no stopping the will of the masses... "no photo"
simply meant "I dare you"... but it's ironic that people would
be so dishonest in a church.
Disturbing... except the one in the upper left corner.
That one's wearing a baseball cap.
A grand spiral staircase.
The street signs in Rome are elegant plaques on the
facades of buildings chiseled in Roman Capitals.
Freak.
Who? Who here looks suspicious?
Italian chain of fast food pizza. They actually served it with a side of fries... weird.
What? They don't have their own word for "Stop" in Italy?
These were great, self service ticket machines; Kept me from embarrassing
interactions with humans. I usually used them to check the train schedules
and make arbitrary decisions as to where to go next... quite convenient.
Next stop Poggio Catino. "What's Poggio Catino?" you might ask.
It's a small community where I was doing another volunteer
work camp. YAY. Killarney was such an incredible experience,
if this is only half as good, it will still be great... if only...