Italy Trip- Rome

 We had a jam packed day in Rome. The entire trip was incredible, but Rome was probably my least favorite. Only because it's an extremely large city and therefore crowded. But of course, it was still amazing. 

We started the day in the Vatican touring St. Peter's Cathedral. It was mind-blowing. I don't have the words to describe the enormity of the place. Inside we saw "La Pieta", and the remains/relics of several apostles. There are several art museums, we only toured one- the Sistine Chapel. No pictures are allowed inside because it is a sacred space to the catholics. I think I would have been able to enjoy it more had it not been so crowded. It was basically standing room only. And it's so high up, it's hard to really appreciate Michelangelo's work because you can't see it up close. Still, it was awe-inspiring to be standing there. 

Then we had lunch at an outdoor cafe in a square that was the first location for the olympics! That's how Rome was- You are doing something basic like eating lunch or walking down a street, then you turn the corner and boom- You are standing in front of the Pantheon. The Eternal City is named so, because Rome keeps evolving and rebuilding. There were sections of streets where you could look below the street, into a subway type setting, and see the remnants of the old ancient Rome. Incredible. 

We kept on walking, and then found ourselves at the Trevi Fountain. We treated ourselves to some gelato and then threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain.  According to the tradition, you throw one coin into the fountain if you want to come back to Italy, 2 coins if you want to get a divorce, and 3 coins if you want to find true love.  It was very crowded, but according to our guide, it was actually very manageable compared to the height of tourist season.  Not far from the Trevi Fountain are the Spanish Steps.  This place was ultra crowded, so it was hard to enjoy it. I'm not sure about the history or draw, really, except that apparently there are big fashion shows there. Then that night, it wasn't on our official tour, but after dinner and resting at the hotel for a bit, Russ, Nat, Jenn, and Mike, Richie and I walked down to the Colosseum. Who would have thought, that all these years later, the historic Colosseum would turn into the weekend hangout for Itallian teenagers. There were kids there with boom boxes and skateboards, couples kissing etc. It just struck me as funny. But that's kind of what Rome was- this funny mix of ancient and modern.  The Colosseum was closed for indoor tours, but we walked around the outside and admired. By the end of the day, it felt like our feet were going to fall off. But, hey, how many times are we going to be in Rome!? Gotta soak it up.