ROME!!!
Okay, so I know it’s been a while since I last checked in. A long while.
In case you are unaware, there is a clinical condition called Photo Phatigue. (Lisa M., back me up on this) It commonly presents after one spends far too much time going through pictures of animals. So, while I still have pictures of Uganda and Kenya to go through, I needed a break.
After a very busy holiday season, I came to Rome in what I thought would be a slow(er) season. WRONG! Turns out the first week of January is almost as busy as summer. It was an Epiphany (pun intended). Lucky for me, I don’t mind getting up before sunrise to get somewhere before the hoardes of other tourists. Well, I don’t mind too much.
The first morning I walked at dawn to St Peters. The views in the city were well worth the early hour and chilly air.
Even The Penguin and St Joseph were in awe of the sights.
Once we all arrived at St Peter’s, we were in awe. Now, we’ve all seen a number of cathedrals and churches all over the world, but this one pretty much outshines almost all the others.
Inside the walls of the world’s smallest country, there are also the Vatican Museums and The Sistine Chapel. Here is where the crowds really appeared. Walking throught the halls of the museum was like leaving a Who concert in the 80’s. We weren’t able to go into the Rafael Hall so there is now a reason to return to Rome some time in the future (and in Februrary). The main halls were still stunning.
And, one of the halls had my favorite Roman god.
The Sistine Chapel is at the end of the museum halls. Pictures are not allowed, but I managed to sneak one with my phone as we were leaving. It’s amazing to think that Michelangelo completed this in only 4 years!
After a couple of days of religious viewings, it was time for some Italian culture. What better way to accomplish this than with a walking food tour. We started with sausages and hams, tried pizza (gluten free for me) and some tasty thistles.
I took it easy the next day but in the evening I did a night tour of Rome, on Segway! Segways and cobblestones are not the best combination and I have the bruises to prove this. Despite the crash, it was fun.
The crowds of Rome around the Epiphany made some of the sights in the center too crowded to maneuver on a Segway. But, we still got to see some great things. The Forum at night is pretty special.
Penguin had a good time, too.
The Colloseum and the Forum are more impressive in the daylight.
Our archeologist guide gave us some insight into what went on here. Gladiator games were common events as were public executions where criminals and traitors were fed to wild animals. I don’t think ancient Rome was a very nice place to live.
We climbed to the top level on some pretty scary steep steps. I was very glad they had upgraded the ancient architecture with handrails. The views fromt the top where great.
As my visit to the Eternal City was coming to an end, I did something you can pretty much only do here. I went to the Papal Audience. Since we were now past the Epiphany, and it was pretty cold, the crowds were remarkably small. We got pretty good seats.
Since His Holiness blessed everyone and any religious items we had brought, Joe was positively euphoric. I know you can’t tell from his expression, but he was simply beaming.
We are all glad to be home now. The Penguin, Joe and I wish everyone a very happy new year. There are some fun trips planned for 2020, so stay tuned.
