ROMA!

25/10/09 13:45 Rome.  To start where I left off, the train compartment was very cramped, with only one extra seat, 5 people were fighting for the rights to it.  I claimed it for a good 3 hours after the older man in front of me went to the bathroom.  Arriving at Roma Tiburtini at 6:50, I was disoriented and confused the station with Rome  Termini.  After wandering around the highways of Italy, I turned back and found the Metro.  It is strange how, similar the two lines of Roma are to Philly.  One Orange, one Blue.  One has graffiti on all the cars, one is spick and span and they are never convenient because you still have to walk a half hour after you get off to get to your destination.  I got off line B at Colloseo because it was the only stop that I could find on the map and was “close” to the Vatican.  Wandering through Old Ruins of Rome, find all of this fascinating but not where I wanted to start.  I set off to find out where St. Paul in the wall is.  The only walls I know are the Vaticans, so that was my destination.  There, I found that St. Pauls is no where near the Vatican, but rather south of the Roman Ruins.  So I decided to wait until later to discover what Dad told me to go to.  But on sheer luck, I came to Rome on the ONE day of the month that the Vatican Museum was free!  I had to wait in a line for 1.5 hours, but it saved my wallet a good deal.  And it was as epic as I remembered it in 4^th grade.  Walking through the map room I saw this painting of Italy that I had in my room for many years.  Continuing on, I saw, of course, the Sistine Chapel.  It is amazing that one man painted that over 4 years with such great precision.  Not only is it one of the best paintings in the world, it was painted upside down on a ceiling.  Amazing.  After the Vatican, I decided to find my hostel and check in.  I took the Metro Line A to Termini, where I leave from tomorrow to Line B up to the Bologna stop, where the Youth Station Hostel resides.  A fine Hostel.  I am in a 12 bed dorm with a locker for my bag. Only euro 12.60, much cheaper than Venice.  It has a plug and a light next to my bed that is complete with sheets.  My room is called North America, bed 3.  After a quick post online to say that I am alive to family and Sara, I took off going this time without my

bag on my back and off to St. Pauls within the Walls.

15:50  Ok, so I have no idea where St. Pauls is so I continued onward to the Roman Ruins.  I walked through the Circus Maximus, now only grass and the shape of once an epic stadium.  Walking up the hill, I saw the Coliseum full of old Italian men dressed as gladiators looking for a euro or two to take a picture with you.  I stumbled upon a festival on Via dei Fori Imperiali, with the backdrop of Ancient Roma.  But the festival is “Giornata della sport a Roma!”  A giant event with all these exotic sports and games on the street from Ping Pong to Pole dancing, roller skates to boxing, fencing to mountain climbing.  I saw a Peruvian flute band playing Simon and Garfunkle’s Sound of Silence.  Haha protecting us from the “Furry Death!”  I am currently sitting near Piazza Venezia to the side of the giant monument to V. Emmanuel, the first leader of United Italy.

17:30 Sitting on stairs next to S. Angelo Bridge in front of the Castel S. Angelo, the Tevere’s rather timid compared to the Thames.  It looks like it has dropped a few meters since previous times.  With the large walls on either side to protect from flooding, it diminishes the River making it almost insignificant compared to the epic walls and city around.  I have walked to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.  I’m sad that I’m not surprised to find a McDonalds in front of the Pantheon.  There were great street performers in Piazza Navona.  Some lame, but funny, and old man with no teeth lip-singing to Pavaratti had gestures and all. 

20:05 Time check, Italy, has now jumped back an hour, and what was 9pm is now 8.  So crazy story.  I walk across the S. Angelo bridge and there is David Ingram with his family right on the River Tibur, taking pictures and hanging out near the Castle.  It was amazing, the whole family.  Melanye, Adam, Elise, and David.  They are spending the week in Rome, making day trips throughout Italy.  Well, not only was it good to talk to somebody, they invited me to dinner. We ate at a place a little north of the Vatican , close to where they are staying.  And it was one of, if not the best meals I have had.  Spaghetti with clams, calamari, mussels and other seafood. Oh, it was delicious, along with some artichoke dish afterwards.  To die for.  All of this was heaven sent from the Ingrams, along with a liter of wine, which has helped my aching feet.  Presently, I am sitting in Piazza Navona.  Oh, the man from the restaurant had opened up early for us and was very jolly.  He kept on pointing to a review of his restaurant from the LA Times.  “America! Si!”  This is a night to remember. It was such a relief to talk to someone body.  I was not looking forward to another day of not speaking. To converse is a powerful art and is needed to be happy.  David also promised when Sara comes to London, a meal maybe the 10^th of December?  Here I am, in a rather beautiful city, a romantic city, at night when the couples come out, while I sit here and write in a journal.

26/10/09  11:01  Sitting at the Metro stop near St. Paul’s Basillica, I must say, after dinner last night , a nice shower where I found some shampoo in the shower, I am much refreshed having slept well and clean.  The Hostel was quite nice, I must say, the best one so far.  I just left St. Paul’s outside the walls, where Paul himself is buried.  Really an extraordinary building.  I am so glad Dad told me about it or else I would have never known.  It is rather outside the main center of Rome, a few stops down on the Metro. 

13:40  Sitting in Piazza del Popolo.  The final marathon is on!  There were a few things I need to see in the next 4 hours. I have passed through S. Ignazio and saw the epic ceiling.  I threw in my coin over the right shoulder into the Trevi Fountain.  I am wandering the streets of Rome, up and down the Great Imperial Street, Via del Corso. Now towards Spanish Steps and the “Bone Church”

16:40 Sitting on the Spanish Steps.  Ok, covered a lot of ground since.  I walked to the top of the hill near the Villa Borghese, where I could see the entirety of Roma.  I walked through the Spanish Steps on my way toward a few churches.  The thing is that churches close for the afternoon, not until 3 or 3:30 did some open. So after walking up the hills of Rome I waited. The first I saw was actually the other St. Pauls WITHIN the wall, not outside.  An American-Episcopalian Church near the Piazza della Republica.  I just wish I found the place on Sunday morning.  They had Hymnals 1982 and BCPs it was a breath of fresh Anglican Air!  I sent Dad a post card from the Basillica S. Pauls outside the walls thinking it was the one he was talking about.  HaHa, It will be funny when he reads it.  But I found it and I’m glad I did.  Onward to Santa Maria della Vittoria, where St. Theresa is being pleasured by an Angel.  And it seemed that the Angel was doing a pretty good job too.  A magnificent sculpture in a glorious Church.  And then to Santa Maria della  Immaculata Concizone.  In particular, the Cappiccini Crypt. This is a Crypt with the walls made of thousands of Monks Skulls and bones.  Arches out of spines. It was creepy, but fascinating.  Inside they had a phrase, “What you are now, we once were, what we are, you will be.”  Chills, I tell ya.  I couldn’t take pictures so look it up online.  Truly amazing and with that, I have completed my checklist of Rome.  I am supposed to meet Amber on the Spanish Steps at 6pm, but there has been day light savings and I’m not sure if Amber knows about it so I’ll be here at 5, just in case.  And at 7:56, I leave for Zurich start thinking in a more Dutch frame of mind.  I hope it’s not too cold, for I only have a hoodie.  Weather is forecasted at 50degrees F, which is bearable with just a sweater.