Whew! Rome has been amazing!
and amazingly overwhelming...
I've been sick since amsterdam... riding bikes in the Rain will do that, I suppose. Everyday has been a bit of a battle just to see things and rest and take medicine...
Being in Rome has really started to complete our trip. Our 4 flavors and 4 cities... Barcelona is next and we feel like it will be a bit of a 'homecoming' as it will have the most similar climate and food to LA... We thought Amsterdam felt the most american... with soup and sandwiches for lunch... and the sounds in the city seemed more familiar... Rome, out of Paris and Amsterdam, has been the least familiar and most difficult to get around. It just doesn't seem preoccupied with 'serving the tourist'... We've got around just fine, but its the small things... each bus stop doesn't have a map, Paris did...
We have really enjoyed all the history and smells and tastes... Julie especially loves the pasta at a resturant right next to our little place... the creamy veal tortallini!
I dont suggest doing Rome in 3 days... but if you must... :
Santa Marie Maggorie ... really was amazing...
Coloseum... paying for the english tour was worth it, just to get that added realism...
Palantine Hill & the Forum... our english tour took us thruogh this as well... really just blew us away...
day 2:
Vatican Museum... this was TOO overwhelming... unfortunately, i didnàt really like the experience of it... just too many people being shuffled through... but some highlights were Rapheals rooms, and the cistine chapel... It really struck me how the place is layed out to show you, the visitor, the pagan greeks, romans, and 'crescendoing' with the height of the church adn the cistine chapel...
St. Peters Basilica... after the museum, this was too much, but its right there, so we did it... and the light was just perfectly coming through the windows... it really is enormous and was overwhelming, too...
Spanish steps to Trevi Fountain to Pantheon to Trastevere... This was a highlight for me... just the walk through the back streets... and the Pantheon is amazing... to think Hadrian built it 2500 years ago...
Yesterday ... we went to a deserted Orvieto, a medieval hill town in Umbria... It was a beautiful day and it was really nice to get out of town... but most of the shops and restuarants were closed... the Duomo is amazing there... you'll have to google that to get all the specs...
Off to Barcelona... On the train ride yesterday we had a great talk about life and family, and we look forward to getting back and sharing all our experiences...
1 comment:
Your Rome comments brought back great memories when Mom and I visited a few years ago. It is awesome! Its history is amazing - and it is so well preserved after more than 2000 years, just as you found out for yourself. It can't be done in 3 days, but it sounds like you did it. Congratulations to you both! Arividerchi Roma
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