Jul 08

Well, I've long been home in Santa Cruz but I've still got lots of places and pictures to show and tell of!

After Rhodes I flew to Rome, where I "couchsurfed" with a Croatian man who, unfortunately, lived considerably outside the city center. For those of you who don't know "couchsurfing.com," it's a website where people can register and arrange to stay on random strangers' couches around the world for free. Of course it's important to check that they have been reviewed by other people who have stayed with them before and that they have been "verified" by couchsurfing.com through their credit card. I "couchsurfed" my first couple days upon arriving in Barcelona and was lucky to stay with such a hospitable gentleman. Unfortunately, the experience in Rome wasn't so great-- the guy wasn't very hospitable and seemed annoyed that I was staying with him, which of course begs the question: why in the world would he offer to host random people in his apartment??? I also happen to think that I am probably one of the least suspicious or seedy characters there are, and he treated me as though I might pull out my AK any minute. But I did learn my lesson about couchsurfing and how to detect the better and not-so-great hosts ahead of time. So then let's dive into the fun part of the experience, shall we?

I was immediately struck by Rome and Italy in general. My first day walking around Roma something inside of me seemed to light up and it was as though this was my city-- everything about it: the history, the food, the people, the buildings, the style, the attitude, felt like real life to me. And can't we all agree that the sound of Italians arguing (or just talking, yet sounding as though they are arguing) is one of the finer sounds this planet has to offer? I had an amazing time walking around all day and taking it all in.

Roman ruins, of course. The kitties enjoy it as a safe haven from the city.

The most striking historical piece I encountered in Rome was the Trajan Column, built in 106 A.D. I don't think I've ever seen a ruin so old yet so in tact, and so grand and intricately carved. It was spectacular:

The following shot is one of my favorite I've ever taken. I've titled it "Era Confusion." It may or may not be obvious, but the reflection is of the Colosseum.

Trevi Fountain: quite spectacular, I spent every night in Rome quietly sitting around it (and by "quietly" I refer only to my presence, not to the 500 tourists surrounding me or to the alternating 35 year old Italian man at my side hitting on me in broken English, without fail every night...)

I spent most of my last day at the Vaticani, which was absolutely astounding in size and grandeur. I know I may have talked up Marie Antoinette's Palace at Versailles as being the most extravagant structure there is, but after seeing the Vaticani I doubt anything else could top it. It's really overwhelming.

The following photos are of the halls and rooms inside the Vaticani on the way to the Sistene Chapel. I walked probably about a mile through hallways decorated to a T like the ones in these photos, in order to reach the Sistene.

So you can see that Rome is quite the place. I would have raved that it was my favorite city if I would have written this blog entry in time, but after visiting Prague a week later, I'm not so sure I can make that claim for Rome anymore. However, I love different cities for different things, and for food, historical ruins, people, art, color, and culture in general, Rome is the city and Italy the country to be.