Walk Like a Roman

Alright, so if I've learned anything (and I feel I've learned quite a bit the last couple days) is how to walk like a Roman. I suppose one of the best things to do so you don't look so touristy is to cross the streets like citizens. Here in Rome, that means not waiting for the walk sign to appear, but to just walk out in front of oncoming traffic and have horns blare at you (Mom, my style of driving would fit right in here -- EVERYONE uses their horn! Though I don't think I like the manner of driving. Street signs mean very little here).

So down to business: today, I got up, ready to go see the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. That meant using the Metro. The thing I've truly been dreading. As it turns out, I prefer this method of travel. Go figure. Once I got my day pass (only 4 Euros) I figured out which metro line to get on -- very clearly marked, my guess would be for tourists -- and hopped into the train. I thought for sure I'd miss my stop, not because I didn't know when to get off, but because people are horrible on trains!! The doors are lucky to stay open, literally 15 seconds, so everyone wanting off is congregating at the doors pushing to get out, and everyone wanting in is pushing against the people getting off. Nightmare. But luckily I managed to get off and since it is a tourist thing, the way to St. Peter's Basilica was clearly marked. I wasn't planning on taking a tour today, I just thought I'd go and get a ticket in and walk around. I ended up taking a tour, mostly because the lines to get in wrap outside of the doors and down two whole blocks. On a tour, you by-pass this and since our tour group was small, we got in before a lot of other people.

We actually started out in the Vatican Museum (the tour included the museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica for 35 Euros), and made our way through the court yard and some of the halls of the "palaces." These halls were added on every time a new pope took over because he wanted to be Numero Uno and he had it decorated in which every way he felt would surpass the previous pope and make him more important. Unfortunately, as the Vatican is still a functioning church (we saw a ton of priests coming and going -- they actually looked more like a gimmick to add to the authenticity, but they weren't), we couldn't go into the main parts of it where they actually hold mass or live. I think that may have been very interesting, but alas, I cannot go there. At least until I become a member of Mission Impossible and can break in like Ethan disguised as a priest.

Then we got to go into the Sistine Chapel. Our tour guide actually gave a ton of information about the paintings in there. Now, we know it was painted by Michelangelo, but what many of us may not know is just exactly how cheeky he was. The pope he contracted to paint the ceiling for actually pissed Michelangelo off (Michelangelo came from Florence which was a very free thinking city and celebrated all form humanity -- Rome was not the same at all, though many popes and nobility were hypocritical in their behavior and 'bought' their way to Heaven, while executing the death penalty for citizens for similar offenses). For instance, the pope wanted Jesus painted right above the door the pope would enter through and stand every day to meet people. What that would have meant for the pope was he was so important that Jesus himself blessed him from the second he walked through the door. Well, Michelangelo would be damned if he let that happen, so under the pretense of flattery, he painted the pope's face instead. The pope took that to mean he was better than Jesus and was blessed by himself everyday. The catch are the two angels over the shoulders of the Pope/Jesus painting: One angel has his arm over the shoulders of the other angel and his fist has his thumb tucked under the first two fingers (like the letter 'n' in sign language). This symbol during that time was the equivalent to flipping someone off today (and since it's painted so high up, the pope couldn't see it). There are so many others, but it would take forever to explain them all. But for sure I am definitely going to do more research on the Sistine Chapel. The well known Genesis painting is another story if someone is curious. Just go to the Vatican Museum website.

As far as the actual chapel went itself, it was very impressive -- a lot bigger than I expected it to be, but it was really hard to appreciate it because the entire hall was packed. Standing room only and hardly that. And everyone is only allowed 10 minutes in the hall. I guess when you're pouring 20,000 people through there a day (yes, a day) 10 minutes is generous. If there was ever a way to see it empty I'd love to go back. Now you're not allowed to take pictures in the hall, but I discretely snuck just a couple.

After the Sistine chapel we went to St. Peter's Basilica. The largest church in the world. Our tour guide told us the entire church is an architectural illusion because everything in there is built so big, everything seems small, and it honestly did. I have some pics and I'll explain them (I didn't stay long here, because again, it was so crowded. If I could somehow get a private tour, I definitely would, but doing it as an everyday tourist was a bit much).

Since I was feeling good with the Metro, I decided to find the Trevi Fountain. Well, I got a little turned around getting off the train (again I curse the lack of street signs), but within a few minutes I was right on track. On my way to the fountain I found the Fontana del Tritone (the Fountain of Triton). It's a really small fountain, but cool to look at anyway. Continuing on with my journey, I did find the Trevi Fountain, but good lord, it was packed! You'd think it was Sea World the way people were crowded around it! I got a side view of it and didn't even try to make it down to the front. It was really very neat, but I'm guessing if it hadn't been an exceptionally nice day out, it may not have been so crowded. I could have continued down the roads to find the Pantheon, but the prospect of going through that crowd was off-putting, so I decided to head back to the hostel. I'll save that for my next trip to Rome.

Well, today was really my last day in Rome. Tomorrow I make my way to Genoa (or Genova in Italian). I don't really know what I'm going to do there -- there are a few things listed in my book, and it's only a 2 1/2 hour train ride to Cinque Terre, but I might use it as some chill time before I leave for Paris (wow, that feels like a strange thing to think about 'before I leave for Paris.'). I'm a little worried about getting on the right train. I'm hoping since I have to check out here at 10 and my train leaves at 12, I can figure it out. (Now I'm mostly hoping since I don't have an alarm clock I wake up on time -- I've been up and out by 9 each day but tomorrow would be the day that doesn't happen).

Ok, I feel like this post is way too long, so I'm going to cut it off  here. There may not be anything tomorrow since it's a traveling day, but it's 5:40 here so I'll be up for a while to communicate with my people (you). (And I'm going to put up some pictures).