Rome, Italy

Roma! We spent 6 days in this city and probably about 2 days too long. Simply because we ran ourselves into the ground. We found it overwhelming and exhausting. I think my knees now bleed from the insides and my ankles will have to be replaced.

For starters Italians love art. Love it so much they display it over all surfaces. Spray paint is a favorite on subway cars. Subways are also a favorite of thieves. Tara and I had the pleasure of having my wallet nearly taken as we entered a tram. Three guys, wait for you to enter the overpacked tram. Then they squeeze in behind you as a team and all try for different pockets. If they succeed they immediately jump off the tram and you get whisked away sans wallet. Luckily I had my lucky zippered pants on.



The Roman Forum just outside the Colloseum. It's a most impressive place with lots of old broken down stuff. The columns and buildings all recall a long gone era. Down there somewhere, Julius Caesar is buried as well as the place where St. Peter was imprisoned. All kinds history through the 800 years or so of Roman power.



After visiting churches all day Tara needed to do go to her local place of worship. Gelato! I counted 122 flavors. I admit, it was better than any ice cream I'd ever had.



If you throw a coin in this fountain you supposedly will return to it. So I threw in my wallet instead to see what would happen. Sure enough, I returned to fish my wallet out. Turns out the legend is true.



The Italians are a friendly lot. Always smiling and willing to help out. They particularly like the tourists around the Colloseum.



St. Peter's Basilica is the most beautiful church I've seen. It's the 2nd largest church in the world (1st is in Ivory Coast) and must easily be the most lavish. It's 186m INSIDE. Nearly 2 football games could be played inside this place! Too me this church is a reflection of how rich and powerful the Catholic church is. With 1.1 billion members I guess they have a lot of cash flow.



As a sovereign state the Vatican has it's own army. These guys mean business. The changing of the guards ceremony included a dance of joy like Balki Bartokomus from the 80s tv show Perfect Strangers.



To truly appreciate Rome you have to have a knowledge of art and antiquity. So of course Tara and I didn't appreciate it.. But no joke the volume of beautiful sculpture and painting made a believer out of me. This is Cupid kissing some maiden.



The Pantheon (125 a.d.) is domed building that is well preserved given it's age. The only source of light inside is a 9m hole in the top of the dome which also lets the rain in. But I just like the silly fountain outside.



The churches around town have the most amazing art collections. Turns out most of the art in Rome is a result of the church's coffers in the 17/18th century. This is recent art with really striking lighting found in some old church. Rome is like that. Look around and you find beauty.