Well, I guess technically nothing That funny happened; but it really was a great trip!
Now, a lot has happened in the past week - so let's see if I can recollect enough to give you a good overview of that trip.
We left last Thursday pretty early in the morning to travel to Rome (by TRAIN! my new favorite mode of transportation). Wednesday was our 2 week mark here. And boy, you could tell! Everyone was suffering from serious cabin fever and we were ready to get to a new place!
We arrived around 10 or so and checked into our 4-star hotel (Thank you Harding) - which was about 3 blocks from the Pantheon...what a life.
We traveled to some places in town that day: Circus of Maxentius (the boys raced around the circus), St Paul outside the Wall (Paul's bones are supposedly here), the church and crypts of San Sebastien, the Pantheon (still one of my favorites) and some other places. There are lots of nuns in Rome. I like to see them.
The next day we literally saw all of Rome. We did Santa Scala (the church that was built to house the supposed steps of Pilate that Jesus climbed that Helen, Constantine's mother, brought back from Jerusalem; Catholics make a pilgrimmage here to climb the steps one at a time on their knees saying a prayer at each; it was pretty awesome to see the nuns and an older lady doing it...very moving), St. John Lateran, the Forum, ate lunch on a hill by the colosseum, St. Peter in Chains, Mamertine Prison (where Paul and Peter were supposedly imprisoned in Rome). Then, a group of us went to the Capitoline Museums - one of the best museums I've ever been too. But, while we walked through the piazza there we noticed a protest about to begin.
Robbie told us that the signs were protesting about equal housing or everyone having the right to have a home --- something along those lines. Anyhow, while we were in the museum it turned into a riot; we peered out the window and saw the polizia with their barricades up.
Some sort of political figure (the mayor perhaps) came out and said some things into the megaphone and everything calmed down.
Don't worry they were just throwing chairs from windows in the Senate house...nothings too dangerous ;]
That night I ate at Hard Rock Cafe; that was one of the best nights ever. YAY AMERICA!!!!!!!! And free water. And a cheeseburger.
I'm not sure what day I'm on.
We did Vatican City the following day. And, while I've been there before - that is also a fantastic museum. There are so many things from so many different time periods in there; Egyptians, Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Florentines, Americans -- it never ends. And of course, the Sistine chapel...still breathtaking - a bit overrated - but beautiful nonetheless.
I went to St. Peter's Basilica with Nick and Tyler and we decided to climb the Dome. Now, I am very afraid of heights and I don't love small spaces. So, this was a very big deal for me.
Climbing the stairs was like being in a fun house - sometimes the stairs leaned or the wall crushed you so you had to walk sideways...but the view made it so worth it.
St. Peter's Square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
We hung out with our friend Riccardo who is actually from Rome and went to dinner with him and went to a cafe afterwards.
Sunday or whatever day I'm on we went to the Villa Borghese;
That is where all the sculptures of Bernini are housed (okay, not all but a lot of them). He was the first sculptor of his time to sculpt things in motion.
We weren't allowed to take pictures in there; but, if you have time you should Google image search either "Daphne and Apollo" or "Pluto and Persephone". In Pluto and Persephone, where he is grabbing her leg it looks like his hands are actually pressing into flesh - that is serious talent.
We also climbed the Palatine Hill that afternoon; with our packs. The palaces on that hill were huge and just went on for ages.
We got home Sunday evening and enjoyed lounging around the villa; our group started laundry and went ahead and packed our bags for the next day.
I can't write anymore tonight.
Tomorrow there will be detailed accounts of Sweden and Venice.
And, this isn't even close to everything that happened in Rome.
I took something like 400 pictures. Believe me.
Here are a few.
We are posing as statues here; pretty awesome!
I'm sitting on Constantine's kneecap. He was humongous.
This is me and some of my friends sitting on steps outside of Victor Emmanuele's monument that looks like a typewriter.
CIAO!
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