Roma
Trip Start
Jul 06, 2008
1
6
7
Trip End
Oct 11, 2008
Rome,
Lazio,
Italy
Monday, July 14, 2008
Thanks to a sweet tourguide and his previous introduction to the Sistine Chapel, it was awesome. Wow, absolutely the most beautiful man-made thing I have ever seen. To think that Michaelangelo basically conceived all that in his head, without much help, is insane. And he never signed anything (except his first painting ever) because he felt that he was inspired by God. The creation is genius and amazing. It took him something like 5 years to do that entire roof--WHAT A BADASS!! I loved the Sistine Chapel.
And on the entry wall there is, "The Judgement." In which he depicts how that will go down. Its cool to see how he did "sign" this painting, because Michaelangelo's own face is drawn into the flabby skin of the skinned guy near the middle. Also, his babysitting Cardinal enemy is depicted in the lower right hand corner with donkey horns, a tail, and a snake biting his woo-hoo. Such good background info. This painting took him 3 years, and he spent 8 years of his long life masterpiecing that one chapel!! Also, its where the Pope is chosen, so thats fun to think about.
Then into St. Peter's Basillica, which is absolutely massive. Wow. To be on top of St. Peter's bones, and to see The Sorrow. So cool, and so big, and...wow.
St. Peter's Square is cool too to imagine where the Pope first emerges. Its all so big and makes up so much of the smallest country in Europe.
Rome (specifically, not including the Vatican) is sweet too. I really wanted to spent days here, but I only got the allotted 6 hours or so. Rome in 6 hours is just unfair!! We went to Trevi Fountain, and anyone who knows me knows that I flicked a euro into the fountain from, not trying to exagerrate, maybe 750 meters away. TRUE STORY!! Haha....For lunch we talked with some sweet old people about video games and sci-fi. Then we hit up the Colisseum and took the appropriate flexing pics and what not. I couldn't really imagine what the Colisseum would have looked like in-tact (I really wanna see Gladiator again), but its crazy to imagine how much blood was spilled there all in the name of good ole' sport (and maybe religion). Cheetahs, and elephants (maybe), and crazy animals and such. Also the Colisseum has been raped of all its metals to provide for wartime purposes, so there are tons of holes all around (gypsie holes??), shame.
Rome was really cool, and Ive always wanted to go there. I need to go back and actually get a feel for that place.
Back on the boat
