Amelia's Outrageous Adventures: The Weekend in Rome

Saturday morning I got up and headed for the Colosseum. It was pretty amazing. I think I’m more impressed with ruins than with modern stuff. If someone built a Colosseum today, it would be merely a cool looking building. (somewhat like OSU’s football stadium) But the idea that someone built the Colosseum almost 2000 years ago just amazes me. We don’t have history like that in the U.S. We don’t even come close. Williamsburg looks positively modern next to the Colosseum.

Where's Waldo?

I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I just can’t take the sun anymore. It’s been sunny and about 85 degrees for days, and that should be wonderful weather, but instead it’s making me sick. I’m walking around Rome in the shade, refusing to go into the sun for more than a few seconds. I’ve begun crossing the street to walk on the shady side. I’m sweating like a pig, and I feel nauseous most of the time. I’ve never been this bothered by sun, but the only explanation I can think of is that on a day this sunny and hot, I usually don’t actually go outside. I stay inside in the nice air conditioning and wait until the evening when it’s cooler. But since the sun doesn’t set here until 10, I can’t really wait for the sunset and the cool night. Plus, Rome doesn’t feel like a place I would be comfortable walking around at night, especially not by myself. So I’ve just started taking siestas between one and three or four.

After my siesta, I went to the Trevi Fountain. It was very pretty. I took a picture and threw in a coin. The legend is that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain you will return to Rome someday. Sadly, I’m not sure I actually want to return to Rome someday. I’m glad I came, but it’s just so dirty and hot and crowded. My friend Lauren warned me that I might not like it, and she was right. If I come back to Italy, I’d like to do it in the fall or early spring, or possibly even winter. I think Venice could be very pretty in winter, and I’d like to go to Florence in the off season when the lines are shorter. I might even try Rome again when it’s not so hot. I wouldn’t do Pisa again, but I’m still very glad I was there for the festival. I expect it would be boring to see the Leaning Tower a second time.

Look at the nice peaceful fountain...

Almost completely spoiled by the massive crowd of people around it

Sunday morning I got up determined to see the Pope. Luckily, I checked his official schedule one last time, only to find he’s not at home today and he won’t be giving his noontime blessing in St. Peter’s Square. I went to the Vatican anyway, since I was really excited to see St. Peter’s Basilica. When I got there, I almost turned around and left. The line snaked around the entire square, and a good part of it was in direct sunlight. I finally decided I had to at least try the line. I couldn’t come all the way to Rome and not see the basilica.

Luckily, the line moved quickly, but people kept cutting in line ahead of the people in front of me. If they’d done that in front of a temple to Zeus, they’d have been struck down with lightning, but of course, I was standing in front of the basilica of a merciful God, and so they were able to cut in line with impunity. I was furious by the time I reached the entrance to the basilica.

Once I got inside, I calmed down. The basilica is huge! According to Wikipedia, you can fit the entire Statue of Liberty, base and all, inside the dome. It’s beautifully decorated in gold, and the architecture is impressive, but somehow it doesn’t feel much like a church. It feels like a monument, but not a church. I get a much more churchy feeling in Notre Dame, with all the darkness and the candles, than I got in St. Peter’s, which has a much airier feel. I guess to me, gothic architecture just feels more churchy.

After my Sunday siesta, I went out again in search of an uncrowded park and some dinner. I found a grocery store and bought some food, then went in search of a park. I was sitting down in the park when I decided to look at the map to figure out how to get home. Suddenly I realized I was right next to the Colosseum. It’s a pretty cool feeling when you go looking for a park bench and accidentally end up next to the Colosseum. Rome is ok, after all. I didn’t do as much here as I would have liked, but after a little over a month away, I’m really looking forward to flying back to the US tomorrow. I miss my boyfriend, and I haven’t seen my family since Easter. I’m looking forward to relaxing, and awful American food, and not having to constantly worry about pickpockets and my passport. I’ll be spending this week with Andrew, and next week at Alpine Resort in Ontario with my family. I’m not sure how much I’ll be updating the blog. On July 3^rd, I’ll be in the U.K. for my five week Oxford program. I don’t expect I’ll blog every day for the rest of the summer, but my goal is to get to 100 posts, and I’m only at 75, so keep reading, and I’ll keep writing.