Rome – day 2

okay so where was I?

we got up bright and early the next morning, had breakfast on the terrace and headed to the Vatican museums. The line up to get in was just a tad long.

After about an hour in line, we finally got in — The place is un.believable! There’s something to look at everywhere – floors to ceilings, you could very easily spend a couple of days there and still not see everything. Everything there is incredible, but I was there to see one thing: the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Naturally they don’t let you take pictures of it, but it was magnificent. Smaller than I thought, but truly a sight to behold.

Here’s a little flavor of the Vatican museums.



and at the end – the spiral staircase designed by Michelangelo

awesome.

We took a much needed lunch break, then headed right back into St. Peter’s square and went to the Basilica. Another one of my “I’m not leaving Italy until I see it” things.

Nothing prepares you for the sheer size of this place. Look at the size of the people near the bottom of this photo

This. This is what I came for. Michelangelo’s Pieta – carved from a single block of marble. No photo could ever do it justice. It’s tempting to talk more about this here, but ask me about it if you really want to know more.

After that, we set out to see most of the other big attractions of Rome. We walked just about everywhere, which was tiring, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. How else would you have seen cars driving right beside Restaurant patios? It was a bit odd I admit, but that’s just how it is here.

First was the Pantheon – a definite highlight. The dome built in here is a perfect half-sphere. When they first tried to build it, it collapsed on itself. They figured out that by putting those bevels in the dome, it would lighten the load. It was the first time that technique was used, and very little has changed today.

Next up was the ridiculously busy (and, of course, amazing) Trevi fountain.

and finally, the Spanish Steps. A little anticlimactic I’ll admit. It probably would’ve been a lot cooler if people didn’t treat it as a rest stop.

After that we just spent some time exploring the city a bit, down the streets, into the shops. Dinner there doesn’t start til about 8 so we had a bit of time to kill. We finally sat down in a cozy little restaurant not far from the Trevi fountain and walked home. Tomorrow would be a big day, and in a city like Rome, that’s saying a lot.

| mike |