Thursday, July 26, 2007

July 23rd, 2007 - Rome 101

11:00 pm - my trip
Today was amazing! We started off by the Spanish Steps. The very first thing we did was to get some gelato and eat it on the Spanish steps. We got a man from LA to take our picture. Haha, in order to avoid my camera being stolen, I have decided that when I want my picture taken to only hand it to people I can run faster than! Anyways, then we went and found some pizza for lunch, it was so good! Mine had oregano, basil, tomatoes and mozzarella slices. Bwiges had a pizza with tomato chunks, basil, and crushed red papper (no cheese). Both were wonderful. WE sat and talked with a guy from Canada who worked on a Canadian cruise line who was sailing through Disney around the Mediterranean.

Then we went into a few churches that were amazing! They are so big and awe inspiring! When I see these incredible works of architecture that are 4 stories tall on the inside and I consider our plain little sanctuaries, it is no wonder to me that Americans have such a lack of awe for God. Our churches reflect it. Anyways, one of the churches had the head of St. John the Baptist… kinda weird.

Next, we saw the Trevi fountain. WOW. Its so big! Its like… .huge… like… half the length of a football field! Yah… wow.. the pictures just don’t do it justice. I think its been my favorite thing so far. I don’t know why, I just really like it.

We also saw the Victor Emannual monument. That was even bigger than the Trevi. Its like the size of the Texas state capitol. Yah… big… and its just a memorial to all the unknown soldiers. Yah… enormous. Those little dots in the picture are people…

Last we saw the Pantheon. Of all the thins I saw today I am initially least impressed. Its just a big dome. The dome is very large but its just a done. Again, the pictures wont give you a good perspective. However, when the age of the building is considered, I am much more impressed. Its ANCIENT… like 2500 years old (I don't remember exactly).

That’s about it… we wandered and saw some other stuff… all in all, amazing. Go Rome!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey glad to know you're safe and having a great time! If you were travelling to France instead of Italy, I'd say don't even worry about wearing the same clothes four days in a row; they're stinky over there anyway, aren't they? Or is that just what the TV tells me? HAHAHA

Alright then, I guess my little advice about your luggage doesn't help anything when BOTH of your bags get lost. Sowwy! But I guess you could have seen this coming. *wink*

Man, that service that you used to find Grace (what is it? Couchsurfer?) sounds pretty awesome. I wonder how you ever found out about that? That's so great that you have the ability to save money for your trip staying there as well as making a new international friend!

So lastly, I hope that you continue to have a great time, even if you dissed the Parthenon (I personally would be more fascinated seeing it, simply because of the engineering that went into creating it as well as the fact that it used to house some of the most famous Greek tragedian's plays as well as some of the greatest orators' speeches!). But I also hope that you don't do all the kitschy little "touristy" things. It might be more amazing to go off the beaten path if you can find it, much like what the Romans on your flight from Madrid were suggesting to you. (By the way, isn't it kind of cool to think that those Romans taking a vacation to Madrid was pretty much tantamount to a family from Houston taking a trip to Disney World in Florida?? wow!)

Alright, take care, be safe, have a blast!

Sara said...

So glad to hear that things are going well... except for the luggage part...

Spanish wine is fabulous (and much better than vinegar). I've had two bottles of Spanish wine and they were both wonderful (though not at the same time).

Love you guys and can't wait to see you when you get home!! Enjoy every minute!!

Helen said...

Wow, I don't know if we can be friends anymore after that comment about the Pantheon... I just don't know. Clearly you have no appreciation for good marble. The Spanish steps were my favorite.. well, actually St. Peter's was my favorite, or was it the Pantheon... I don't know, but you really have to dig into the history of it all to really appreciate it. In America two-hundred-year-old buildings are impressive. To Italians.. eh, whatever. Rome is amazing! Drink the water! It's tasty, and it's been traveling to Rome through various springs since like 100 AD. Yeah, that was way before you were born, kiddie. Pantheon not impressive... gracious..

Helen said...

Oh, and that church behind the Trevi fountain... yeah, that's where they keep the popes' lungs, just in case. ;)