Greetings from Sorrento, Italy. I know...I hate me too.
Rome is ginormous! There's so many people and tons of things to do. More so than any other city I've been to so far, Rome is a place where you could spend months and still not see everything. Rather than talk about everything I did and bore you, it's best to hit the highlights.
Roman Forum: Out of everything I did, the Roman Forum was my favorite. The Roman Forum was the heart of the Roman Empire and contained all of the most important political, legal, and religious buildings. The Forum has a seemingly endless amount of ruins and things to see. I felt like I was a kid again, using my imagination to picture how life in Rome would have been. Many of the buildings are in poor shape, but in my opinion that only adds to the splendor of the Forum. Inside the Forum, my favorite parts were the Basilica of Maxentius, the Arch of Titus, the Curia, the Farnese Gardens, and the Aqueduct. I'd tell you about all of them, but in the interest of not boring you, I'll let you do your own research if you're so inclined.
Coliseum: Every sports fan should see the Coliseum before they die. It's the ultimate arena. The coliseum was started in 72 AD by Emperor Vespasia and finished in 80 AD by Emperor Titus. Historians aren't sure exactly how many people it seated, but the consensus is between 40,000 and 70,000 people. That's impressive by today's standards, let alone 2,000 years ago. Everyone knows about the gladiators, slaves, lions, etc, but it's become popular belief amongst historians that the coliseum was flooded and naval battles would be staged inside. Truly incredible to think of the carnage, the bloodshed, and the unbelievable feats that occurred inside.
The Vatican: Not being Catholic, I didn't really think I would appreciate the Vatican as much as I did; however, as soon as you walk into the plaza, and look up at Saint Peter's Basilica, you get a real appreciation for the history of The Vatican. At the Vatican, I visited the Vatican Museum (where the Sistine Chapel is), Saint Peter's Basilica, and Old Bridge gelato (best gelato I've had in Rome). The Museum was pretty incredible. There's so much to see besides the Sistine Chapel, but I must say that the Chapel is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. To think that Michelangelo laid on his back and painted Creation, The Fall of Man, the Return of Christ, and more over a 4 year period is phenomenal. I can't even sit in one place for 4 minutes let alone 4 years! Saint Peter's Basilica is also an unbelievable work of art. I didn't have a true appreciation for the scale of it until I got inside and looked down the cavernous interior; all the while fighting off the urge to yell "ricola"! The thing that made my visit to the Basilica extra special was that mass was going on when I was there which was a cool experience hearing the echos of the priest throughout the building.
Borghese Museum: The Borghese Museum is one of the most famous museums in all of Italy. The museum is pretty small, but houses many great works of art. The best parts of the museum are the half dozen famous statues that call the Borghese home. My favorite was Apollo chasing Daphne. I know I won't get this story 100% right, but basically Apollo is chasing Daphne because he got shot with an arrow by Eros thats incites love and falls for the nymph Daphne; however, Daphne was shot by an arrow that incites hate. Since Daphne doesn't love Apollo back, she begs her father to disguise her so Apollo will leave her alone. Daphne's father intervenes and turns her into a tree. This will sound ridiculous, but if you look at the statue long enough, you can easily piece together the story. It's an awesome piece of art. My other favorites were David preparing to slay Goliath, the Paolina Borghese, and Pluto's rape of Proserpina. On all of these sculptures, the detail is so intricate and amazingly lifelike.
Old Bridge Gelato: Right next to the Vatican. Huge portions, great flavors, and cheap. Enough said!
Various other cool sights I saw were the Trevi Fountain, Capital Museums, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trastevere, and a random pyramid. The Spanish Steps are completely overrated.
All in all, Rome is awesome. The history is unmatched anywhere I've ever been before. The Roman Empire was the greatest civilization in the history of the world (in this author's opinion), and it's been interesting traveling through Europe and seeing Roman influence almost everywhere. It was nice to finally see the place where it all came together.
Ching ching!
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