Rome if you want to! ♫♪ Part 3 **Sorry this is so long**

Day 5: 04/04/11


We dedicated the entire day to the Vatican and the museum pretty much. We went early in the morning so that Avery and Sara could see mass while Mike, Brooke, and I kind of meandered around St. Peter's Basilica. When we were going there the girls made a friend with an older gentleman, Dave, that was staying in the same room as them and he wanted to tag along with us because he didn't know how to get there, so we had an old man with us! It was not that bad because Dave was a cool old man and he was just like the average 20 something traveler, but he was like 50 years older than us. He had the same amount of enthusiasm and energy as we did and it was really nice to have someone like my grandfather with us. :) So, when we did get into Vatican City and through security we entered the Basilica and it was so gorgeous and that is when Dave and the group split up! I could not stop looking around because I have read so much about the sculptures and the art work in there. The thing that really struck me was seeing the bronze altar that Bernini did because I have read so much about Bernini and that altar. :) We wandered around the Basilica for probably about an hour or so...probably more!

From the Basilica we went to the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel, and that was like a 5 minute walk to get there. Once we were in the museum it took forever to finally get into the Sistine Chapel because we were being herded around all this amazing art but we were all focused on seeing the Sistine Chapel and didn't really have much time to see anything else. Once we got into the Sistine Chapel it was kind of overwhelming because there was so much to see and I started looking for the Creation of Man because that is very iconic and it was right above my head!! :) I was most impressed with  Michaelangelo's paintings that seemed like they were three dimensional, they impressed me more than anything else. :) It was super funny because when we got in there people were snapping pictures and talking but when walking in there was a sign that said no photography or talking...clearly that rule went out the window! :D We kind of had to hurry out of the Sistine Chapel because Avery had to get on a train and she really wanted to see the Pantheon before she left, so Avery and Sara hurried to the Pantheon and Mike, Brooke, and I staggered around the museum a bit more. I recall Brooke saying "Get me the hell out of here" and then a few minutes later I blurted out "Get me out of this hell hole!" because we could not find a way out! Literally every exit we went for was closed and we were lost for a good 10 minutes just swearing up a storm...in the Vatican Museum...I am a classy lady.

After we left the Vatican we went to the Pantheon to meet Sara because Avery was already heading back to the hostel and Sara was going to wait for us. :) We got to the Pantheon and went inside and took pictures and I taught Mike and Brooke all about it, because again, I know a lot of random facts. :P I never thought the Pantheon was so big! But it is ! I am was impressed. :) After wandering in the Pantheon for like 30 minutes we went back to Piazza Navona to get some paintings for Sara because she wanted to get some for her grandparents. I helped her pick out a trio of like 4 x 6 prints of iconic Rome scenes, I forget which ones specifically. After that we headed back to the hostel and were on a mission to grab food before...and Brooke and I got the best gelato that could ever be gotten. We were making sounds that only a lover should hear, needless to say, we made Mike uncomfortable with out food-gasm. :P

Brooke's photo

When we got back to the hostel Mike and I came back to an Argentinian guy about 20 or so also in the hostel, which was nice to have someone to speak Spanish to! It turns out he is also a photographer, but he was AMAZING! He pulled out a little portfolio and I was literally gawking at the pictures...he was simply amazing...I totally had a crush on Gaston. :P So, Mike and I talked to Gaston some more while Brooke and Sara showered and we invited him to dinner with Verde (Brooke's roommate at RHUL) because Verde lives in Rome! *I don't know if I mentioned that or not* But Verde wanted to talk us out to a cute little Roman dinner of pizza, so that is what we did! We just walked around trying to find something to eat and chatting as we were walking along. At one point there was a crazy man running after us bellowing "I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU" and everyone thought that was quite funny. :) We finally sat down to eat and talked some more and it was so nice to be there with someone from Rome because she ordered for us, she knew what was good and all that fun jazz. :P

From dinner we went to go see the Colosseum at night because we had yet to see it at night and it was beautiful! I think it was prettier than the Eiffel Tower, but that is just me! :)












Day 6: 05/04/11


This was my last day in Rome sadly! :( So, Sara spent the morning going to mass while Brooke, Mike, Verde, and I went walking around Rome. We went  to a park and saw the city-scape and it was so pretty! It was also very hot out that day, so walking around was kind of hell. :P But we did get to drive around Rome with Verde and she is so adorable! It was one of the best feelings to just drive around Rome with the windows down and one of our friends driving around their home city...it was really nice. :) We went to see a Caravaggio's painting is Santa Maria del Popolo in the Piazza del Popolo and it was amazing seeing something that I studied in my art history class. :) From Piazza del Popolo we were going to get some gelato and then go back to the hostel...but I requested that we stop off at Santa Maria della Vittorio because I wanted to see "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" but we missed seeing it by like 10 minutes and it closed and it made me sad...I wanted to see it so badly, but I did get to see the building that it was in! *positive note* :) I will go back someday and see it so I am not too worried about it. :) So, my last day in Rome was pretty chill and quiet, but really nice because we got to walk around with Verde and have fun. :) Sorry about it being so long!! :P