Last Few Days in Roma

I've had a lot going on this week and haven't had a chance until now to post anything. Tonight is my last night in Roma. I am excited about the next part of my trip but sad to leave. Before launching into my parting feelings I'll fill you in on what I have been up to this week. Wednesday I saw the Pope! I got to St. Peters very early, at nine, and read "Murder on the Orient Express" for an hour and a half. In retrospect there are probably more appropriate things I could have been reading, but oh well. At 10:30 he appeared and everyone got very excited. I had a seat near the front but everyone stood up on their chairs to see him pass by in the pope-mobile. It was pretty incredible, I could actually see his facial features, he was right there. He circled the crowd then went up to the steps of the basilica. Then, in seven languages, the passage 'Love is patient, love is kind' was read to the crowds. Those languages were: italian, german, english, french, spanish, polish, and portuguese. Then the Pope read in italian and I understood some. He spoke about visiting some very impoverished people and then seeing lots of volunteers helping them. That was the gist anyway. After that all of the pilgrim groups visiting that day were announced again in each of the seven languages. The groups would cheer when called, and the Pope would give a wave in their direction. The Pope then spoke briefly to each language group. Finally, we said the Lord's Prayer in latin, led by the Pope, and closed with a blessing from him. Just so you know, the blessing extends to all my family and loved ones. It was an incredible and unforgettable morning. I don't think words can really express how I felt being so close to the Pope and surrounded by other pilgrims. So, I won't try. Here are some of the pictures I managed to get of him.

Yesterday I went to Galleria Borghese which is located in the beautiful park I visited a week ago. This museum was incredible to say the very least. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed anywhere in the museum. Also, you are only allowed to visit for two hours and must reserve a ticket for a specific two hour time slot. It was more than worth the hassle. It is a villa that belonged to a cardinal who wanted a place to show case art and culture. I bought a book from the museum that has pictures, please remind me to show you my favorites. There were some sculptures that are the most amazing and beautiful I have ever seen. They make other pieces look like hunks of marble with no definition. These seemed alive.

That brings us to today. I went to school for the last time. I really loved my class and especially my teacher. I can't say enough about both. Then afterwards, I went to lunch with my friend Sara and we lingered afterwards talking about our homes, italian, our own languages, and how we must visit each other someday. We finally left around 2:45 and I stolled over to the post office to send a package home.

This is were things got very typical Rome/Italian. Turns out, because tomorrow is a big holiday, the post office closed early today at 1pm. Oops. So I had to carry my box around some more, by the way it is full of books. I decided it would be good to go and buy my ticket for tomorrow at the other train station. I got on the metro and found the second train/bus station in Rome. I went to one ticket counter, then another, then another, then another. Finally, after running between four different ticket counters all over the place, I found the right one. It was hot, I was tired, and my box was really heavy. The great thing about Italy is that it seems totally unorganized but, just went you are swearing under your breath, it pulls through like a champ. At the correct counter the ticket guy told me I had a nice smile and to be calm, in a nice way. He then helped me in english buy the right ticket for tomorrow and even said he liked my accent. He said he learned italian with americans and loves the way we speak italian and english for the matter. See what I mean? There you are hot and annoyed and then like magic everything is ok. It is an amazing place. Here is a picture of the Termini.

On my way 'home' I bought some flowers for my donna as a thank you. She called me 'molto gentile' which is pretty much the highest complement you can get in italian. It sort of means, nice or polite, but it connotes gentleness, good manners, and a truly kind nature. Then sadly I started packing.

I have been keeping a running list of things I'll miss in Rome and things I won't miss. I think right now almost everything has been switched into the "will miss" column. Here is what I have so far:

My school

my teacher and classmates

the cooking (host family mom)

my bus (it is a love/hate relationship)

the metro

my snack bar by school

walking through the termini everyday

the fountains, the fountains, the fountains

the vespas (although they are throughout italy)

coffee break at school

passing by ruins on a daily basis

my host family

There is so much more that I love about this city. I probably won't realize everything until I leave. Finally, I want to post my itinerary before heading out! Internet will be harder to find in the next few days so everyone be patient with me while I try to find Wi-Fi.

Leave Roma Saturday for Sienna via bus

Two nights in Sienna

Onto Firenze via train, three nights

Onto Venezia via train, three nights

Onto Lago di Como, via train, two nights

Backtrack to Milano, spend one night and fly home Wednesday the 12th. Whew.

For now, Ciao Roma!

Vatican Museum 1: Liz 0

It was gloomy and rainy today so I decided to go to the Vatican Museum. I only have three more sites on my list to do before I leave, the Vatican being one of them. I knew it would be packed, hectic, and overrun with tour groups and it was, but still amazing. All I remember about the museum when I was little and went with my parents was looking down a hallway that seemed to go on forever and being really, really tired whenever we got to the Sistine Chapel. I wish I could report that twelve years later I was tougher and didn't get tired, but once again the Vatican won. I managed to keep my spirits up until the Sistine Chapel, but after that my legs and feet hurt, and I was getting the museum look. You know, when your eyes glaze over and even if the most amazing artwork is in front of you, you don't care and just want to sitdown and nap. I almost saw everything, almost. Maybe in another 12 years I'll see it all.

The museum has two main sections: Egyptian/Ancient and Renaissance. The Egyptian rooms were really neat. Let's be honest, seeing an actual mummy in a sarcophagus is pretty cool. I also really liked all the giant statues of gods as animals.

Then there was the animal room, followed by ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. There were some beautiful mosaics. Speaking of mosaics I have decided that in my future home a simple, small mosaic is going to be necessary. I've become totally obsessed with them to the point that I may dedicate an entire post to the wonder of mosaics.

This is a bearded old River god, but more importantly, the pose inspired Michelangelo's Adam in the Sistine Chapel.

All that is left of an ancient statue of Hercules. Michelangelo loved it and would say "I am the pupil of the Torso."

After all this I began the quarter mile walk to the Sistine Chapel. This walk consisted of tapestries, the map hall, and finally the breathtaking Renaissance works. I actually gasped when I entered a few of the rooms, they were so beautiful. It was this walk that I remember from being a kid, the hallways seem endless. At least it was pretty, I especially loved the ceilings.

Then came the rooms Raphael painted for the Pope. They were incredible. Equally amazing is that Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel just down the hall while Raphael painted these rooms. It is fun to imagine these artists working in the same building. I really liked Rapheal's rooms, especially The School of Athens. It portrays the philosophers of ancient greece, with Plato and Aristotle surrounded by thinkers and scientists. Also, this fresco was enormous, it is hard to get an idea of scale in these pictures. These were the final rooms leading up to the Sistine Chapel.

After these rooms, I finally entered the Sistine Chapel. Sorry, no pictures allowed. I didn't want to take sneak pictures because 1. they wouldn't turn out that great anyway and 2. I didn't feel like getting yelled at by the guards in the room and forced to delete my pictures. What can I possibly say about the Sistine Chapel that hasn't been said a thousand times before. It was enormous, bright, beautiful, and incredible. I spent about 30 minutes getting a crick in my neck staring upwards. One of the many things that makes it so amazing is that this huge ceiling was created by one man. Paintings and frescos are a mystery to me. I don't know how artists start with a blank canvas and then create these amazing, three dimensional works. A few facts: it is 5,900 square feet, it depicts the history of the world until the birth of Jesus, and took four years to finish (1508-1512).

At the other end of the room is the Last Judgment which Michelangelo also painted but twenty three years after the ceiling. It was also massive and depicts exactly what it the title indicates, judgement day for mankind. The souls are pulled out of the ground by angels and then sorted by a stern looking Jesus into two groups. The 'good' people go to Heaven, and then the 'bad' group well, I think we all know where they went. Again, no pictures allowed but it was also stunning and a bit terrifying. After this, I began the very long trek back to the exit. I will say this about the museum, it is a must see for a reason. There are incredible sculptures, frescos, and artifacts in a beautiful setting. Despite the crowds the Sistine Chapel really is amazing. I finally made it to the exit and back into rain. I got 'home' an hour later and was treated to another fabulous meal. I am really going to miss this woman's cooking.

Birthday Evening

Tonight was Fabio's, the dad of my host family, birthday. Heavenly food seemed to be the order of the day. There were crepes, pasta, delicious meat balls, and some sort of cream filled cake. We sat out on their patio, terrace is probably more appropriate in Italy, and enjoyed the perfect, cool evening and the happy birthday wishes. Perfect evening.

Ostia Antica and the Lido

I must have complained enough about the rain because today was sunny, dry, and beautiful. I was so excited when I woke up and saw the sun shining because I knew it would be a perfect day to visit Ostia Antica. Once again, up and out of the house, I set off towards these old ruins which are similar to Pompeii. Ostia Antica is very close to the coast and once was a major port town for ancient Romans. It did not meet with the same fate as Pompeii via volcano, but rather slowly declined after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Tibur River shifting its course, and finally a plague of malaria. It is only 45 minutes or so outside of Rome and really shows the daily life of ancient Romans. Another bonus: today was free entry day because the Minister of Culture said so, yay for saving money on tickets.

Ostia was very peaceful, relaxing, and beautiful. I can't say whether I liked Pompeii more or less, but Ostia was very romantic. There was little left besides walls, the theater (pictured above), and a few mosaics. Nothing was roped off and so I could walk everywhere. People napped, ate, and played soccer throughout the ruins. There were very few visitors, tall cyprus trees, little green lizards running around, and a perfect breeze. I probably spent about three hours there, just enjoying the ruins and being out of the city. I have had the hardest time choosing photos for this post, I finally just posted several hoping they can show you Ostia better than I can describe.

I was really close to the beach so around 3pm I got on a train towards the Lido. It was a good idea but did not turn out as fabulous as I had hoped. First, I had a hard time actually getting to the beach. I found it easily, but there were rows of high walls and restaurants and I couldn't find an opening to walk out to the sand. I was about to give up when I spotted a three foot wide space in the wall that had access to the beach. The beach itself, however, was not very nice. It was kind of dirty, littered with cigarettes, smallish, and was full of very random people. I found a pier and walked out to get a view of the water (which was actually pretty, very blue) and see the beach from a distance. Sadly, things did not improve. I soon found myself surrounded by very affectionate couples, families, and general lovey-dovey ness. I felt a little out of place which rapidly turned into awkwardness at being all alone. For the first time in a while I was acutely aware that my loved ones are all very far away right now and that I'm really alone. I suppose the beach was romantic, but in a sort of painful romantic way. Friends and family you were all painfully missed at that moment. I decided to leave shortly thereafter because I just couldn't take the alone, awkward, and almost dumb feelings that were quickly ruining my lovely day. I was in a much better mood and stopped feeling crummy as soon as I was back in Rome. I have really gotten used to this city and feel really comfrotable living here. I need to change my mentality because at the end of this week I will be leaving and moving around between lots of different cities. For now, I will enjoy my last few days here in this hectic but wonderful place.

Tivoli

I have a few confessions to make. First, yesterday was rainy and miserable and therefore I did nothing. I mean I got on the bus after school and went 'home'. And that was it. My second confession is that this morning I broke down. Italians don't do breakfast. They have some little pastry and an espresso. My host family gives me two pieces of little toast. We all know about typical 'American Breakfasts' and those of you who have had the pleasure of waking up in my house on a weekend know my family's drill: eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee, tea. I've been starved for high protein breakfasts. Here is the confession: I was so hungry this morning for something besides sweet bread, I went to McDonalds. Yes, embarrassing I know. But it was the only place I could find anything that was more than a croissant. I had a little toasted sandwich with cheese and ham. I won't lie, it was delicious.

Now that that is off my chest I can tell you what I did today. I knew I had to get out of Rome, otherwise I would sit around the apartment bemoaning the rain. (Have I mentioned I need sunshine to function and that there are few things I hate more than walking around in the rain getting wet?) So, I set my alarm for 8:30 and by 9:30 I was out the door heading for the Termini (main train station). My final destination: Tivoli. It was a bit of an adventure. I took my bus to the termini, then had my McDonalds, took the metro out to the last stop, got on a bus and an hour later was in Tivoli. I constantly had to remind myself being crammed on a bus with wet people and wet umbrellas that it will be worth it when I get wherever I am going. Today was more than worth it.

The town of Tivoli was a really cute, typical Italian town. After having a pretty tasty lunch I quickly found the Villa D'Este. The first thing I think of when I hear Tivoli is gardens. There are a couple villas that have gorgeous and expansive gardens in Tivoli, the Villa D'Este being one of them. There is also a Villa (of course) which was decorated in ornate frescos. The gardens were created in the 1560's and are famous for countless fountains. The entire time I walked around I heard the sound of running water. It stopped raining when I was ambling around and the combination of the sun and the rain drops made the place magical. Not to mention I had it almost to myself. Few people visit massive outdoor gardens on rainy days. I spent about an hour wandering around and probably took a 100 pictures. I chose a few to post so you can get an idea of the size, the number of fountains, and how amazing it looked.

I decided I had time to visit another famous site, and started wandering through Tivoli to find the Villa Gregoriana. They don't really do street signs in Tivoli but I finally found the Villa, mostly by following a family of tourists. This was a little different from the Villa D'Este which was clean, manicured, polished, and dainty. Villa Gregoriana was more like a hike through the woods. Thankfully I enjoy taking hikes even with mud and rain. A huge winding path took me from the top, to the bottom, and back to the top of a massive valley. Along the way I had views of a stunning water fall, a cave, and a few grottos. It was a tough work out though, but I'd say worth it.

I was completely exhausted at this point. I easily found the bus back to Rome, the metro, and then walked to my favorite gelato spot. It was a perfect day, despite the rain. I am really glad I got out of the city. I get a little crazy when I don't see dirt, grass, trees, or the sky. Rome is so hectic and busy, I loved getting to see a little italian town and enjoy the peace and quiet of the gardens. (and almost adopted a stray cat)

Parks are good for the soul

Today after class I had every intention of going to a Caravaggio exhibit. That all changed, however, when I arrived and there was a line of at least 100 people waiting to get in. I decided to try another day. It was another gorgeous sunny day, so I changed my plans to walk to the Villa Borghese gardens. I strolled along Via Veneto which is an old, famous, ritzy street. I also saw the American Embassy and tried to take a picture but the italian equivalent of Secret Service shouted that I was not allowed to take any photos, oops. Not to be discouraged I walked on and finally found the gardens at the end of Via Veneto.

The gardens are huge, if you look at a map of Rome, they are located north of everything, look for the giant green blob. I was blown away by how lovely everything was. The sun shining through the trees, little daisy flowers, kids on bikes, and people laying in the grass napping. It is so big there are even paved streets. It is kind of like Central Park (about to offend some New Yorkers) but I think more it is more beautiful. Just look at these pictures before you call me crazy.

I lounged, talked to my parents, and people watched. It was one of those moments when everything in the world seemed perfect. I was so happy just to be there. Then I started walking some more and just when I thought it couldn't get any more beautiful, it did. I stumbled upon a little manmade lake complete with boats, swans, and a gazebo. Stunning.

New shoes I bought today, needed some new tennis shoes to get around.

I decided it was time to head back home. I stumbled on a small bookstore, and decided to buy a book in italian. I said I was learning italian and wanted something easy to read. We finally decided on Nick Hornby. I've started glancing through the pages and I find I can at least get the gist of things. This is major progress. Also, lets be honest, it would be impossible for me to go somewhere and NOT buy a book. Those of you who have seen my parents home understand. It is a Barrett thing, this obsession with books.

Sometimes this city drives me crazy. I get tired of waiting for buses, random italians saying random things in italian to me on the street, panhandling, and all the cigarette smoking. But then, Rome steps up right when I am throwing my hands in the air, and gives me a day like today. Restoring my faith in Rome. It's the best possible day I could have.