The Eternal City, Forever Alone

After some much need sleep (I got up at 9, while Kevin slept until noon) we set out to see the ancient landmarks the eternal city has to offer. We started at the Colosseum, imagining the gladiators and wild animals fighting in the stadium 1000s of years ago (Kevin reminded me how I still need to watch Gladiator), taking some cover photo material pictures, and watching the stray cats. I learned that the gladiator battles were performed at funerals, which kind of seems like a self-enforcing cycle. From the Colosseum, we went accross the way to the Roman Forum. It is a huge expanse of ruins that must have been pretty impressive in its day, but now is kind of just broken stone and dust. There were some cool structures still left like Ceasar's tomb, the Arch of Titus, and some temples and columns, and I felt powerful imagining the likes of Ceasar and other Romans standing in the same spot so long ago. Somewhere in the Forum, Kevin and I got separated, and I wouldn't see him for the rest of the day.

I headed off on my own toward the main part of the city, and some more of the major landmarks, most notably the Pantheon. That was the attraction I was most excited to see coming to Rome, and it was amazing to stand under that dome. The building was actually a little smaller than I expected, but the opening was much larger (9m in diameter), and the geometry of the structure and beam of light coming in were so cool. There was a choir from New Jersey singing at the alter while I was there, so I could enjoy the sounds of classical music along with the sights of the chapels. I learned several interesting things from the audio tour, such as it was the burial site of Raphael, the floor is convex so the rain water can drain, and I actually didn't even realize the Pantheon was a church with Mass (now though I'm not surprised since it seems like every attraction in Rome is a church).

After the Pantheon, I headed to another Church, the Church of Saint Ignatius, which blew me away. The decoration from floor to ceiling in there was spectacular, and the beauty of one chapel in particular overwhelmed me, and I experienced a kind of spiritual moment, and kneeled and prayed in front of it (also the church was closing to visitors because Mass was about to start so I needed to blend in). There were several familiar IHS and AMDG signs adorning the church of Saint Ignatius as well.

After church number two, I went to the "best" pasta place in Rome (according to Triposo), That's Amore. It was the first time I've eaten out alone, which was an interesting experience, especially at the love restaurant with several couples, but it was nice and peaceful as well. The pasta was al dente, and different, but definitely very good. I then walked back down the street, which was lined with vendors selling their art and souvenirs. I bought a toy, a fresh slice of coconut, and a fold up basket thing from a cool guy from Senegal named Williboy. I continued on to the Trevi fountain, which is turned off and completely covered in scaffolding so you can't really even see it, and made it to Piazza Navona. I sat on a bench in front of The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi people watching and reading for a little while, ordered a tartufo and a cappuccino, and enjoyed the beautiful night.

To close out the day, I walked across the Ponte Sant'Angelo to Castel Sant'Angelo (aka Hadrian's Tomb) where there were more restaurant and market tents set up. There was also an open air theater showing the Italian movie Smetto Quando Voglio, which I watched for about 15 minutes, understanding very little. I had to get up early the next morning for the Vatican Museums, so I decided to call it a night, walked 30 minutes to the "closest" metro, and made it back to the B&B where I finally found Kevin. It sounds like he had a similar day to me, so I guess we both had great days.