Roma!

So, I finally made it to Rome. When I got on the plane in Seattle, I finally started to get really excited about my trip - it was finally real. I started crying even before the doors were closed. I think the two Muslim women sitting next to me were scared, and the flight attendant took pity on me and moved me from my seat to a whole row by myself! It was nice not having to share a seat with two strangers...
My layover in Newark was unremarkable - thank goodness. I was so tired! But, I got on the plane and my neighbor (who is a flight attendant for Continental) had arranged for her friend to give me some perks. Unfortunately, the flight was full so she couldnt upgrade my seat, but she gave me a business class welcome package, a little treat from Jan, and a mimosa. My seat mates were SO jealous!
My seatmates were pretty cool - two young women from Bahstan (Boston). Very thick accents! Continental International flights have little televisions built into the seat backs, and you can choose from a suprising amount of movies...We three ladies chose very unladylike movies: The House on Haunted Hill, Gladiator, and Seven. HAHAHA - if Continental is surveying what people are watching, we just skewed the curve!
Anyhow, so landing in Italy was an adventure. The airport was full of people who had no idea whatsoever what to do. There is a tram from the gate to the main terminal, but the signs are extremely unclear as to what to do. I just fell back on my old plan of following everybody else and letting it all sort itself out. Presto - it worked! Unfortunately, I didnt get a seat on the train from the airport to Rome, but hey, it was all good.
After much wandering in the Termini train station, I finally found someone who could point me in the direction of my hostel. I dropped off my backpack and hit the streets. I was totally exhausted, but determined to get a full day of sights in. I went to the Coliseum (kind of boring, but cool at the same time), the Forum (ehh), and Palatine Hill (holy moley!). The ruins at Palatine Hill are incredible. It was so weird when I thought about how old these ruins are. Julius Caesar actually lived there and walked those streets. Amazing.
After touring for a bit, I went back to the hostel and ate a bit of dinner. The hostel cafe is amazing. Excellent food and the staff is pretty cool. My bunkmate, Soon-Mi, is from Korea and is a student in Beiruit. Seriously. She is really nice, and has a funky Korean-Australian accent. She leaves today, so it will be interesting to meet my new bunkmate!
Anyhow, after eating some of the most amazing gnocci of my life, I headed out for a night walk. The streets are remarkably safe here - in large part due to all of the tourists. I walked all over Rome, saw the Trevi Fountain (probably my favorite of all the sights), Spanish Steps, Palazzo Navona, Pantheon, and so much more. I kept getting turned around, so I found so many little gems it was amazing. Unfortunately, my pictures do the sights absolutely no justice, so I have been buying postcards by the dozen...
After crashing out in my hostel (seriously, I did not even move!), I got up and dragged my tired feet to the Vatican. I enjoyed the Vatican much more than I thought I would. The artwork is amazing and so extensive! The Sistine Chapel, though, was a bit of a letdown. It is in a small room with an impossibly high ceiling. The frescoes are amazing, but so far away...I am glad I saw it, but definitely not the highest on my list.
After the Vatican Museum, I headed to St. Peter Square. The pope (yes, the pope) had just given an address to the crowd, so security was extremely tight. I did not get to see the Pope, but I understand that he gave a good, long speech. It was so weird to see a million nuns in full habits, priests with collars, and even a few Fransiscan Friars roaming around. I wanted to take pictures, but it seemed disrespectful - same with the crazily-dressed Swiss Guard. After a short wait, we were finally allowed to go into the square and into the cathedral. Oh my god. It was amazing (despite the 1.5 hour wait in the direct sunshine in an extremely crowded line). Words cannot even describe the beauty and grandeur of the place. There is an elevator to the cupola (well, part way to the cupola - the elevator takes care of the 520+ stairs to the top of the cathedral). The view from the top of St. Peters was incredible. I chose to wear a flowy dress that day - big mistake. I gave the people below me on the spiral staircase more than one glimpse of my pantalones. Plus, once I was outside, I gave the people on the roof a view of my panialones, too. Oh well, I hope it made their trip! Im pretty sure that pictures will be on the internet on some Japanese up-skirt porn site since the Japanese guy below me kept taking pictures up the stairs.
There is also a tour of the Popes Tombs. This was pretty amazing. At John Paul IIs crypt, large numbers of people paid their respect. I felt a little weird, being a non-Catholic and all, but it was good to pay my respects, too. Some people were crying, and it really drove it home just how deeply some Catholics feel their religion. All in all, a deeply moving experience.
After the Vatican, I headed to one of the oldest and most rustic areas of Rome - the Travestere neighborhood. It is on the Tiber River and next to the Vatican. So beautiful and just what you would expect to see in Rome. Colorful buildings, colorful people, and tons of Vespas! I treated myself to a nice dinner in Travestere and met an Italian man (Gianni Visi) who only spoke limited English (THAT was an interesting attempt at conversation!) and two couples from Toronto. All the tourists that speak English here are either from Toronto or Kansas - no shit! I walked all the way back to my hostel after dinner and went by the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and more piazzas than I can remember. I bought some really cool street art at Piazza Navona and ate gelato at the Pantheon. I got back to my hostel around midnight, took a well-deserved long, hot shower, and collapsed into bed.
Today, I am heading to one of the National Museum branches near my hostel. I am also going to check out a Cappucin Crypt (Ossuary? I love ossuaries! - HAHAHA-get it Marli and Terry?!?!?!). Then, its back to the hostel to pack for my early morning train ride to Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, and finally Sorrento.
Ciao!