Rome, Sweet Home, Part 1

When I got into Rome on Christmas Eve Day, I did a very stupid thing. I didn't stop at the information desk. Always stop at the information desk. You get a free map! I thought, hey, I've got a map on my phone, what do I need a free map for? Always stop at the information desk. (and if you know me, you know my sense of direction is... how do I put this... really terrible)

So I wandered around Rome for quite some time looking for my hotel. After about two hours, I gave up, called a cab. I swear to you, he went through the most crowded parts of the city, and I had practically no Euro left. And guess which cabs do not take cards. Why, the ones in Rome, of course. I ended up having just enough (and I mean just enough, I used one cent coins) to pay the guy. Overall, it was kind of a stressful adventure. If only I had gotten a map, I would have realized that my hotel was within walking distance (about 45 minutes, but still).

Anyway, the hotel I stayed at was great. If I walked outside the hotel and down the street, I could see Saint Peter's. The location next to the Vatican was really priority for me, and I certainly got that. After settling in, I went there first. Most everything was closed by then, but I managed to get my first glimpses at the outside, and I watched some of the Christmas plays and whatnot they celebrated outside of the church, mostly, I think, to amuse the people waiting in line for Christmas mass at Saint Peter's. While I sent in for a ticket, I didn't end up getting one, but if you do get one, arrive early for that line. It was huge. It wrapped around the entirety of the square. I don't know how early you have to get there to get a good seat, but bring a snack.

My mass was at the Pantheon. It wasn't quite clear what time the place was going to open, so I showed up at about 9:30, with about ten other people. I had a good conversation with some American nerds (nerds attract nerds) and we waited. And waited. And waited. We had a number of people come up to us and ask what time the doors would open (we had no clue) and thus compiled a list of all the times we had heard the place would open. 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00 were all on the list. The doors finally opened at 11:30, but we formed a line before that. I was in the front and got a seat, but if you show up and you're at the back of the line, expect to stand. We watched as they set up a series of metal fences around the doors, to keep people from cutting. Would someone actually do that, we wondered. Not a minute later, a whole bunch of people tried to cut right in. Oh brother. Have I mentioned yet that Americans have a strict sense  of right and wrong when it comes to lines, and that it doesn't carry over into other countries?

The mass was quite beautiful, as is the Pantheon. Dress warmly, as there is a hole in the ceiling. I wish I had worn pants, or at the very least thermals under my tights. But it's a lovely mass, and if you're okay with Italian, I recommend it. Plan to be out until 1:30, 2:00 though.

I'm going to run through the rest of my trip in a not so chronological order, as a lot of my time was spent walking places. I do recommend walking verses public transportation, but the major downside is that you don't always get to see everything you want to see. For example, I did not end up making it to the inside of the Coliseum. It was what I sacrificed to see other things. Also, I recommend, if you're walking to the sacred steps, leave early, because they close at noon and don't open again until three (what is this, Spain?). These were two places I really wanted to see, but didn't get a chance to. Luckily, when my family comes in June, I believe we're making a stop off in Rome, so I'll have another opportunity.

To start out, Saint Peter's. Go there. It's beautiful. I recommend heading over in the morning, before the security line gets too long. I love the exterior of Saint Peter's especially. I could stare at those statues for hours. The inside is filled with beautiful artwork. You can even go to mass (which I did on Christmas day) and confession. Confession in English! Luxury I tell you. Without a doubt my favorite thing in Saint Peter's was the Pieta, Michelangelo's statue of Mary cradling Jesus after he's been taken down from the cross. It's so moving- the way Mary's eyes are on her son, her one hand holding him, and her other raised up to heaven, offering Jesus to the Lord and to His plan, as she always did. In my opinion, it's the most beautiful piece of artwork ever.

I also recommend a trip to the roof. It's about 5 Euro, 7 if you take the stairs. I have quite a phobia of windy, small steps, so while going up was not an issue, going down was terrifying. But it's worth it for that view. And it's really not that many stairs, certainly not compared to the Toledo Cathedral, or even the one in Burgos. It was actually the only time I saw the Vatican gardens, since I couldn't find my way to them on foot.

Bit of advice--don't run on the Vatican rooftops. See, there's a point when you have to cross over the roof (not a roof roof, but an area that's exposed to the elements) to get to the last set of stairs down. And by the time I made it down to that section, it was pouring. There was torrential rain, complete with high winds. Everyone was mingling, wondering what to do, when a brave family stepped out into the rain. Their kids were jogging a little bit and I thought, hey why not. I opened my umbrella and stepped out, and attempted to run to the next entrance. Next thing I know, my umbrella has flipped inside out (I thought that only happened in movies). I'm laughing at it when, next thing I know, I'm sliding down the roof on my but (again, not the roof roof). It was at a slope, so I'm basically on a water slide for a few seconds. My stuff flies out of my purse (thank goodness my phone case is awesome, otterbox is totally worth it) and I land on my wrist. It was a little painful. The family who went first came back to help me up, which I really appreciated in the rain, and I continued on, wet but mostly unharmed. The moral of the story is, if you go up to the Vatican dome and see a sign that says, no running, that's because of me.

Other recommended places:

1. Trevi fountain. It's really cool, you throw in a coin over your left shoulder, and if you do so, I believe it means you'll be back in Rome again (hopefully June, for me). Also, there's a  gelato shop nearby with Nutella gelato. Nutella. Gelato.

2. Saint Clements's Basilica. The final resting place of Pope Saint Clement (and Saint Cyril), it's a small but beautiful church. The mosaic in the front is amazing. It's Christ on the Cross, surrounded by vines. It was featured in Catholicism by Fr. Robert Baron, and I really recommend stopping off to see it. It's also got a very famous painting of Mary in it. But even more than just the Basilica is what's under it. They excavated underneath in the 1800s, and found that not only was the Basilica built on an older Saint Clement's (4th-12th century, where they found the remains of Saint Cyril) but on top of an old Roman cult of Mithras building (which was converted from the house of an aristocrat). In the old Basilica you can still see the frescos on the walls (most of which have been restored). There's one in particular of the Virgin and Child that was behind another fresco. The top fresco was precariously attached, and fell right off the wall, only to reveal the fourth century Madonna. There are also frescos of saints, Christ rescuing the souls who died before him from the 'limbo of the church fathers' , and the story of Saint Clements's body. Saint Clements's body was attached to an anchor and thrown into the Black Sea, but was found and buried on an island. Every year, the tide would ebb and reveal his burial site. Well one year, a little boy was caught in the tide and take out to sea. But the next year, he was returned to the shore, safe and sound (now whether he was a year older or not, the fresco didn't say). Once you finish with the old Basilica, the next level down is a preserved building from before the fourth century (2nd, if I remember correctly). It used to be an aristocrat's house, and you can definitely tell. Not only is it huge, it's got running water. It was then converted into a cult of Mithras, and some of the artifacts are still there. Overall, Saint Clements's is worth the visit. And, they give student discounts if you've got your under 26 card (available on most travel websites).

Well, the library is going to close soon, and I at least want to get started posting these. I still have a few more recommendations, but I'll have to post them when I get here next time. I'll try to head over in the afternoon, but I'm sick, so I'm not sure if I'll be up to leaving my house twice in one day.