Rome

We left Salzburg and it sure was an adventure to get to Rome.  We left Austria and took a bus to get back into Germany because the borders are closed we weren't allowed to take a train into Germany.  Then we had to take a train from Freising, Germany to Munich.  Then we had to take a plane to Rome.  When we arrived in Rome only one of the three bags we checked arrived.  After waiting for an hour and realizing our bags are lost we took a train, a bus, another train, and then walked to find the apartment we were staying at.  It is was midnight at this time and we had no diapers and poor Finn was done!  We have been very lucky so far with travelling that everything has been going smoothly but this day in particular was just a tad rocky.  With Finn I am very happy to travel 1-3 hours by train or plane but unless we are heading back to Canada I didn't want to take a day travelling anywhere.  Well this day was a little too much for us all! haha.  Poor Rome, we didn't get off to a good start!  However, this crowded, graffitied, very old city won me over in the end.

The first day we visited the Colosseum.  Interesting facts about this little (haha) stadium it holds 50,000 people back in its time.  It was used for gladiators, prisoners, and anyone the king pleased to fight to the death.  Once the grounds were too flooded with blood they stopped the fighting.  They made the columns on each floor different to represent the three styles of art depicted at this time.  They are currently restoring the Colosseum so in the photos if you look closely you can see some of the arena was redone when other parts are left.

This shot shows a good representation of the finished side on your left and the original ruins on the right.

I had to capture these cobblestones.  We have walked on cobblestone for a month and half now but this is a whole new level of cobblestone walking.  It was like rock jumping in the river.

This city is busy.  I forget the population now but it is crowded.  We came from Salzburg which has about 150,000 people (close to Kelowna in size) and came to Rome.  It was a bit of a shock you could say!  Those Segways get me every time haha!

This is the original Rome city.  It has been preserved and you can walk through it.  It is what Rome used to be like way back when.  I tried googling how old this area really is and some parts date back to 8th century BC.  I can't really even fathom that time but it sure was old! haha.  It's funny because you could be walking in a "newer" part of Rome and all of a sudden there are huge pieces of old Rome lying in the middle of the road or next to a building.  The whole city is scattered with old and new pieces everywhere you walk.

Honestly no photoshop and it was weird taking this photo because I left so much space but honestly isn't this a cool shot?

These types of big, grandeur palace-like buildings are also everywhere in Rome.  It's hard to keep track of them all and which king was honoured to each one.  However, they are mostly unused spaces or they are used for church-like activities.  This one was a funny place to stop.  There are several police walking around this area and if you talk you got whistled at, if you jumped for a photo you got whistled at, and if you sat on the steps inside that gate you got whistled at.  This palace was a no fun zone people!

I was going to fake it and get an image off of google but this is the Trevi Fountain.  I know upsetting hey?  It was under renovation and it was behind a glass fence.  This particular fountain you are supposed to throw your money into for good luck, to marry an Italian, and the promise to return to Rome.  I didn't throw in any money.  Sorry folks I'm taken, not sure if I am coming back to Rome, and I don't need the luck! haha.  But man to be one of the workers at this time.  Some people were throwing in bills (even though there was no water in the fountain).  I bet the workers were loving their job collecting extra dough at the same time.

The fountain was a bit disappointing and the streets were busy but Finn (if you can believe it) was a happy boy!

Just a little busy.

If I needed one picture to sum up Italy I think this would be it.

We order pizza for 13 euro (20 Canadian bucks) and this was the size we received.  It took us two days to finish this bad boy off.  Ohhhh and let me tell you the pizza is good here in Italy!

Finn was excited about this pizza but a bit disappointed when he was taken to bed after this photo. haha

The Pantheon.  Again, very palace-like and grandeur and built in 27 BCE.  I don't really understand Pantheon's and why they are built.  It was built for the Gods but I don't understand how something so large can be built and not really used.

This is cool inside the Pantheon there is a huge hole in the roof and it's open to connect to God.  When it rains it comes down right into the middle and there is a drain for the water to run out.

Jenn and I thought Mother Theresa lived here but we were wrong.  It's a very old church and lots of people were interested in going in it.  So I figured Mother Theresa must've lived here!  Nope.

We visited Vatican City.  Well it's actually a country right in the middle of Rome.  When Napoleon was taking over Rome the Pope retreated back into the Vatican.  Napoleon thought it would be bad taste to fight the Pope so he waited.  Sixty years later, Napoleon (or whoever was in charge) gave up and agreed to leave the Vatican a separate country and just keep Rome.  So we visited another Country!  

We met Papa Francesco!  Or I found a great photo of him on a calendar.  

This is inside St. Peter's Basilica.  

A blanket made of granite.  Pretty amazing hey?  And no laser cutters or power tools used for this one!

My dream bath tub.  I forget the name of who's bath this is but I feel I need to get a hold of him and ask if I can jump in!

This isn't a painting but a tapestry woven into fabric!  There was tons of these tapestry's running down the hallway.  They were all beautifully and intricately done.  

This shot was taken and then I was told very strongly that NO PHOTOS ARE ALLOWED!  Oops!  But I did capture a part of Michelangelo's painting.  

The facts I enjoyed hearing about were:

- Lots of people sent in drawings to try and win the bid to paint the Sistine Chapel.  The Pope received all these amazing paintings, sculptures, etc and Michelangelo sent in a black circle.  The Pope set it aside and kept going back to this black circle.  He finally measured it and realized that he had made a perfect circle which apparently is really hard to near impossible to do free hand yet Michelangelo did it.  He was hired!

- Michelangelo painted this mural only 2 feet away from the canvas and wasn't able to mechanically step back from the painting and see his perspective therefore he painted the entire thing because very close to his work.

-It took him 4 years to paint it all

Again, it was breath-taking to see and you there was so much information portrayed in every little part of the painting that it would be nice to hear all the biblical stories that go with each part.

The Spanish Steps.  Unfortunately these were also closed and we weren't able to sit on them and watch the hustle and bustle on the streets.

Italy is a whole new experience than the other countries we have visited.  There isn't as many English being spoken and it's a little harder to understand everything that is happening.  I am thankful to have Karen on the trip just for that reason.  She has lots of courage (doesn't mind asking lots of people where we are and what to do) and enjoys the adventures of wandering and getting lost.  So far we have managed to figure things out and I look forward to what else we are going to get up to here in Italy.

Ciao Rome!  We are off to Florence!