Last stop: Rome

Well, my last post.  This is devastating for so many reasons.

But here it goes…Roma, and my last day in Madrid!

Made it to Rome, and it was amazing from the moment the train pulled out of Naples.  Couldn’t stay there anymore, that’s for sure.  Got in and explored right away before I met Maura, my friend from SJU who was studying abroad and let me stay at her apartment (perfect!).  Had 2 hours to kill, and unfortunately most of it was spent following signs to the tourist office that never actually led to a tourist office.  But eventually I found one and had a map and was ready to go!  Had to meet at the pantheon so I stayed around there and saw the beautiful (although smaller than I expected and VERY crowded) Trevi Fountain, and then headed across the way to the Pantheon to check it out and wait for Maura!

Trevi Fountain

Met up and hiked a long but scenic hike back to her apartment.  Went into this massive white building called the Vittorio Emmanuele…I don’t know what it’s used for, but for free you can go inside and walk up to this very scenic 360 degree viewing platform…it was so cool for that to be one of the first things I did in Rome and to get a view of everything!  I don’t know if I’m just on a Rome high, and it’s not my favorite place of my whole trip, but it might be the coolest place I’ve been to.  Just the fact that it’s a modern city built around ancient ruins, and that everywhere you turn there are ruins...it is soooo cool!

View from the Vittoro Emmanuele building

We also went into the Gesu, which is the mother Jesuit church (Yay SJU!).  Apparently St.Ignatius is buried in there but I totally missed that.  But it was so pretty!  And it made me miss school so much…I cannot wait to visit, and then go to back for good in the fall.

Went out to dinner with some of Maura’s roommates while she and a few others went to a cooking class they signed up for (too cool…Italian cooking!).  And it was awesome because I FINALLY had pasta in Italy!  Spaghetti with clams in white wine and garlic sauce.  I died.  Relaxed the rest of the night which was great because  I had busy days coming up in Rome!

Tuesday agenda:  knock out as many landmarks, etc. as possible.  Saw the coliseum and forum, which were soooo cool to see up close and in person!  Decided save my money and not go into either…you can see enough through the arches to get an idea of what the inside looks like and I was running low…totally okay with that decision. 

Colosseum

Saw so many churches…went down underground in one of them.  They’re really interesting because back in the day people would build new churches on top of old underground churches, and if you go into the basement of them it has all of these pagan frescos and then it’ll have Christian art and influence, it’s so interesting.  So I went down into one of the churches I went to and checked that out, as well as two other churches…I don’t remember the names now but I’ll remember for when I upload them to facebook for sure.

After some confusion about times and whatnot, reunited with Gab and Mary for the last time in Europe (devastating).  Hopped on the metro and went to this beautiful church that in the basement has skulls and bones of monks, but they’re like all over the wall, but they’re arranged like artwork which is kind of creepy (see photo, Santa Maria Della Concezione: http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx165/theantitourist/romeskulls.jpg)

Then went to throw my coin in the Trevi Fountain!  Felt like I was in the Lizzie McGuire movie!  Made a wish that I hope to god comes true.  We’ll see soon enough.   Then went to get gelato at Giolitti, a very famous gelato place that several people recommended to me  It lived up to the hype.  I got chocolate and Bailey’s Irish cream/whiskey flavors in a cone…what an amazing combo that was.  Things I will miss about Europe…ice cream in waffle cones.

Gelatoooooo

Went out at night to this really fun Irish pub/karaoke bar to celebrate the end of Eurotrip 2011! (Not to indicate that there will be a Eurotrip 2012…#broke).  But on the way we headed back to Gab and Mary’s hotel to pack real quick, which was an experience since we got stuck in the 100+ year old elevator there and almost died.  At least I would have made it to my last (new) destination.  Death earlier in the trip would have been terrible.  But finally we made it, finally met Maura and roommates after all of the confusion of the afternoon, and had a wonderful time.  It was the first bar I went to in Europe (that wasn’t in a hostel!).  So good, so good, so good!

Gab, Mary, & Me...WE BACKPACKED THROUGH EUROPE!

Next day, after about 3 hours of sleep:  VATICAN.  Papal Audience, Vatican Museums, and St.Peter’s Basilica.  Got there early enough to be in the square for Ben (the pope!) coming out in the pope mobile through the crowd!  See photo:

Oh, hey Ben

Then stayed for a little of the service, but it was SO HOT and you’re just out in the open with no shade and the sun beating down on you.  Really bad.  So I had to seek shelter.  Went to the Vatican Museums before the time that my ticket said and got in…perfect.  I didn’t realize that it was like an actual museum…I just thought it housed a ton of religious relics, artifacts, etc.  But it’s like a REGROL (this is a kinderkool shoutout, although I don't remember how we spell it...) museum with art and whatnot from all over the world!  It was beautiful, the rooms were so intricate and detailed and as beautiful as the art.  The Sistine chapel was soooo wild to see in person!  It was annoying because there are so many people in there, and there aren’t any seats or anything in it, it’s just a big room where people cram in like sardines and where guards yell “NO PICTURES” every five seconds, killing the mood in a CHAPEL.  But I snuck a picture…

Michelangelo's paintings, Sistine Chapel

It was great.  Left after nearly 3 hours and waited on a line that wrapped around the entire square to get into the basilica.  But it was WELL worth the wait, it was so beautiful inside.  Beautiful artwork, sculptures, architecture…you name it.   They also have all of the popes buried in tombs inside the basilica or in the grotto below, which was really cool and interesting to see and read about.  Didn’t climb up to the top, again because of conserving money, but no worries.  Got lost for a loooooong time trying to find my way back to the apartment without using public transportation.  Eventually gave up and found a metro in the boondocks and then got on a bus and then a tram, and made it back.  Packed, ate, was sad, couldn’t deal with the fact that it was basically the last night.  All that was left was the night in Madrid, but I had already been anyway. 

St. Peter's Basilica

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Got back to Madrid earlier this afternoon and headed right to 100 Montaditos for sandwiches.  You may recall that it’s a chain of very popular restaurants/bars that serves sandwiches (montaditos).  They’re tiny little baguette-like things and they’re a euro each…3 or 4 would make a good meal I’d say.  So I got the salmon, the potato, and the carne con tomate montaditos and a jarra of tinto de verano, which is basically a sangria-like drink.  I had been thinking about returning to Madrid and getting those on my last day here ever since I left Spain and they were out of sight.  They have one in Miami, apparently…..on my way there ASAP.

So this is my last post, updating from Madrid-Barajas airport.  Leave in 12 hours.  Home in 24 hours.  It’s going to be weird.  Home and broke.  But worth every cent.  Hope you’ve enjoyed reading as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing.  Until the next trip…

DEUCES