Rome January 2016 day 2

ROME day 2

Woke up today to the most amazing view! The hotel was situated in the mountains and we were surrounded by so much green. Living in the dry desert of Texas, I rarely have the opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful view.

After breakfast we met the bus and headed back into the city. Our first stop was the Roman Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater) where we nearly froze to death waiting for it to open. Trying to find places to stand in the sun was humorous. Try to imagine 30-40 adults all fighting to stand in small pockets of sunlight. It was entertaining to say the least. Once we were able to gain entry to the Colosseum and get out of the wind we were much happier.

Under the stage

The Colosseun or the Flavian Amphitheater is such an amazing architectural structure. This is my second time to visit and I still was in complete awe. I wish I could have been around to see it in its full glory. I loved learning its history. My favorite part is the layer under what was once the stage area, it's weird and I really can;t tell you why it's my favorite. What fascinates me is the labyrinth of hallways and rooms where the Gladiators and animals were kept. This area that was primarily for prisoners, death row animals and guards so not many people would have gotten to see behind the scenes. I definitely would not have likes to live in the time but if someone could build a time machine, I could go back just to experience what it felt like to be a part of history.

Location of the Temple of Julius Caesar

We then walked to the Roman forum. The last time I was there it was overwhelmingly hot and to be honest I didn't enjoy my time there. I was dealing with other issues that kept me a bit distracted from making the most of my time there. This time however, was a different story. There was so much to see and our guide was amazing! He was very thorough and knowledgeable. One of my favorite spots was the site where Julius Caesar Temple stood. Behind the wall people place flowers on a pile of rocks in remembrance.

We were on our own for lunch which was an experience. Courtney and I thought we had found this quaint little bistro to people watch and experience Rome but what we got were plates of precooked, frozen and reheated food. Not exactly how we imagined it would go but it was a moment we will never forget.

After our disappointing lunch we made our way to the Vatican. Artwork is everywhere it's kind of overwhelming. I wold love to be able to just spend hours walking through seeing everything but as we all know, when you are with a group you are on a time limit. Especially when you have a tour guide who is only paid to get you through in 2 hours. I know that most are only interested in seeing the Sistine Chapel but there is so much more to the Vatican.  So many things to see. Having said that I do absolutely LOVE the Sistine Chapel. it's amazing how Michaelangelo managed to paint in such awkward position. Not only that but to paint small sections at a time because he was painting frescos. Unfortunately, taking photos is not allowed.

Here is my attempt at a selfie with the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica. I am not normally a selfie person but I kinda walked away from my group and didn't want to ask someone to help. I just don't trust very well.

After we exited the chapel we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. Last November Pope Francis declared this year a Holy year so they opened the Holy door. Holy year's normally only come around every 25 years but Pope Francis said that we need a "revolution of tenderness". Many of us took this opportunity to pass through the door into the Basilica.

 The inside if the Basilica of nothing less than spectacular! Because of the Holy Year there were so many pilgrimages happening. Here I am again with another selfie.






After a brief shopping adventure for souvenirs we were once again given our walking orders to go find food. This time Courtney and I are a bit more cautious and join with others in hope that we will have better luck in having a better Roman experience. And sure enough, we were right. After a brief walk looking for an ATM we stumbled on Piazza Campo Dei Fiori. The Piazza was stunning and brimming with life. We found and outdoor cafe that lucky for us had heat lamps to help warm us up and spent the rest of the evening drinking, laughing and sharing war stories about traveling.