Well before I get all emotional-y I'll tell you all about my trip to ITALIA. Italy was fantastic. I left Wednesday morning at 1:30 AM. We left the airport before Mount Doom's ash could reach us and we arrived in my other ancestral homeland (great grandparents are not really ancestors but I like the word). Rome itself was...covered with graffiti. I had a romanticized vision of Rome. Parts of the city are beautiful but others are in rough conditions. But a city is a city, I cannot judge it based on my fantasies it just wouldn't be fair.
We arrived at our hostel which was almost like a mini resort. Pool, hammocks, restaurant, market. It was pretty wonderful. We rested our first day since we hadn't slept at all that previous night and prepared ourselves for the Rome experience.
First: Colosseum. I had a familiar feeling when I saw it, not unlike when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. And after a relativity embarrassing event (yeah we fell for the gladiators) we bought a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
I have to say, as much as I enjoyed the Colosseum, the Roman Forum was really something special. It's amazing how there can be so much history just smack right in the middle of a big city. If you had to choose between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, go with the Forum. It's bigger and you learn more about the beginnings of Rome. But I'll get more into detail about how I feel about ruins in a bit.
The next day, the Pantheon. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. There's only so much I can say in a blog running off of just fumes.. Everyone, I'll just advise you to travel. Travel as much as you can. Even if it's just to another state. Just go and live and learn.
Later we traveled to Naples which was...seedy. We'll leave it at that. I really want to talk about Pompeii.
Pompeii is the biggest ruins site in the world and yes, it is quite spectacular. There's an essence about ruins, something that I didn't quite feel in my other travels. To walk about Pompeii and not only to see, but to feel the cold marble that somehow retained some of the original, vibrant paintings. The attention to detail at every little temple, every little carving. To walk into someone's home, the mosaic still looking fresh on the floor and to know that in a split second it was gone. And the place when on for miles. Alice, Courtney, and I explored for over three hours and we still didn't see everything. If you go to Naples, have some pizza and go to Pompeii. I cannot recommend it enough.
Then the next day after awesome gelato and a new CD from the guy who ran the store we were back to Rome to the airport. Where we spent the night. At the airport. With a stray cat. Uncomfortable.
It let us pet it.
But we arrived back safely (after avoiding the ash cloud by flying over Manchester, which took an extra hour) in time for Miriam's send off night. That's later, when I've recovered, and that's not today as of yet. I don't know if I will for quite some time.
SPQR, that's kind of not boring, right? I mean, not everyone knows what that means. It might prompt a google search by a few of you.
oh and I love these girls.
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