21 Adventerous Days in Europe on a
Rick Steves Tour
Europe Bound!
I was excited to continue to get to know Rome. Rome was one of the cities I was most excited to visit. It is a historical powerhouse and I wanted to continue to immerse myself in it.
The wow moment for today was seeing the Sistine Chapel. It was beautiful and there was something so special about seeing the depiction of when God is about to touch Adam’s hand. I have seen prints of that piece so often during my life and now I was seeing it in person. How artistic that Michelangelo painted the moment right before God touches his hand. There is such anticipation and emotion that is conveyed in that moment. Michelangelo really was an artistic master.
Italy
Rome
May 17, 2013
Tour Day 13
Wow Moment
Food
We had a durum doner for lunch - we might be overdoing it here but we just really like them.
For dinner we enjoyed seafood pasta. It wasn’t bad, I’m pretty sure I had some broken shells and sand in mine, haha, it’s all a part of the adventure!
Travel Tip
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Don’t let Rome suck the traveler right out of you. When I was in Rome I was pretty intimidated about getting around and using the different modes of transportation. As you're navigating just remember the worst case scenario is that you end up somewhere you don’t intend to be and you get a taxi.
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Have snacks in your purse, especially if you are the kind of person who needs to eat frequently. Before our trip I purchased some small granola bars. I think I brought enough for about one a day. It was really nice to have a little something when getting food maybe isn’t an option. For example I ate one during our long museum visit this morning and it was a life saver.
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Today we started the day off early and headed to the Vatican Museum. It reminded me a little of being in Florence in that I was in awe of the historic art that I was trying to soak in. Going to the Vatican was also a bit overwhelming. There are hoards of other travelers and you are woven in and out of the museum in a fairly disorganized fashion. Despite that it was still a good experience, the highlight being The School of Athens. I learned about that piece in college and have a print hanging in my apartment. It was awesome to see the real thing in person.
At the end we reached the Sistine Chapel. When I was standing there I couldn’t believe I was witnessing the iconic paintings that I had seen throughout my whole life. It really is a masterpiece.
Afterwards we headed into St. Peter’s Basilica.
It. Was. Massive. I really don’t know how to explain it. Prepare to have your senses come alive. I guess it is big enough to have the Colosseum fit into it.
Wow.
Next we nervously ventured out on our own to the Borghese Gallery . I remember seeing the statues from the Borghese gallery on one of the Rick Steves' videos and was so impressed. I was amazed by the statues. I can’t believe what people are able to create with marble - delicate leaves, people running- I can’t get over it. Pictures weren't allowed and this time I obeyed. This is a picture of the postcard that I purchased.
Afterwards we enjoyed the park the gallery is in, the Villa Borghese. It was perfect to take a minute to slow down. It was nice to watch Italians relaxing in the park and playing with their dogs. For a minute I forgot I was traveling. We decided to walk home so we could see more of Rome.
Once we got to our hotel we relaxed on the hotel terrace with our other tour buddies. Then a group of us went to dinner a few blocks away. Afterwards we returned to our hotel and entered a deep slumber.