Rome!

So... I'm finally getting around to sorting through all my pictures and such. First is Rome. Glasgow's gothic history, the Isle of Arran and France will follow. Thanks for being patient. :)

So Rome was amazing. I left on the 16th of March and came back on the 18th. It was a short trip, but really incredible. I arrived late on Friday evening, so not much as far as sightseeing was possible. I took a taxi from the airport to a courtyard close to the hotel. The taxi driver not only tried to give me a heart attack during the drive, but also tried to rip me off. I knew the laws about the 30 euro cap on taxi rides within the city limits, though, so that didn't go well for him. Then I headed off down a little street towards the hotel. I was tired, confused, didn't speak the language and getting frustrated. However, Chris was outside waiting for me. I started crying. :) We spent the evening enjoying a bottle of wine and some tasty snacks at a little cafe down the street from the hotel.

Adorable, and oh-so-Italian. We also went for a little walk where I took some photos.

This is the Castle St. Angelo, which is connected via an overground tunnel to the Vatican.

We returned to the hotel, chatted, caught up, etc etc. The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and headed out to meet with her coworkers also in Rome. We then headed with our awesome tour guide to the Vatican.

St. Peter's Basilica

The Vatican has a dress code. You can't get in showing your knees (as a sign of respect, I guess. Not that I think my knees would send the priests into a passionate frenzy. Gotta be safe, though. Ya never know).

The inner courtyard in front of the basilica. The statues all represent different saints.

Then... we got to go inside...

*cue jaws dropping*

This was super neat. At a certain moment, the light from the window fell perfectly on the cross. It was kind of intense, and I'm not even religious.

As a non-religious person, I will never feel like I can truly appreciate a place of worship, but I can still be stunned at how lovely it was. And I definitely could understand how the basilica can inspire awe. It sure as heck did in me.

Again, it was just spectacular. The architects and designers really did a number on the place. Everything was just perfectly placed to make sure it was as impressive as possible.

And it was a gorgeous day!

After the Vatican, Chris has work-y things to do, so I got to go have lunch with her coworkers, who were a riot. I laughed and laughed all through lunch. We went to a little restaurant by the Vatican that had amazing pasta and good wine. It was really nice. After lunch, we headed down to the Palatine Hills for the second tour of the day. (and no, I don't remember the names of any of the things I saw. Sorry. It was a miracle I was still standing by the end of everything)

Well, I remember the name of this one... obviously.

This is looking down from the top of the Palatine Hills into the Forum. The Forum was really intense. Huge and beautiful. It was apparently where political figures would have given big speeches to the public. And considering I had to read several of said speeches in my Classic Civ class... it was pretty awe-inspiring to be standing where they were given. Gah. I have goosebumps just thinking about it again.

And now that I've been to Paris, this looks a bit like the Arc de Triomphe. But I'm sure it was some sort of significant Roman thing... which now escapes me. Totally gorgeous, though. I, of course, took many, many more pictures. But lots were multiples of the same things, and some weren't all that exciting. I will have them back at home if you want to look at them!

So that was the two tours I did that day. It was a beautiful day, sunny and lovely. And I got to see some amazing sights. Rome in a day... tough but doable. Of course there are a ton more things to see in Rome, but I covered most of the big things I wanted to see. After the tours we went back to the hotel to freshen up (or pass out on top of a pile of clothes, in my case). Then it was dinner with all the U of M people at a really nice little restaurant. We got lots of wine, piles of good food and a few free drinks. A delightful end to my Rome trip. :) And then we walked outside and saw this:

I had forgotten that there was a Scotland vs Italy rugby match in Rome that day. I just can't get away from those kilt-lovin' fools. Not that I mind. The bagpiping spoke to my heart. Everyone thought it was so hilarious that a little Scotland love followed me to Rome. We tromped back to the hotel to get ready to leave the next day. Bright and freakin' early. And so we left Rome, headed back to the bonny land of lochs and kilts.

If I had enough time (and moolah) I would definitely get back there. I would have liked to see more of the actual city. Yes, the ancient ruins were gorgeous and full of character, but there is a lot more to Rome than just the ruins. It has a lot of history, not just classical-civilization-style. There is religious history, social evolution, architectural advancements and inventions galore. Perhaps sometime in the future...

Alright, so the next round-up will be of more of Glasgow (including the Necropolis and St. Mungo's Cathedral) from when my dad and stepmom were here, then the Isle of Arran and France. Because classes are now done and I don't have any more travels planned for a while, I will actually have time to get on here and post. I think my next trip will either be to Aberdeen or Stirling, which are both in Scotland. My next international trip will likely be Ireland when my mom comes to visit. I am super excited for that trip. I've heard lots of good things about Ireland. Similar but different to Scotland, as I'm told. We'll see! Love from Glasgow (finally, I know).