Being on a bus is not one of my favorite situations to be in for an extended period of time. The bus I was on did not end up leaving Florence until 10.
We were stuck on the road in stand still traffic for over an hour. So I made a list of Good Things I've Learned So Far 1. You will get crazy tan lines from bag straps. (But Becky, you said this would be a list of good things. Quite right.) Things I've Learned So Far 1. You will get a tan. (See what I did there? It's still the truth, however both number ones tell a different story.) 2. People do not necessarily lie, they just omit some of the truth. Hostels are great at omitting pertinent details. The website says you have 24/7 access to a kitchen. What they do not say is the "kitchen" consists of a fridge, a kettle, toaster (I assume that was a toaster, anyways), and a microwave. 3. Always check what is in the kitchen before you buy groceries. 4. The early bird gets the worm. For me, that meant I could walk around Florence without hundreds of tourists around me. 5. Get off the beaten path. I do not do well in crowds, so I typically go for the smaller streets with less people on them. 6. Public fountains are life. If you pass a fountain, mark it on your map. Buying water does not seem like it would cost a lot, but not only do you have to find a place that sells water, you then have to carry around another bottle with you. You will also have to pay for every bottle you drink. If you have a bottle that has a filter in it, you can just fill it up at the fountains and be done with it. 8. Cold water only lasts as long as it takes for you to pound it ("round it" means to drink it as fast as you can). 9. Warm/hot water is wet, and that's all that really matters. 10. You pay to use the restroom. Just accept it. Some places charge you, and give you a voucher towards your next purchase. Remember those places. Mark them on your map. 11. Heat is a state of mind. Or so I've been told. 12. Gelato only lasts about 30 seconds. And the good stuff is expensive. The great stuff is rare and hard to find. It is also extremely expensive. 13. If you are allergic to anything, or slightly intolerant, know how to spell it in multiple languages. I have found that it does not matter if I "know" how to say what I am intolerant to, the person helping me will still look at me like they have no idea what I just said. 14. The Spanish have the right idea with the siesta. Not that you need a siesta every day, but one every now and again can do wonders for your mood. 15. Look up where you want to go a few days before you get there. I really wanted to go to the Trevi Fountain in Rome, but it is currently being repaired. 16.a. If you're staying with other people in the hostel room, talk to them. The guy in the bed by the door? See if he gets up really early and if he doesn't, see if you can switch with him. (Because you will be getting up early). Also, if you go to bed early, take the top bunk; it is no fun to be woken up by late arrivals **drunk** cough, cough people. 16.b. If you talk to your roommates, you might learn about a really cool (and cheap) place to eat, go for drinks, visit. You might learn that a place you wanted to visit/see is closed. You might meet an exploring buddy for the next day. Or a drinking buddy. They might know of a "secret entrance" to a place. Like, instead of spending hours waiting in the queue for the Louvre, you could head to the Port of Lion entrance instead. 16.c. Just. Talk. To. Your. Roommates. 17. Be courteous to your roommates. Early riser? Make arrangements to be closest to the door. (See 16.a.) Have 10 electronics to charge? Charge the most important one first and go from there. Don't be that person who uses up all of the sockets. Have an alarm set, Get up the first time it goes off, don't keep hitting snooze. Just don't be an asshole. 18. If you studied abroad in Europe, keep your resident permit and student ID. You can save money with entrance fees. The Louvre is usually 30 euros. But students get in for free. 19. Trying to decide if Euro/Intra Rail is right for you? See if Megabus operates between the cities you want to go. And Ryanair. If they do, do not get the pass. 20. That bottle of water you just filled up at the fountain (see number 6)? Pound it and fill it up again. You need to drink way more water than you are used to drinking. 21. European Funk. It's real. It is not a myth. Be prepared. Travel deodrants are wonderful. But don't be that person who smells like a perfume shop. 22. Do not be that person who goes to bed without a shower (see number 21). 23. Bring two pairs of hiking/walking shoes. Wash a pair with hot water and soap, let them dry the day you are wearing the other pair. (See number 21). 24. Dress for heat. Ladies, pack a shawl/scarf in your day bag. Men, if you wear a beater/short sleeved shirt, either bring another shirt or pack a scarf. 25. Whatever you pack, you have to carry with you. That shirt/skirt combo that makes you look cute, that you'll maybe wear once? You'll have to carry it with you the whole trip. Those shirts you packed because they do not take up a lot of room? When you pack 6-7 of them, they defeat that purpose. 26. Microfiber towel. The hostel says they provide a towel. Yeah, for a euro. Microfiber towels take up next to no room (see number 25) and they dry quickly.
15.45 I am finally off of the bus and headed to the metro to find the stop nearest my Airbnb place.
20.00 I am exhausted. I finally made it to my room, and I am going to take a very cold shower. I met Dominique, a fellow Iowan, who is staying at the same place I am for about the same amount of time. We decided to make supper; spaghetti with bolognese sauce. And wine.
We were ready to call it done for the night when Jaime and Jose stopped in for the night. We talked together until the wee hours of the morning, which was a little bit of a problem for Dominique and myself, because we decided we were going to get up at 5.30 to head to the Vatican.
20 July 2015
We got up at 5.30 (just like we planned) and headed to the Vatican.
Jose and Jaime told us it was relatively easy to get into the city, but it was time-consuming. Once we got to the correct but, it took us an hour and some change to get to the bus/metro station in the center of Rome. I got one of those online tickets for the Vatican, but Dominique did not, so we split up.
I was half an hour early to the Vatican doors, so I went to a near by cafe and killed time.
There is a constant motor hum and thump of cars rubbing against the curb. Chirps of horns call to each other like birds, some more pleasing to the ear than others.
Mopeds squeeze their way between cars, ignoring the horn blasts directed towards them.
The tour guides in their official looking uniforms try to entice tourists out of the queues by promising shorter lines and more access passes. All for a price, of course.
The city buses rumble by, ignoring pedestrians and cars alike, their only care is getting from one stop to the next.
Vendors call out to pedestrians, each trying to drown the other out.
Cups clink on table tops and the idle chat of people waiting in queues drift in and out of hearing.
Cigarette smoke drifts in to the cafe through the open windows.
Doors slam as people hurry out of the cabs to join the other tourists in the queues.
8.51 Inside the Vatican - through all of the ticket queues and up the huge loading ramps.
The Fontana della Pigna
(The Pine cone Fountain) in the Cortile della Pigna
A close up of the pine cone and the two peacocks that flank it.
Sfera con sfera (Sphere within a sphere)
Sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodora
Apparently, only the tour guides are allowed to walk up to the sculpture and push it, causing it to spin.
Muso Chiaramonti
"Considered that works of art could only be really understood if they were displayed in the place for which they were originally designed, and together with other works or poorer quality."
I read the description of the Muso Chiaramonti, and that quote stood out to me.
I guess here is a good point to note the layout of the Vatican. The Vatican consists of museum after museum, each connected to the last. When I walked through, it felt like one huge maze.
Cortile Ottagono
This court yard was filled with a crazy amount of people. Selfie sticks. Selfie sticks everywhere.
Statue of Laocoon and his sons
Laocoon was a priest. He was trying to warn the city of Troy about the Greek attack; however, he and his sons were stopped by Poseidon. Poseidon wanted Troy to fall, so he sent serpents to kill Laocoon.
Sarcophagus
Sarcophagi gained popularity with the rise of Christianity. Christians believed that the body was necessary to get into heaven, where the Greeks would cremate the remains.
Sala degli Animali
Room of Animals
Sala delle Muse
Room of the Muse, ceiling
Sala Rotunda
A view of the dome of the Rotunda Room.
The Belvedere Torso
The torso is seated on an animal hide, and it was long believed to be Heracles, but now it is believed that the torso could be Ajax.
Sala Rotonda, floor
The mosaics that cover the floor are amazing! I found myself looking at the floor just as much as I looked around the room.
Hercules of the Theater of Pompey
This statue was one of the ancient statues along the outside of the room, facing the impressive mosaic floor.
Sala a Croce Greca
(Room of the Greek Cross) I was a little confused by this room, mainly because of the amount of people. It took me a while to get close enough to the center of the room to see what everyone was looking at.
My advise for the Vatican is to not take a tour. Being able to stop whenever you want and being able to read the little descriptions is wonderful. If you can, get a map at the beginning, or bring one with you. You can get the audio tour if you want, but what's the fun in that?
Cortile della Pigna
A view of the Pine cone Court yard from the Museo Gregoriano.
Galleria dei Candelabri
(Gallery of candlesticks) The Galleria dei Candelabri was under restoration, so all of the sculptures were squeezed next to each other against the non-scaffold wall.
Galleria degli Arazzi
(Tapestry Gallery)
Galleria delle Carte Geografiche
(Gallery of Maps) "The gallery of maps is 120 meters long and was commissioned in 1581 by Pope Gregory with each panel showing not only the mountains, valleys, woods, and lakes of the region, but also those events and personages which had given it identity and glory... the specific religious identity of each region is illustrated."
That was a quote that stood out about the room.
Sobieski gives to the courier the message of victory for the Pope after the liberation of Vienna
by Jan Mateiko in the Sala Sobieski (Sobieski Room)
Sala dell'Immacolata
(Room of the Immaculate Conception)
School of Athens
The School of Athens is housed in the Raphael Rooms in the Vatican.
Whenever I saw this painting in an art book, I never thought it took up a whole wall! Like most of the other paintings in the Vatican, the School of Athens is massive.
I made my way through the Collection of Contemporary Art at my own pace, letting everyone hurry to the Sistine Chapel pass me by.
Madonna
by Lucio Fontant, housed in the Collection of Contemporary Art
Trafalgar Square
by Filippo de Pisis, housed in the Collection of Contemporary Art
Basilica della Salute
by Filippo de Pisis, housed in the Collection of Contemporary Art
Abbraccio di Papa Giovanni paol ii con il Cardinal Wyszynski
by Pedro Cano, housed in the Collection of Contemporary Art
Study for Crucifixion
by Graham Sutherland, housed in the Collection of Contemporary Art
Goccia d'acqua ciclo della vita
by Kengiro Azuma, housed in the Collection of Contemporary Art
The Sistine Chapel
For me, the Sistine Chapel was only worth going to to see the scale of the paintings and that was it. The room was packed full of people, and I felt like I was suffocating. There was no room in the Sistine Chapel.
For those who may not know, you are not allowed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel. It is also supposed to be silent in the Chapel, but of course it wasn't. Every few minutes someone announced over the intercom for everyone to be quiet.
I could not stand being in the Sistine Chapel, and it took all of my willpower to not yell at people to get out of my way so I could escape. Once I got out of the Chapel, I just kept walking until I reached the spiral steps headed out of the Vatican.
Helical Spiral Staircase
This staircase marked my exit of the Vatican. I was ready to be out and away from people, that I rushed down these stairs.
Grand Cafe Santos
I stumbled across this little cafe escaping the Vatican. I ordered a cup of coffee and a croissant and took it easy.
The chatter of Italians is soothing. They're shouting at each other from the tables on the sidewalk to inside the cafe, but that's besides the point.
The rustle and shuffle of a newspaper whispers to my left, tempting me to pull out my own book and flip through its pages.
The pedestrians stroll by, some in a hurry, others taking their time.
The jingle of keys and change in pockets creates a beat that the rest of the street sing to.
After I enjoyed my coffee and croissant, I made my way back to the apartment. If my math was correct, it was over 104F outside.
21 July 2015
For some reason, I thought I left Rome today. I was 100% convinced. I was going to get up super early, take my bags to the station, explore the Roman Forum until noon, and then leave the city. Good thing I double checked my bus ticket!
Colosseum
The Colosseum is huge! I decided not to wait in line to enter the Colosseum, because queues.
Arch of Constantine
Though the Arch of Constantine was dedicated to Constantine I's victory over Maxentius, the arch incorporated earlier work from the time of emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius.
Via sacra
View down the Via sacra with the Arch of Titus at the end. The columns on the right of the Via sacra are next to the Temple of Venus and Roma.
Arch of Titus
The Arch of Titus was constructed by the Emperor Domitian to commemorate Titus 's (Domitian's older brother) victories.
Columns
Row of columns between the Via sacra and the path that leads to the Temple of Venus and Roma.
Temple of Venus and Roma
The Temple of Venus and Roma is thought to be the largest temple in Ancient Rome.
Teatro del Tonatan
Stairs flanking the Theater of the Fountain
Nymphaeum of the Mirrors
Close up on the Nymphaeum of the Mirrors
Tourists are one level of annoying to have to deal with. But a tourist family that's tired and does not really want to be there? Now that's a whole new level of tourist. I am not saying that all tourist families are bad and should be avoided, but some of them are and should be avoided like the plague.
Being able to quickly read people is a great benefit if you are a single traveler (I say "single traveler" instead of "tourist", because I approached my tour of Western Europe as an adventure, not a holiday). By "people" I mean tourists. If the tourist looks like trouble, I steer clear.
What qualifies as trouble? - an angry tourist - a frustrated tourist - a loud tourist - a rude tourist
Pretty much everything I tried not to be qualifies as "trouble". Why did I mention this now? Well, I had the opportunity to deal with a grumpy tourist family; screaming kids and angry parents, the whole nine yards.
Sometimes, you can spot the grumpy tourist family a ways away and avoid them. But this family caught me unaware. I was sitting at the Nymphaeum of the Mirrors (pictured above), sipping at my water bottle, and enjoying the view when BAM! I was surrounded. By unhappy children and equally unhappy parents. (Here I should note that the people pictured above is not the grumpy tourist family I was surrounded with.)
I quietly and calmly made my escape. I was not ready to move on, but move on I did.
Toe statue
I wondered around for a while. I finally found a fountain, so I pounded 3 bottles.
The songs of insects fill the air. A cool breeze blows through the trees, rustling their leaves. The air smells of dirt. Murmurs of chatter drift in and out of my hearing - depending on the direction of the wind. Most people are too exhausted to speak, but instead sit in silence and stare into the distance.
Pigeons coo at each other and peck at the ground in search for eatable trash.
Cigarette butts litter the ground, where smokers carelessly throw their unwanted filters; polluting the ground with their leftovers, too lazy to walk the few feet to the trash.
I somehow made it back to the Fountain Theater, where I turn around this time to look over the Roman Forum.
Roman Forum
View of the Roman Forum from the top of the Horrea Agrippiana.
The Fountain Theater is located on top of the Horrea Agrippiana, and back from the edge.
Horrea Agrippiana
A view of the Horrea Agrippiana from in front of the Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana
Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
The temple was originally dedicated to Antoninus Pius's wife, but was later re-dedicated to Antoninus and Faustina by Marcus Aurelius.
Temple of Saturn
All that is left standing of the Temple of Saturn is the front portico.
Temple of Vesta
All of the temples dedicated to Vesta were round.
This Temple of Vesta has Greek architecture with Corinthian columns, marble, and a central cella.
Roman Forum
View of the Roman Forum from the northwest exit.
The Basilica Julia is on the right (the little nubs of columns).
Somehow I made it to the Piazza del Campidoglio.
Piazza Venezia
I escaped the clutches of the old ruins and found a gelato shop instead. Now, I am lactose intolerant, but damn it, I deserve a gelato when the temperature is over 110F. I found a really cheap (but still good) gelato shop on the corner of Via del Gesu and Via del Plebisoitc. 2.50 for 2 scoops kind of cheap.
Piazza della Minerva and the Saint Maria Sopra Minerva
The Saint Maria Sopra Minera is a very dull building on the outside. But don't judge a book by its cover!
Saint Maria Sopra Minerva
This church is the exact opposite of the Duomo in Florence. The Duomo's exterior is incredible and the inside, well, its underwhelming. Minerva does not look like much from the outside. When I first looked at Miverva, I was like, "Aww a cute elephant on a pillar. Charming. Now let's go to the Pantheon." However, if I had skipped going in, I would have missed seeing the only extant example of an original Gothic church in Rome.
Pantheon
The Pantheon and the Saint Maria Sopra Minerva are across the street from each other. I enjoyed the outside of the Pantheon, but I did not enjoy the inside. It was full of people, so I took a few steps in, snapped a few pictures, and walked right back out.
Piazza Navona
This square is pretty cool. In that it looks awesome and in temperature. Most of the square is in shade and there is a nice breeze. If you get a spot next to one of the fountains, you can get some splashes from the water.
The cascade of water drowns out the noise of pedestrians conversing with each other. The solo musician demands to be heard over the water and the crowd by plucking the strings as hard as possible, without fear of them snapping.
Children scream and squeal in delight at the water in the fountains and chasing a bird until it takes flight.
The figures frozen in stone are already surreal by their size, but it feels that at any moment they could unfreeze and follow through with what they had started; be it recovering from being startled by a snake or the snake finishing its strike.
The rattle of beggars' change against the sides of their tins form a beat for the hurried tourists and pedestrians to follow.
Fontana del Nettuno
Fountain of Neptune is at the North end of Piazza Navona.
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Fountain of the Four Rivers is in the center of Piazza Navona.
Fontana del Moro
Moor Fountain is on the south end of Piazza Navona.
This statue is on the Ponte Sant'Angelo, leading up to Saint Angelo's Castle.
Castel Sant'Angelo
Saint Angelo's Bridge leading up to the Castle of Saint Angelo.
Unfortunately, the castle was closed by the time I got there.
Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II
I crossed back over the Tiber River via the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II.
Sister Churches
Santa Maria in Montesanto (left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right) in the Piazza del Popolo. These churches are mirror images of each other. They are located on the east side of the Square of the People.
Fontana del Nettuno
Neptune's Fountain is located on the south end of the Square of the People.
Fontana della Dea di Roma
The Fountain of the Goddess of Rome is located on the north end of the Square of the People.
Pincio
I climbed to the Pincio Gardens overlook to, well, look over the Square of the People.
Spanish Steps
These steps were crazy. There were lots and lots of people, so I did not hang out very long.
Metro art
I'm exhausted, so off to bed.
On my way, I took some photos of the graffiti in the metro.