Pre-Italy
Even before departure there were some snags. For those of you who know my family you'll know who said these immediately... if you don't know my family but you know me, you'll probably be able to figure it out pretty darn quickly.
"Oh no, you have red luggage too? I didn't think anybody else would have red luggage!" (You know, because it's SUCH a rare color!)
"Why would you have day glow handles on your luggage? Someone can just rip them off." (When? When I"m checking in, or when I'm picking them up?")
"I'm going to go smoke under the no smoking sign."
"Can I bring a lighter on the plane?" (Not in your carry on)
"Can I bring matches on the plane?" (Not in your carry on)
"Well then what's the point of me taking a pack of cigarettes? I know, I'll smoke them in the bathroom."
When we got to the airport one member of the party took off their socks and shoes, but their feet in the air and started wiggling their toes, and swinging their feet back and forth. (Just what I wanted to see)
"I was worried about the little one {pointing to me}, but at least she had her brother to help her." (my brother is 11 years my junior)
In Roma"Birds fly funny over here. They fly on their sides and seem to have trouble maintaining velocity." I replied, "Well maybe their carrying coconuts." Nobody got it,but I did get some really strange looks.
Zac (my bro) told me he didnt' know what the Vatican is.
And that he has no idea what 'Shakespearean' plays took place in Verona - I was like - are you sure we're related?
Now about Roma:
Roma is beautiful. The countryside is full of fields of yellow flowers that look like daffodil yellow lavender. The trees look like bonsai trees, but are as tall as maple trees.
The 1st hotle we stayed at is the Beverly Hills Hotel. It had an odd lighting system. The keycard needed to stay in a slot after the door closes or the lights go out and can't be turned back on - even manually.Zac and I spent a lot of time vi-ing for the role of alpha. He's the alpha in his home and he doesn't tend to respoect alpha women - which made the fight (which I took) interesting.We arrived in Roma on Friday morning. I was up and ready to do stuff-but the hotel was in the same area as... ... ... nothing. Roma is an intersting city, but it is sitll a city. Except where we were! I almost walked 5 miles to a museum - but nobody could tell me the museum hours, so I figured 10 mi round trip for nothing would be a waste...so Zac and I went out and walked around.
it was a total waste of 6 hours. Zac and I had lunch in a little cafe across the stree. For an individual pizza w/no cheese, an antipasta and 2 sodas it was E18. I really wish someone explained you had to pay for seating (in/outdoors) and more if there was a view - BEFORE I paid. Sheesh. Don't get me wrong, the food was great, but sheesh.Also, a good tip - it's REALLY REALLY hard to exchange US travellers checks in Italy. Some places will do it, but many won't...it's not like the UK that way.
I missed a lot of things about London - specifically Ed's understanding of the history, and Jim & Amy's company. I thought about them the whole time, and wished that they were there with me - 1) so I wouldn't be so damn lost all the time and the other two because we had the best adventures, and I'm sure we could have had more in Italy!
We had a meet and greet, when people decided waking up was acceptable. 4 or so single women; 0 single men. :( But there were 3 people from NJ, 1 from East Brunswick (Carol/Ralph), 1 from Vineland (Mary Ellen), and 1 from Pine Hill (Marge) -- yes, 3 miles down the road from me!
The dinner was delish! 4 courses: antipasta, stuffed pasta, pasta w/spinich and mushrooms, salmon and rum cake for dessert. Zac had 3 expresso's with sugar and wondered why he couldn't sleep. Bonehead.The waiter (very cute and charming) was handing out roses and kisses. One of the women (married) came up to give him a 'real' kiss. It was wimpy, but okay. I teased (C) because she just couldn't wrap her head around why a married woman would kiss another man - and what's wrong in their relationship. I told her it was just for fun and to get over it. (Then turned my brain off for the rest of the week) -
I am a normal, straight, single, ungifted, monogamous person - well at least I was in Italy. I was a very interesting - not very me person. It was odd.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
We went to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. The walls outside were immense with water marks reaching near the top from where a flood had hit several hundred years ago. There was a ... individual asking for money that looked like he had been scalped. It was seriously disgusting - some people took pictures, but the image has been burned into my mind - I couldn't imagine HOW he got that injury (a large round chunk of flesh was out of his head - you couldn't see skull but the wound was deep nd you could see muscle - ick), and I wouldn't want anybody else to have to see it either.
We got the 45 min tour of the hallway of the vatican after the hour walk up stairs where in the phrases "I always knew I'd get to heaven, I just didn't think I'd have to walk there" and "Is this Hell?" were uttered.
The Sistine Chapel was art overload - beautiful art, but it was EVERYWHERE, every inch of the TEENY chapel was covered in beautifuly detailed art. It was also so packed we were BEYOND shoulder to shoulder. It was like getting to know the people around you intimatly without getting their names first. And then they opened another chapel that was supposed to be closed so EVERYONE tried to rush out this one tiny little door in the back which damn near caused people to get trampled on. Just insane. We were told how Michaelangelo got the 'bid' for the Chapel.
Apparantly (according to our tour guide) the Vatican's main artist saw the up and coming M as a threat so he said for the Vatican to use him for the chapel,instead of the Pope's tomb which M was already working on. M had never done fresco, so the head guy thought that this would ruin M. Instead M taught himself fresco - which is why in the back of the chapel the work is smaller and not as detailed as the front, because M's work got bigger as he got more confident. I don't know how true the story is, but it was interesting none-the-less.T
hen we went to Regina Chelli Prison - the oldest prison in Roma. It just about came alive when you walked in. THe same dank dark dusty air, with the glimmer (but not quite) of sunlight.
Roma also has the best limone (lemon) gelatti in Italy. I say this because I tried a LOT to get the kind I liked the best --- every town, at least 1 place, and it was the bestest hands down.
Word to the wise - DON'T DRIVE IN ROMA - or ANYWHERE in Italy for that matter - well not unless you have a SERIOUS death wish! Walking anywhere near the street could be hazardous to your health as well! Our tour guide told us: Just close your eyes and walk. Most of the time they stop.
Gack!
I saw an ancient mall. Well it was an empty buiding, but THEN it had over 150 shops... I think that's about as big if not bigger than the mall of America. Cool.. :)The colluseum was huge! I think the measurments were (I looked htem up and then promptly forgot) 615 ft x 510 ft around (it's egg shaped) and 158 ft tall. That's like a 12-15 story building. The base of the building covers about 6 acres.
St. Peters was nice. but very very GOLD. Like a bit of overkill on that gold. HOwever the domes were gorgeous and our tour guide knew SO much. He tired to tell us but most of us were just tuning him out - myself included!
The Pathenon was small empty space, with tombs along the walls. It looked HUGE from the outside, but not so much from the inside. The whole think took 30 minutes and that was taking our time.
More to come another night. (I was there for a full more week) but I'm so beat, I have to get some sleep!
