(I wrote this post at 11:00 pm and fell asleep with my laptop ontop of me. At 2:30 am I woke up and posted it without correcting. Now @ 7:40 am, I finally am not hallucinating and was able to correct it for real. Think I need to catch up on some sleep?!)
Hours of Travel: 125
Cleanliness: 1 1/2... yuck! I hate mildew towels and stinking shoes.
Comments:
-At 8am we arrived in Rome from Sicily and were pleasantly surprised to find our hostel right next to the train station. Unfortunately, the owner would not let us check in until 3:30. So we decided to tour the city during the waiting period. I'm so glad we took the opportunity to tour instead of just sleeping in. Rome is huge and we had to get started right away.
-Fortunately the hostel had advertisements for free tours of Rome: Vatican and Colosseum. We actually took both tours!
the free tour meeting point at the spanish steps
all of the water fountains are drinkable so this is trent getting water from a famous bernini ship-fountain (don't remember the name...)
-The first tour at eleven was a walk all the way to the Vatican. During the walk the guide gave us history on the different streets, squares, and buildings we passed. Trent and I loved the history and stories behind the buildings so it was great to get it at such a discounted price!
-Since the pope spoke that day, actually going into the Vatican wasn't ideal because it was overly crowded and locked down with security. Trent and I decided to hold off visiting the vatican till the next day and instead going back to the 2nd free tour.
headquarters of the Illuminati from Angels and Demons!!! (it actually is the hopes secret apartment)
-Side note---the guide, who is actually a masters students, gets paid by tips (probably tax free and about 5 euros pp) and has about ten people per tour. He gives three tours a day four days a week. You do the math and don't forget to compute that to USD. Cha-ching!
-The colosseum tour was great too in that we went to walked through the ancient rome forum and found a less popular picture site for the colosseum.
-We ended the night semi-early because we knew we had such an active next day.
-Today, we woke up at 7:15 AM for breakfast, checkout, Fontana De Trevi and our tickets for the Vatican.
making our wishes come true at the Fontana De Trevi
-I saw the Sistine chapel in all it's glory today. I was so happily surprised with all the other corridors of beauty even before the glorified ceiling. Sadly, when we entered the actual chapel, the Swiss guard kept yelling at the guests to be quiet and not take pictures. It really took away from the spiritual side of the religious room.
notice the plaster fig leaves on the cherubs privates? ALL of the male statues are like this.
Trent and I in one of the corridors before the Sistine Chapel
-After the Sistine Chapel, we took a train to Pisa. We arrived in the evening and had to wait for our B&B owner to arrive and check us in (so unlucky with our check-ins lately!). Finally we checked in by 8 and headed off to a DELICIOUS pizza place (seriously the best pizza I've ever had in my life... you can tell by the picture).
-At the end of the night we walked to the Leaning Tower where we took some weight-baring pictures.
Things we are thinking: We have seriously been treating our pallets lately! What will we do without gelato??? While on the train to Pisa, I was given two pieces of paper from individuals asking for money.
in a situation like this, what am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to believe? These people came on the train at two different times so I know they weren't related...it's just so discouraging when those asking for sympathy are conning me as well.
We walk cinqe terre tomorrow. Will we make it? Wish us luck!
For now chao!
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