The Clutter Connection: Rome, Italy

On May 9th and 10th, we went to Rome, Italy. We took the fast train (actually, we drove our car to the Metro in San Donato, took the subway into the main train station in Milan, and then took the fast train to Rome). After settling into our hotel, we went exploring.

The first thing we encountered on our "things to see in Rome" list was the Pantheon. I don't know what I expected the Pantheon to be, but this wasn't it! It was built in 132 AD as a temple to all of the gods of ancient Rome. Over time, it's use has changed, and it's now a Catholic church.

The interior was very beautiful. This is an example of one of the frescos we saw.

Next it was on to Trevi Fountain. The fountain was completed in 1762. I wanted to take a picture of the whole fountain, but because of the crowds I couldn't stand far enough away to have a clear view of it. Scott and I both threw a coin into the fountain, as is tradition. Interesting fact: about 3000 euros a day are collected from the fountain. The money is used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy.

After the Trevi Fountain, it was off to the Hard Rock Cafe. We had to get Scott his 3rd European Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt! And enjoy their food and unlimited refills on soft drinks (the only place I know of in Italy that does this).

From the Hard Rock Cafe, it was easier to take the back way to the Spanish Steps. This meant we didn't have to climb the 138 steps, but we did climb a hill to get to the top. Of course, Scott had to run down the steps and then run back up so he could say he had climbed the Spanish Steps. Robert and I made do with walking down the 138 steps. That was good enough for us!

The next morning, we headed off to the Colosseum (I think I finally know how to spell that word without spell check). The Colosseum was completed in 80 AD. It could seat 50,000 spectators, and was used for gladiator fights, executions, and mock sea battles, among other things. As you can see from the picture, it's not in the greatest shape. It's been damaged not only by earthquakes, but by people stealing the stone over the centuries. But, it's still pretty impressive.

Here's me standing on a small section of the original marble flooring that still remains.

Here's a picture of the interior of the Colosseum. Unlike the Arena in Verona, the Colosseum isn't usable anymore. There is not any interior seating, and the center floor is missing.

After leaving the Colosseum, we went over to Vatican City. As we waited in line to get in to St. Peter's Basilica, we saw one of the Papal Swiss Guards. They have the most unique uniforms I've ever seen!

The Basilica of St. Peter was enormous! I don't think I have ever been in a larger church. I've read it can hold 60,000 people! That's a lot of people in a church. I didn't take any pictures inside. It was dark, and my camera doesn't like the dark.

From St. Peter's we walked to the Vatican Museum. Unfortunately for me, the museum was very crowded. Very, very crowded. So I didn't really enjoy the museum. My goal soon became getting through the museum so I could see the Sistine Chapel, which was at the end. Of course.

This isn't the Sistine Chapel, but it was a very beautiful dome we saw along the way. We were amazed at how bright and crisp the colors still are.

I don't have any pictures of the Sistine Chapel, as photos weren't allowed. But, believe me, it was amazing. Michelangelo painted over 3700 square feet of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. And he didn't just paint that ceiling white! He painted frescos that are still wondrous to look at.