What do the Romans do???

My sister and I arrived in Bella Roma on Monday evening, and met up with my friend Jarek who has a flat here. I met him a few months ago when he contacted me via couchsurfing and asked if I could show him around Bologna. We hung out for the few days that he was visiting and got along great, so in return for my tour-guide services, he let Avery and I stay at his place while we were in Rome.

We had great timing because Jarek just finished his study program in Rome and was getting ready to return home to Poland, so the night we arrived was also the night of his going-away party! The tiny flat was filled with people from all over the world (all studying in Rome), and we had a great time hanging out with everyone. Everyone especially loved Avery, and helped to teach her their favorite words and phrases in Italian (most are a bit inappropriate to post here). We were actually only planning on staying there one night but we got along with Jarek's roommates so well that we stayed an extra night! It was also great seeing Jarek again before he went back to Poland.

We spent our second day in Rome wandering around the city seeing the sights. We started at the Trevi Fountain because that's what Avery wanted to see the most. Like good little tourists, we threw coins into the fountain - rumor has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, you'll return to Rome. Hey, it worked last time!

Interesting side note: I read that over 3000 euro are thrown into the fountain every day, and the money is used to feed the homeless. Che bella!

We also sat on the Spanish Steps, lingered in Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Popolo, saw the Pantheon and the Colosseum just before sunset, and walked through the ancient Roman ruins. It's amazing how much history can be contained in one city, and how powerful the city still feels.

As we were exploring the city, we stumbled across this interesting art exhibit which illustrates the spread of the Roman Empire. I never really realized how powerful it became. At one point around 115 AD, Rome controlled over 2.3 million square miles of land, stretching from Scotland to Egypt and from Morocco to Turkey.

Oh, funny story. I borrowed a few different guidebooks from my study center before our trip. Along with the standards, Rick Steve and Lonely Planet, one of the books was "MTV's guide to Italy." Not kidding. Anyway, the guidebook mentioned that it's possible to sneak into the Colosseum after dark! It said that there is a spot on the gate where the bars don't quite reach the ground, and that a "reasonably-sized person" should have no trouble getting through. Um, midnight tour of the Colosseum? Yes, please!

We circled the Colosseum until we found the spot that the guidebook was talking about. Unfortunately the book is a few years old and new bars had been installed which cover the hole. I like to think that when that book came out, hundreds of American teenagers attempted to sneak into the Colosseum. I'm sure eventually one of them got caught and fessed up.

We were pretty disappointed but comforted ourselves by taking goofy pictures in front of important monuments like the Arch of Constantine.
On our third and final day in the city, we visited the Vatican. I had already been there, but it was still an incredible experience. The museums are incredible, and the Sistine chapel was just as breathtaking the second time around. My favorite parts of the museums included the Egyptian exhibit, a collection of ancient tapestries, and the modern religious art exhibit.

I've also always been fascinated by this sculpture fragment, known as the Belvedere Torso. It's signed by a sculptor named Apollonius, but nobody really knows anything about him. The sculpture may have been of Hercules, and is considered to be a masterpiece. It has influenced many other artists, including Michelangelo and Rodin. If you look at the shape of the body and muscles, you can definitely see the similarities to Michelangelo's male figures (including David) and also Rodin's "The Thinker."

I find it fascinating that a broken fragment of sculpture can be so intriguing and influential, especially when virtually nothing is known about the artist who created it. It's very mysterious.

After the museums and the Sistine chapel, we went straight to St. Peter's basilica which remains one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It's amazing how much work went into creating that place. Every pillar is covered with tiny marble carvings of angels and cherubs, every wall is painting with amazing biblical scenes. I don't consider myself a religious person but walking into a place like that is always incredibly moving, because you can see how much work people put into building this basilica, just to honor something that they truly believe in. It took 120 years to complete, so the architects who designed it and the people who spent their lives building it never even got to see it finished. They literally devoted their entire lives to something they never got to see. Amazing.

The basilica is a piece of art in itself, but inside we also saw one of my favorite sculptures - Michelangelo's Pietà. I remember seeing this sculpture for the first time 2 years ago and being moved to tears. The piece carries such incredible emotion, and has such personal significance for me. Unfortunately it's hard to get close to the statue because in the 1970's, some crazy Australian guy knocked off the Virgin Mary's arm with a hammer. Now, the sculpture is behind bulletproof glass and can only be viewed from a distance. Silly Aussies!

It rained most of the time when we were in Rome, but we just used that as an excuse to duck inside for cappuccinos or pizza more often. In spite of the dreary weather, our three days in Bella Rome were wonderful and we can't wait to go back. After all, we threw coins into the Trevi Fountain so it's a sure thing that we'll return one day!

We also learned what the Romans actually do. After many creative responses, Jarek's was the one which we appreciated the most. When my sister asked him, he answered "they eat, drink, and scopa." After an angry glare from me, he told my sister the literal definition of "scopa" which is "sweep", instead of telling her the more scandalous definition. So, next time you go to Roma, be sure to bring a broom...