Rome, Italy

The ferry ride to Rome was superb. The boat was a small cruise ship, complete with a casino, club, bars, gift shops, gym, rooftop pool and bar...the works. Having purchased the cheapest possible ticket for this ferry, we had merely reserved the right to take up space on the massive boat. Therefore, we set up camp in a dining hall. When it was time for that section to close for the night, instead of kicking us out to the hallway, one very nice waiter told us we could stay in the booths. He even told us of a better section with a TV and longer booths for our beds. As we entered the room I noticed pictures of semi trucks covering the walls and some big, burly Italian men sat drinking sangria and eating cherries...I felt like we were walking in on a mobster meeting. They probably knew we were just American kids and couldn't even understand them, so they graciously let us live. Our “beds” were difficult to sleep on, but they definitely beat trying to sleep sitting up on a train. The next morning was awkward waking up to people flowing in and out of the room eating breakfast and socializing, but that same waiter returned with coffee and a warm “Good morning!” There have been a few people over our trip that have extended a small act of kindness and really made a difference. One man gave Logan his seat on the train when we did not have one reserved so we could be together. Before checking out of the hostel in Barcelona, the lady at the front desk kept the free breakfast out over an hour later just so Logan and I could grab some. People like that give me hope for humanity again. Anyway, the ferry ride was great. After changing into our swimsuits we headed up to the roof. I know, I was still burned to a crisp. That was only my chest and arms, though. My solution: I just laid on my stomach and covered my arms with my dress. Problem solved. The bar by the pool played fun Latin music for the most part, but then switched it up to Barbie Girl and some other strange songs that needed to die with the 90’s. It was a good time, though.
Rome is not along the coast, so the ferry took us as far as Civitavecchia. Very cute town. From there we took yet another train to Rome. By the time we reached our destination city it was dark and we were tired. The walk from the train station to our hostel was pretty short. Apparently the train station was located in Chinatown, though. We passed only Asian and Indian cuisine the whole way down the deserted streets, which didn't make us entirely comfortable, but we made it to hostel #3. Tired from another long day of traveling, we decided it was best to get to sleep early and get an early start exploring the overwhelmingly historical and magnificent city the next morning.
The weather while in Rome was awesome. Sunny with clear skies, and although the heat was hard to handle at times, it still beat walking around town in the cold and rain, as it was in Paris. We began our adventure at the Colosseum. Learning that a guided tour would only be a tad bit more money than the entrance fee, we opted for it. Unfortunately, our tour guide didn't. She was an archaeologist who clearly was just trying to make a quick few bucks. She ran through the basics with a few interesting facts and was done with us in ten minutes. Oh well, at least we didn't have to wait in any lines? Nevertheless, the Colosseum was incredible. Being right where insanity went down ages ago...we decided to download "Gladiator" as soon as we got back to Munich. A few hours later we met up with another tour group whose fee was waived after taking the first "tour" through the Colosseum. In this tour, we explored the ruins around where Rome was founded, some royal homes, where the senate met, and so on. All on what was the hill of the rich and famous. Again, it was just fascinating.
Throughout the rest of the trip, Logan and I visited the Spanish Steps (a tourist-packed staircase that wasn't all that intense, but was apparently the longest staircase in Rome or Italy), The Trevie Fountain, The fountain of Four Rivers, some other awesome fountains, and of course, the Vatican. Now in order to be allowed in St. Peter's Basilica or the Sistine Chapel and it's surrounding parts, one has to wear pants and have his/her shoulders covered. It was HOT outside. Throwing on a sundress hardly sufficed, and now I have to wear pants and a light sweater?! Dang. Luckily, the majority of the sites were indoors. We toured the area of St. Peter's where the tombs of the past popes were, as well as the burial spot of Peter the Apostle! After the Basilica, we toured the Vatican's museum. A large part of it featured giant marble bathtubs...with a few statues here and there. There was even a room dedicated to statues of animals, domestic and wild. After the maze of incredible paintings by Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, we entered the Sistine Chapel. The amount of breathtaking art was overwhelming. Every centimeter of that room was painted in GREAT detail. The lower sides has golden drapes painted on, and the rest was divided into tons of sections, all exhibiting beautiful portraits of biblical happenings. I could have easily spent hours on end studying the art in that one room. How blessed am I for the opportunity to be IN the Sistine Chapel?? What a humbling yet exciting experience.
Rome was a total blast. The art, the history, the city's atmosphere...I loved it all. We did run into a bit of an issue when we found out our mattress was moldy, but after a room change all was well.

Sleeping Quarters on the Ferry

The Colosseum's Skeleton

Trevi Fountain!