Back in Rome

I was awaken this morning promptly at about 7:30am. I showered, and got myself ready, and was upstairs by about five to 8. On the table, Deb had left me a going away present. There was a huge plastic bag stuffed with snacks and protein bars to take with me on my trip. She had also helped with a solution to my picture problem. The night before, she helped me download all the pictures on my camera to her home computer, where she burned them onto CDs which she and Mark offered mail (with my Lute) from the military base, back to my family in California. That way I can delete what's on my camera right now, and use the space for future pictures. It was unbelievably kind of them to help me so much, I didn't even know what to say. I thanked them for everything, and the whole family and got into the car and drove off to the train station.

On the train, I told them stories of my crazy family and Thanksgiving, and they laughed and said my family sounded like a lot of fun. Marky said it seemed like they had known me forever, and I felt the same way. I'd only been with their family for a day, but they made me feel like I was part of their family. I was very sad to leave them at the train station in Rome, but they told me I had come visit them again sometime, and so I'm sure I will.

So now I was in Rome again, and the first thing I needed to do was find a place to stay for the night. I used my blackberry and found a nice Bed and Breakfast nearby. I walked over that direction and after asking a few times for directions, finally found the entrance. I checked into my room, and charged my camera (which was completely dead at this point) while I got settled. After my camera was at least somewhat charged, I rushed off to walk across to the other side of the city to find the Sistine Chapel, which was the first thing I wanted to make sure I got a chance to see. The Sistine Chapel is next to the Vatican, which is about an hour walk from my Bed and Breakfast. I would have caught a taxi, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay the money when I knew I could walk it. So I walked all the way over to Vatican City. When I'd finally reached it, I learned that the Chapel is closed on Sunday, so I walked all that way for nothing, and I'd have to walk it again tomorrow morning.

Disappointed, I began the trek back. I boosted my morale again by reminding myself where I was, and where I had been already. I was sitting here in Rome having just come from Naples. I rode a camel around the Pyramids of Egypt, and walked through Jerusalem. I'd been to the top of the acropolis, and stood on the steps of the colosseum. Even now, I was navigating through the streets of Rome. I am a million miles away from all my troubles, and am right now exactly where I'd always dreamed of being. I had nothing at all to be upset about. It always helps me to put things in perspective like that when I'm getting down on myself.

I walked on through to the main road near the colosseum, but I'd already been there, so I took another road around the back way where I didn't get to go last time. It lead me through the ruins on old Rome and down a beautiful walking trail through hillsides of gardens with ancient columns in the distance, through the trees. That opened up into another main road along more ruins, and the walls of the old city holding the famous aqueducts of Rome. I journeyed on to the Circo Massimo which was now turned into a huge park where children were playing football (soccer), and couples were walking. Joggers ran around the dirt track that was still there, and people rested on the ancient bleachers surrounding it. I had some chocolate chip gelato, and sat down on a bench and watched the people play next to the ruins. Afterwards, I wandered into some of the local residential areas and found another park, with another little walking trail, and followed that all the way around again and back to the colosseum.

I stopped and had dinner at a little take-out restaurant where I ordered some pizza, and sat outside at a table next to one of the cafes, and watched the sun set behind the Colosseum. I walked back to my room, with the intent of getting to bed fairly early tonight so I can get up early tomorrow and see the Sistine chapel, and maybe the archeological museum before I catch my train to Florence in the afternoon.
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