Roman Holiday

We finally arrived at the apartment after a grueling day's travel. It's a stone's throw away from a giant pyramid. But like everything else in Rome, it's been totally neglected by time and the Romans don't even seem to notice. Our apartment is sparse and aging, but comfortable. Almost nothing works as it's supposed to. A perfect metaphor for the city, really. The bathroom is a total mystery. We took two days worth of cold showers before we figured out how to work the heat. Also, toilets (like cars) are shrunken, almost cartoonish versions of their American counterparts. This one happens to be about a foot from the wall it faces meaning you need to sit at a sharp angle or you won't sit at all.

On our first day we headed to the local café to have breakfast like the Italians do - at the bar and in a hurry. Which reminds me: Romans drink coffee compulsively. To an outsider, it seems like that's about all they consume. Well, that and cured meats. In fact, it's still not clear to me what a proper Italian diet is supposed to consist of. It seems like they figured out dinner, got tired, and decided to scrap the first two meals, calling it a day.

Our first sight-seeing stop was at the Galleria Borghese, a famous private collection of Renaissance painting and sculpture in this old, converted villa in the city's northern section. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Afterwards we visited the Vatican, which was far less impressive than I remember it being. Maybe it's museum fatigue talking, but I found myself wandering aimlessly. St. Peters is still huge. And the guards are still just as snippy about sitting on the steps. The sooner we got out of here, the better. The crush of tourists and buskers was getting to be a bit overwhelming, so we retreated into one of the side streets. It's amazing how you can walk a block or two and feel completely isolated.

Our next day's attempt at sight-seeing proved just as fruitless. Starting at the Colosseum where (predictably) a line stretched out the gates and towards the Forum. With rain on the way, we threw in the towel and opted instead for a lazy stroll through the Piazza Navona - something akin to a large, cobble-stoned main square.

Later that day we headed to the Pantheon, which is still just as striking as when I first saw it. I love looking up through the oculus and watching the clouds drift in and out of sight. For how old this thing is it's in amazingly good shape. That feat is even more impressive when you consider just how decrepit the rest of the city is. It makes the historian in me cringe. But of course, history as we understand it is really only a couple hundred years old. It wasn't until wealthy, young Europeans went on their so-called "grand tours" of the ancient world that people began to document, cherish, and (as it turns out) steal the past. Better late than never I suppose.