Roman Holiday: Harem Pants, Yay or Nay?

Harem Pants. All the girls here are wearing them. I kindof love the look, but is it too close to the hammer pants I swore to never wear again? Also, I will try to be brave enough to get a photo of someone from the front. I don't know how fashion bloggers do it- it feels so rude!

Roman Holiday: Trevi Fountain & the Galleria Borghese

Do you remember this fountain from the famous scene in La Dolce Vita where the American actress wades right in?

Well apparently, so do all these people. The horde was in full swing at Trevi Fountain. It was literally shoulder to shoulder.

We only stayed long enough to toss a coin to guarantee that we'd return to Rome again- preferably on some less crowded day.


Then we visited the Pantheon and enjoyed icy coffee granitas oozing with whipped cream (as described to Emelie & Brandon by an enthusiastic Italian Lady on the plane, and confirmed by Mr. Rick Steves) and listened to dueling street musicians. Despite the crowds, it really was a marvelous day, the most relaxed and pleasant of our time in Rome.

That morning, We squeezed in a trip to the Galleria Borghese, which was definitely my favorite museum experience in Rome. Because they have a strict limit for visitors, it was calm and quiet, perfect for evoking the contemplative mood you need to experience art. It was also a relief to see the artworks in the context they were created for- so much of Rome is in ruins and it's hard to imagine what it might have looked like with only the crumbling marble to help your mental image. This stunning collection all appears in meticulous order and there were some incredible works by Bernini, who really was a master in many mediums. His unity of vision has shaped the look of Rome in thousands of ways.

Have you visited Rome? What were your favorite sites? I think we could've stayed for years and not seen it all!

Roman Holiday: The Vatican & Saint Peter's Basilica

The Vatican. Home to the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the western world. Spiritual Home of the Roman Catholic Empire. Home Sweet Home to the Pope. Host to ten thousand visitors every single day.

A girl in the ticket line next to us literally passed out from heat exhaustion and her family pressed her to get up and go on. This was not about having an enjoyable museum going experience. It was more pilgrimage meets marathon. How long can you wait in the sweltering sun for tickets? How much art and history can you soak in while being pressed on all sides by other exhausted, hot, sweaty, grumpy pilgrims? How many other heads can you crop out of your photos to make it appear as though you were not one with the horde? No, this was about saying, "I've been there."


Eric had a poster of this painting hanging above his bathtub when we were in high school. It's one of his all time favorites. That fellow in the orange boots? Michelangelo himself. (Eric says he never took them off. Not even to sleep. Can you imagine the stench?)

The Sistine Chapel was really a thrill- despite the hoards who brazenly ignored the "no photos" and "silence please" signs, I was moved to see such an iconic work in person. I could almost see him up there, cursing and grumbling, while he turned out the Renaissance's most famous masterpiece. Though the room was crowded and noisy, my heart swelled up with joy at the sight of it. It made the whole trip worth while.

The light in Saint Peters' was quite beautiful. Aren't these scattering rays of light exactly what you imagine when you think of the clouds parting to reveal a heavenly choir locked in harmony? Creating sacred spaces with light was a particular specialty of Bernini, and I enjoyed each glittering beam.

This is what utter exhaustion looks like. Just hold me pillar.


We revived ourselves with what else? Happy Hour!

This is what Roman happy hour looks like- a buffet of free appetizers with your 5:00 cocktail. That delightful little round puff pastry was filled with an olive tapenade or tuna salad. Yum.

Thanks to the aforementioned exhaustion we sat at this bar for several hours and drank our dinners. Have you ever been to the Vatican? What did you think? Were you moved? What was your favorite part of the experience?

When in Rome, Drink the Free Water with the Romans!

A lovely detail of life in ancient Rome still survives today. Nasoni ("nose" in italian- they do look like big schnozzes, don't they?) are fountains found on many a street corner. The water is public, free and potable, a rarity in many European cities. We filled our water bottles at these fountains many times and it was nice to see tourists and locals both making use of them. (And fun to imagine someone in a toga doing the same thing fifteen hundred years ago!)

I think big water bottles are one of the biggest giveaways that you are a tourist (and an American), but without them it's hopelessly difficult to stave off thirst, especially since ordering it in a restaurant means a 2 euro charge (or a huffy little scene with a waiter. Take your pick.) How do Europeans manage to drink all that espresso and wine without hauling bottles around in their bags like us tourists? Nasoni help to unravel the mystery, but I'll keep you posted on my other findings.

Roman Holiday: The Colosseum

I've selfishly decided to catch up on the Rome whirlwind, if only because writing it down now while it's still fresh will be fun for me to refer back to. Hopefully it's a fun read too!

Rome in summer is crowded, hot, dusty and overwhelming. I've never been in a city so loaded with history, religion, art and culture. It is literally beneath your feet and around every corner. We only had four days but were lucky to be traveling with like minded friends. We'd never manage to see it all, so we figured we'd do the the highlights and take plenty of breaks for pasta, pizza, wine and gelato. But we started with the Colosseum.

As we walked in the entrance with the tourist hordes, Eric turned to his left and noticed one of his students! Turns out he had stumbled upon a tour group of students from Hawaii and two of his kids were in the group. After exclamations about the coincidence they sweetly posed for this photo. I think it pleased E to see them out exploring and enjoying the world- this was such an important theme in his classes (and our life really!)


The other thing that struck me about this mammoth place is that it really was a house of death, where hundreds of thousands of gladiators and animals fought to the death for the amusement of the masses. (A grisly detail? After some of the tournaments they attempted to cover the stench of blood with perfumes. I hope it was strong stuff.)

We like to think of ourselves as more civilized, and perhaps we are, but don't movies serve much the same function? We take comfort in the thought that it's all fake, but I think those scenes may affects our psyche in much the same way it did to see someone's throat cut and their lifeless body dragged away. (A bloody movie certainly gives me lifelike and terrifying nightmares.) And football is still played in stadiums based on this same design. While few players die, there is evidence that this game causes brain damage to many of it's athletes. Food for thought at least.