Rome

First: I HAVE FINALLY PUT UP PICTURES. These include a new panoramic from Salzburg, a few new London shots, photos from the first break through Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague, and finally, a whole butt load of Rome pictures. Click on "My Photos" on the right hand side to see them.

Here's what I did in Rome:

DAY 1: We left on Friday after class got out. Will Kurtz, Sarah Sibley, Matt Skinner, and I made our way to Stansted airport,and with no problems made our flight to Rome's Ciampino airport. We arrived 15 minutes early according to the captain (but I personally think it's a conspiracy by RyanAir to always add an extra 15 minutes to the flight time) and we made it to our hostel, near the Termini train station. Crashed for the night, with plans of hitting the Vatican the next day.

DAY 2: We got up at 7 and made it to the Vatican museum by 8:45. It took longer than expected. Even so, we got in very quick, despite the long line. That was pretty cool--saw all the standard sights. Then we saw the Basilica, went up the Dome, and then got some pizza. After that, off to the Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain. It was 9:30 by the time we got back to the hostel, where we found out the Pope had died. We decided to go back to St. Peter's, where a throng of people had already gathered. See my previous post for more on this experience.

DAY 3: We went to mass at Santa Maria Maggiore. This is one of the four basilicas in Rome--the only four official basilicas in the world. All the rest, including the one at Notre Dame, are minor basilicas. Anyway, afterwards we hit up the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, then the Roman Forum, the Bocca de Verita, the Circus Maximus where I beat Sarah in a race. We walked under the aqueduct, on top of Nero's Golden House, then to the Imperial Forum and Trajan's Market and Column. We finished with dinner and Gelato.

DAY 4: First to the Vittoriano, aka the Venitian monument, then to the Pantheon and to two other churches (one of which was a basilica), where we saw Caravaggio's Calling of St. Matthew and Michaelangelo's Christ Carrying the Cross. Then at 1:00pm, Will and I made our way to the Vatican, to get in line and wait for them to bring the Pope into St. Peter's and open the viewing to the public.

at 4:45 they brought him in, and because we had been waiting a while, we got pretty close. Then a few hours later they opened it up to the public, then a few hours later we finally got inside. It was a powerful experience, one that we documented in video, including our brief walk by the body. Ten hours after we first had gotten in line, we made it back to the hostel.

DAY 5: Final day. Will and I checked out Palatine hill, which was amazing--lots of ruins and such, then we found Michaelangelo's Moses in the last remaining basilica. We saw Bernini's tomb in the basilica in which we had gone to mass the day previous, then we tried to see St. Theresa in Ecstasy, by Bernini, but the place was closed. Oh well. We got Gelato instead. Then off to the airport, and an easy flight back to London on Tuesday night.

For the rest of the week, I just chilled out in London. I saw two plays: Don Carlos, which was great, and We Will Rock You, aka Queen: the Musical. Also good, but stupid at the same time. I like Queen though, so it was worth it.

Now I'm just updating stuff and avoiding writing papers. Whatever. Let me know what's new with you. Bye.