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We spent a total of 4 days in Rome, having a fabulous, if not hectic and busy, time. One of the great joys of Italy is, of course, the Catholic churches. To begin, they typically do not charge admission. Further, they are so lavishly and beautifully decorated, and often adorned with museum quality art, that merely wandering and enjoying is a real pleasure.
An example of this is the St. Peter in Chains Church. Named after St. Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus and the first Pope (or head of the Catholic Church), the church houses the chains said to have been worn by Peter in Jerusalem while imprisoned. But more notable is the Michelangelo masterpiece that the church also houses--Moses. Worked on in fits and starts for over 30 years, and completed late in his life, it is a striking piece of carved marble, depicting Moses with his tablets of the Ten Commandments, and looking powerful and resolute.
An extraordinary art museum experience awaited us at the Borghese Gallery, a private museum filling a former cardinal's home in a park. Admitting a limited number of visitors at a time, and filled with stunning baroque masterpieces--the best being the many sculptures, most notable the masterpieces by Bernini--we had a great visit.
One of the true joys of the Italian experience is gelato. But don't think of confusing this with ice cream--gelato is so much more creamy, smooth, and tasty. So much so, we felt compelled to enjoy a cone just about every day (and some days, twice). Here we sit outside Rome's Gelateria Giolitti, some of the best gelato in Rome, and an establishment frequented by us on several occasions.
In front of the Roman Colosseum, it appears that Maureen, Doreen, and Kelly are doing a cheer because their favorite gladiator just won his battle. 2,000 years old, this is a great example of Roman engineering. Inside, criminals, gladiators, animals, and others fought to the death in virtually every scenario, and 50,000 spectators could enjoy the gore.
A visit 2 Rome would not be complete without experiencing the Vatican
City.
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