Ah, Rome!

Ah, Roma! What can I say? WOW! I love Rome! Love the people! Love the city! Love the food! Love the gelato! Love, love, love, love, love. What an amazing place! So much history and art at every turn. From the moment we arrived in Rome, it’s been wonderful. Well, the drive in the city to find our hotel was a little scary. But, as usual, Marco Paulo found the way. Our angel at Daniels Hotel was wonderful. He moved things around so we didn’t have to change rooms every night, like we originally thought we would have to. And on the last night he put us in a Jr suite overlooking the street. It was a beautiful room with the biggest bathroom since Venice. Speaking of bathroom, what’s the deal with the Italian aversion to shower doors or even shower curtains? No matter how you stand in there you get water everywhere and the floor gets all wet and slippery. I mention this because they raise the tubs so dang high, you practically have to vault yourself in and out of the thing. And while we’re in the bathroom, let me ask the ladies a question. Have any of you ever tried that bidet thing? I don’t get it? Do you squat, straddle, stand on it? What? And at every hotel, they’re different! And depending on the water pressure you either give yourself an enema or wash the ceiling. I just don’t get it. It just seems more trouble than its worth.
Ok, back to Rome. After our three days at the Daniel, we moved to The Inn at the Spanish Steps. Beautiful hotel. Our room looks out onto the Spanish Steps. And, the designer Valentino lives just across the way. We are on the same level as his terrace. We’ve found several wonderful restaurants and have met some of the most interesting people. It’s one of the advantages of having to share the larger tables. And the food! Oh my gosh, the food. The Italians turned eating into an event. We usually have dinner at 6:30 at home. But here they don’t start until after 8! And the meals last forever. They just keep bringing more! We’ve done all the sights and next we have our guide, Guia show us the Vatican, St. Peter’s, Sistine chapel, the roman forum, colosseum, and San Clemente.
Well, it was a very long day, but it was magnificent! Guia has degrees in art history and archaeology. She opened our eyes to so many things! For instance, did you know that in Michelangelo’s painting ‘The Creation’ the cloud surrounding God is the shape of the human brain? He believed that the brain was the source of man’s soul. And when you look at a diagram of the brain, it’s the same shape as the cloud! Even then, Michelangelo was a great thinker! She often pointed out the faces of individuals in paintings that might go unnoticed but were prominent figures of the time. For example, in ‘The Last Judgement’, a very striking painting by the way, the different martyrs are shown with the source of their martyrdom, and a cardinal who objected to the painting showing nakedness. Michelangelo said that ‘ we came into the world naked and we would leave naked’. So, in the lower right hand corner he painted the cardinal in hell, naked with the ears of an ass and a snake wrapped around his leg with his head between his legs. Stating that everyone will be judged, even the so called most holy. And did you know that at the Colosseum, there is ancient graffiti or advertising pointing to the brothels across the street? And guess what part of the male anatomy they use to point the way?
It was just fascinating. If we had gone through on our own, we would’ve thought it was beautiful, but with her explanations it was fascinating. We both highly recommend her.
Today is our last day in Rome before we head home. Honestly, we’re both ready to be HOME. I miss my animals and not living out of a suitcase. It’s been a wonderful trip, but its longest we’ve ever been away from home. Today we will get our last of the shopping done, go back to our favorite restaurant and get back so we can be ready to leave for the airport about 5:30 am tomorrow.
I know you’re thinking, ‘what a let down! nothing bad happened to them!’.
See, I told you. I love Rome!