Day 7 - Rome

Today is one of the main reasons why I picked this trip. A full 13-hour day is planned.

Stunning 6am ride into the port	Welcome the port for Rome	The big ships have fancy terminals
We get a slide gate	Got to love how gas stations work here. Just slide to the right, fill up, merge back to the left

Rome is about an hour inland from the port. Boring drive but worth it. First stop, the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine. The arch was built after the colosseum after Constantine, when preparing for battle, having less men, had a vision of a cross the night before battle. He ended up slaying the more dominate army. As a result he believed God had helped him and his men special powers. The arch was commissioned by the Senate in his honor for giving them freedom from their oppressor.


The crowds are lighter since it is late September. Today lots of tourists are also at the Vatican as the Pope is giving a blessing and everyone ran there to catch the noon mass. I don't care, easier to move around an otherwise crowded space.

	Yeah, this should be full of people	Lesson learned: always bring headphones for tours
You might be given a player and expected to hold it to your ear. Just plug you headphones in and taadaa!	In all these years the modern stadium is no different than that from 2000 years ago	Their workers were so skilled that there is no mortar. They are built like legos inside so they'd just slip into perfect position
The view. Time has not been kind to half of the stadium	The stage where gladiators and events would have been housed	Again, perfect workmanship
Like today, do things in layers, Hard center foundation, smaller stones to round out the look and a layer of plaster to polish it		You can just picture where folks would have stepped down from the center ring and walked down to the lower lodge level of seats
	Time has caused the upper wall to fall down from the one side of the stadium as well as the support floor	What stories that basement could tell
		View of what gladiators would have seen

This next thing angered me. By chance I glanced over and saw this family. To make sure my eyes weren't making up the view I watched them for a few minutes. In the first photo below, look at the bottom center. Both kids have virtual reality headsets and earbuds on. Mom and dad walked with their sons, even holding their hands as they walked the grounds of the colesseum. Come on parents! Unplug your kids!!

I still can't believe this photo	The kids were fully emerged into the technology reality of I'm guessing the space	I kind of wanted to call Rome's version of CPS on the parents for allowing that to happen

Next stop, an unsuspecting set of stairs. They are deliberately steep as horses would carry noble folks up them into the church.

	Seems like a beautiful marble building next to it	Wow
		Oh. This is what that white marble building was
Sad. Cleaning of the fountain	Even dry it's so impressive	Today's lunch meal
Lovely little courtyard designed as a family home for Pope Innocent X	He build the Sant'Agnese in Agone as the family chapel	Not a bad place for the family
		San Luigi dei Francesi
Oh good, I needed a double big mac	The Pantheon, a pagan church	Build in 120 AD
The army of God, smiling as they killed the wicked and evil		Good to know Italian guards will shoot you and stab you if you get too close

Back in the car. If you think driving in NYC or LA is bad, get ready for Rome. NYC is like driving on a rural countryside compared to folks on Rome roads. In any case, back in the car, 15 minute drive and we're at the Vatican.

The Vatican wanted a strong wall to keep invaders out		Lovely group ticket sales center
The only garden visible to the public. Other portions are off-limit to us peasants

So, let's see what beauty is hidden behind these walls. First collection,, statues.

		Each of the columns have this level of base detail

The Sistine Chapel, before it was repainted, use to get super cold. Rugs were hung to keep heat in. Rugs weren't used on floors. Each rug was hand created with the artist using a single strain of thread to create the scene... from the back... looking into a mirror facing the front.

		A sample of one of the many rugs in this room
Just image, one thread per color per movement	This detail being created from behind the scene we're viewing	These rugs are massive
If you've got a rug room you need a map room	Looking back towards the entrance of the Map Room	The Vatican has a lot of gorey pictures. Here a priest was beheaded and angels are circling to ascend him
Depiction of bishops being hung

So, a few years ago when the Sistine Chapel was refinished Panasonic footed the bill. Their only condition was they'd have exclusive rights to sell any photos of the work in a small way to recapture their money. As a result no one is able to go in and take a photo. Thankfully I know some folks and called in a favor...

Even the ceiling leading towards the chapel is beautiful	The Pope let me take a photo of him and some visiting cardinals. He really is a man of the people.
Leaving the chapel you can dance your way down or be boring and just walk	This is an interesting wall. Wonder what it's for	Well that looks different from the hidden side perspective

It's Wednesday so 25,000 people came out for the noon mass.

	The hallway leading from the outside towards the chapel's entrance	Even this ceiling detail is stunning
		These doors are only opened during special celebrations or for times deemed important by the Pope
	The brick wall proving those special doors can only be opened deliberately
St Peter is buried under the alter		Mosaic tiles used instead of painting so their beauty would not spoil over time due to light and candle ash
	Someone has to put these chairs away later today

What a day. It doesn't matter what your belief on religion is, go see the Vatican and Rome. It is one the very few cities I am blown away with. Time for us to leave. Tomorrow is our fourth port in a row. I'm looking forward to a sea day where I can just sleep. Goodnight Rome.



Tomorrow: The Amalfi Coast