I’m sitting down to write this blog and my body is so tired and sore I might live out my last days in Rome. We didn’t do a lot today but we did a lot in the places we went. We started back at St. Peter’s Basilica which we visited the courtyard yesterday, but this time we went inside the Basilica. I could have spent twenty-five years in there and never seen everything I wanted to. There are statues and paintings and more sculptures and so many people and man buns and bow ties and it was incredible. I thought the Basilica of St. John Lateran was amazing (and it was) but it kind of feels like these places blow one another out of the water. I the bottom of the Basilica are the tombs of a several of the past pope’s that you can walk through and look at. It’s insane to me that a marble statue can look like it’s covered in cloth but it’s just the marble itself. I can’t get over it. It always makes me think of Spongebob when he makes that extraordinary sculpture in Squidward’s art class with just one click of the tools.
A panoramic of the outside of the Basilica. Shout out to Sarah for taking the picture.
Some of the many millions statues inside
The inside of the Basilica.
I will proudly photobomb your selfies because no one can stop me.
The back of all the statues lining the top of the Basilica 1. are enormous and 2. have no backs to them!
It really looks like this is covered in cloth.
Even the actual paintings are beautiful.
The Bronze Canopy created by Bernini sits in the front of the Basilica.
That little teeny weenie point on the top of the dome is what we climbed. I WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER PICTURE WITH THAT RAINCOAT!
Just a perspective on how enormous and detailed these sculptures are.
We got to climb up to the top of the Basilica and look over all of Rome. The color scheme of the city is oranges, whites, and yellows. The buildings look brand new from way up high which is so odd because they’re anything but new. To get to the top of the dome first you climb about two hundred stairs and look over the inside of the Basilica from the top of the dome. It’s covered by a fence but it really shows you just how massive the whole place is. Also, that every inch is covered in something beautiful. Then you walk back outside on the roof and climb about 300+ more stairs to the top of the dome. The stairs are narrow and slippery and get worse as you climb higher and higher. At one point right before you reach the top, the stairs are coiled so tightly around this small cylinder that if you reach your arms out by your sides you would touch both walls. It was a little claustrophobic but everyone made it out and enjoyed the fresh air and the fresh layer of sweat.
Another panoramic taken by Sarah but this was from the top of the dome looking out over the city.
It’s casual. Just looking over Rome.
Still casual.
It’s really hard not to take a thousand pictures of everything you do.
Climbing the steps to the top of the dome. Most of the lines were single file.
Oh yes, these are my roommates on this fine adventure.
Kind of a blurry picture, but this is one of the corridors of stairs we climbed up and down from the top of the dome.
This dude behind me in line was rocking a man bun. I think he was french and I named him Phillipe and we’re going to get married and live happily ever after. Just me, him, and his man bun.
So Phillipe is sitting on the stairs behind me and Sarah took a casual picture of me so I could have a picture of him. She’s a sniping animal.
From the bottom of the Basilica looking into the base of the dome. We stood along that ledge and looked down when we climbed up.
View of St. Peter’s courtyard from the top of the Basilica.
After that we went to one of the Roman catacombs. I watched this movie on Valentine’s Day about these people who break into the forbidden sections of the Paris catacombs and end up being chased down by demons and they have to crawl through the depths of hell to get out. I was psyched for the catacombs and I was hoping to see the stacks of bones and the graves and candles but it wasn’t actually like that. There weren’t any bones but there were old pots and relics preserved throughout the years. Most of the tombs are open now because the remains have been removed. It was still eerie feeling to be in there but not nearly as scary as I was hoping it would be. I also wasn’t mauled to death by any demons which was nice. There are family burial rooms that we got to look inside which were also pretty cool.
We were first in line for the catacombs. No big deal.
The entrance to the catacomb.
Most of the groups broke off at that point and we went in our little group out to dinner and to see the Trevi Fountain (like in the Lizzie McGuire movie. We also had gelato because it is a necessity. Unfortunately, it’s under construction so the fountain wasn’t running but I did still throw a coin over my shoulder which means one day I will come back to Rome.
Dinner picture, man.
The Trevi fountain is getting a face life.
This has been another really fantastic day in Italy! It only rained slightly until the early afternoon and then get this, the sun came out. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful and sunny and I cannot wait. I won’t have to wear a rain coat and I can switch my shoes, it’s a glorious feeling! Also- Tomorrow something mind-blowing is going to happen but I’m not going to say what it is until tomorrow’s blog. But I promise- it’s drop dead phenomenal. A chance of a lifetime.
Rome has so many different trees it’s like the tree capital of the world. (Don’t quote me on that because I absolutely made it up.)
ATTENTION FAMILY. I FOUND A YELLOW PUNCH BUG. I WIN.
Mom- these were the sewage covers in the Basilica.
For all those concerned (Uncle Kevin)- I didn’t have a lot of corny/dad jokes in this post. I’ll make up for it now!
Q. What do you call a deer with no eyes?
A. No eye deer.
Q. So what do you call a deer with no eyes AND no legs?
A. Still no eye deer.
Today I tried to take a picture of some fog. I mist.
What do you call it when a crazy cow gets loose? Udder destruction.
OKAY, I’M DONE. I hope that holds you over until tomorrow. Let me know when you cancel my ticket.
UNTIL TOMORROW- Stay Weird.
Ally
This is Professor Alessia and he is the sweetest, more genuine and wonderful man I have ever met. I am so happy he is guiding us on this adventure because frankly, there is no one else in the world I would rather be here with.
Current complaint- I think my feet are going to fall off. But on the plus side I’d totally invest in pirate wooden legs to make up for it.