It is what it is, and today was an adventure. Of epic proportions? Mayhaps not, but we do what we can while in Roma. Yes, it's been nearly an entire month in the Eternal City, and we are just now (mark that calendar) actually seeing the sights. Well, most of them. After our adventure in Firenze last weekend, we decided that it would be better to just stay here and see what they know about things.
So we began our journey after a pot (is that the right word?) of expresso made at home, Erica's chipper morning singing, (and bags packed for touristy things that would allow us to fit in with the crowds and get swarmed by 'tour guides' and 'helpful people who really just want you to give them money'. The real trouble is that Rome's sights are so spread out that it would literally take an entire day (dawn to dusk) to walk to all of them. Keep in mind that we had an inside opinion (a la Molly) that we shouldn't attempt to see all of these things by walking. Something about a surprise 4 hour walking tour means that she didn't want to do that again. Whatever. So we opted for the 'hop on hop off' tour bus method for the seeing of the sights. Now this technique involves little to no hopping, but it does require a keen eye for recognizing tour buses. This is a practiced skill, and not one easily trained. So Young Skywalker, we shall test your skills.
Facts: The bus that you choose for your excursion is red. There are two 'lines' to this tour company, you are allowed to board either line. One is labeled the 'red line' the other the 'blue line'.
When looking for the 'blue line' do you look for a blue bus?
NO. No you do not. You look for a red bus with the words printed on a piece of paper on the windshield 'Blue Line'. Granted, this does mean that you can't just hop the first red bus you see, nor can you just get on the bus that you recognize as the right company (after all there are multiple red buses), you have to get the blue-red bus. Time consuming.
So we leapt aboard the correct vehicle plugged in the nifty red head sets and drove off into the sunset-I mean the Vatican. YAY ART HISTORY! We only stayed for a bit, but it was enough to have a nice little appetizer of what could be behind that facade. Beautiful colonnades (yay Bernini), stunning dome (yay Michelangelo), and a TON of tourists. So many. But that's ok. We looked just like them.
Back on the bus, and over to the Trevi Fountain where pictures and coin throwing ensued. Now I guess I'll have to come back to Rome sometime. It's in the luck of the coins now! On a side note about throwing money into the fountain, the most shocking part of the day was noticing not the money in the bottom of the fountain, that's to be expected, but the dentures. Yes, I said dentures. I'm not sure what kind of luck that brings you, but I bet the person missing his/her teeth is either the luckiest or the most unlucky person there. Maybe this is something like the tooth-fairy drop site. There are lots of euros, and some teeth... so she was on her first rounds of the day? A set of dentures should be about 5 euros right?
This is going to be the part of this blog post where you judge me.
And it's going to be like ripping off a band-aid: the faster the better. I'll just say it.
We ate at McDonald's.
Hey, stop the hate. I know you're thinking something like, "KELSEY! You're in Italy!!! How in the world can you disgrace yourself like that by going to a McDonald's in Rome!?!" Wait. Hold your little pony there. I'm going to defend myself in three points.
1) I'll have you know that it was almost entirely packed full of Italians. NOT Americans. Therefore it was a cultural experience. Did you know that they have pistachio McFlurries? Had I not gone in there, you wouldn't know that.
2) I've been here for a month. I've had pizza. I've had gelato. I've had pasta. Sometimes you just really want greasy burger and some salty, artery-clogging french fries. This is the human condition. Not to be confused with the human condiment. That's weird, and it's after midnight here. Just ignore that last part.
3) Since the team back home is enjoying the first tastes of the road, I figured I would show my undying support by also eating fast food.
See? Brilliant. Now you're just jealous that you didn't eat at the McDonald's by the Trevi fountain too.
After a delicious, allbeit caloric, lunch, we jumped back on the bus and headed to the Colosseum. Was it beautiful? Yes. Photogenic? Yes. (which reminds me, I'll get to pictures tomorrow or Monday). Free? Also yes. With these nifty little holidays built in, there are occasionally free cultural attractions. So hand over that free ticket stub, I'm jumping on that band wagon. So we wandered around that historical colossus and took more pretty pictures. Then back to the blue-red bus and wee wee wee all the way home.
Once at home I made attempt number 37 (a guestimate on my part) for red sauce, and I think I'm getting closer! It was pretty good for what I have available to me at the moment. All four of us ate, and then finished up our Tom Hanks meets Meg Ryan in a serendipitous way marathon. Which totaled two movies over two days. We're not much for long term committed viewing. But we had a good time, and now that it's after one am, I'm calling it quits and going to bed.
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