I <3 Rome

Okay, so today after my long siesta I decided to venture out into Rome and see some sights. I was planning on doing the "Dolce Vita Stroll" but as I started to walk I came upon some other side street and sights that I wanted to see, so i just went with it and meandered. I started at Piazza del Popolo where I went into Santa Maria del Popolo, a church, which was not too beautiful on the outside but gorgeous on the inside. Inside there was an amazing alter (like usual) but the most interesting thing was Raphael's Chigi Chapel and two paintings by Caravaggio. Piazza del Popolo has an obelisk which was brought to Rome by Augustus after he conquered Egypt (so far I have seen a ton of obelisks but everytime I see them I love to stop and just stare at them and the people who are sitting at the bottom of them on the stairs. They are fascinating to me!) After leaving Piazza del Popolo, I walked down Via del Corso, the main street in Rome, where many locals stroll the street after siesta. I ventured off this street to see the Mausoleum of Augustus and Augustus Ara Pacis (Arch of Peace). Half way down Via del Corso, I grabbed some gelato and realized that I needed some money, so in my search for a bancomat I stumbled upon the Pantheon. It was really crowded, so I went inside for just a minute and decided that I would return tomorrow to grab a picnic on the steps. After getting back on track for the "Dolce Vita Stroll" I went to the Victor Emmanuel Monument, climbed the steep steps to Santa Maria Aracoeli, climbed Michaelangelo's Grand Stairway to the top of Capitoline Hill, sat awhile in the campidoglio (the hill's main square) and admired the museums and the statue of Marcus Aurlius, and walked down to the terrace behind Plazzo Senatario (mayoral palace) to see the view of the forum. After checking out all of that I wandered down Piazza Venezia where I saw some ruins and the outside of the Colosseum (I am going to the Colosseum and the Forum tomorrow).
Side note: It is crazy to me that in just a few hours of strolling through Rome I saw so much histroy, which I am embarrassed to admit that I know little about any of it. I was online last night, and a bunch today reading about all of the stuff I have seen and will see. Being here and seeing everything has shown me how uneducated I am when it come to history. I am for sure going to sign up for some classes in fall to learn about it all!
After seeing as much as I could tonight in a few hours, I was forced to end my night because it is Sunday and everything closes early. I couldnt even find a place open to eat dinner so I grabbed McDonalds, which I also am embarrassed to admit was soo good. It was like a little taste of home. I have been craving some meat (if you consider mcDonalds meat) after eating all the bread and pasta! After eating I tried to find a bar open to watch the Italian's in the Eurocup but I failed. I ended up coming home, reading about the Forum and Colosseum, relaxing and watching some episode of How I Met Your Mother. I am going to head to bed early tonight so that I can get up decently early and make my way to the Colosseum and Forum before eating lunch on the Pantheon steps (it is a challenge to accomplish this in the heat and all before siesta when everything closes!!) I am having a great time here and I am not getting lonely here by myself. I knew I would have a great time, with or without company, but I sure am glad that Rome has free public wi-fi so I can talk to Jul and my fam and my apartment has a DVD player for our kind of DVDs. Thank God!!

Check you all tomorrow.

<3
Goodnight

P.S.I've decided that tomorrow I am going to do the same thing- longer siesta and then longer time outside at night. Other countries have it down right, napping in the afternoon is wonderful! Here in Rome, it is just too hot during the day to walk around.

P.P.S. I'm madly in love with Rome. I cannot wait to plan a trip back!


Below: 1. view of the Forum from Capitoline Hill 2.Part of the Forum 3. The Colosseum 4. Me walking by the Colosseum 5. Ruins 6. Via del Corso 7. Victor Emmanuel Monument 8.The stairs that I climbed to Santa Maria Aracoeli 9. Me in the campidoglio in front of the statue of Marcus Aurlius 10. Plazzo Senatario 11. Piazza del Popolo and the obelisk that Augustus brought back from Egypt 12. picture on the left in by Caravaggio 13. street in Rome 14. Alley to the Pantheon 15. Pantheon