trains, buses, and a foot fetish

I must say that Rome is like no other city in the world. First of all it is OLD and second of all it is so full of tourist that you can walk around with a map in hand walking down the street and crossing streets and you won't get yelled at or hit by a car. Melanie and I arrived in Rome after taking the 12:30am train and I can tell you that there are only certain people that take the 12:30 train. They are scary people. I hardly slept thinking that I would be robbed or molested in my sleep. I spoke with a Nigerian man who was very nice-he asked me how Obama was doing (I said fine and that I would tell him hello when I arrived back). We arrived at 6:30am in Rome and took a Metro to our flat than a quick change of clothes and off to see the sights.

Yesterday we went to the Trevi fountain and the Spanish steps. Later we went to see the Panthenon and the piazza Novena. It was incredible seeing all these old buildings and monuments that date back to 1BC.

We also spent a good portion of the evening looking for a foot. A marble foot that is all that remains of a statue from a couple hundred years ago. We followed the map and asked people where it was and finally we found it! It was behind a wooden barricade because it needed some work done on it. Can't believe I spent that much time looking for a foot and never found it.

We also bought some wine last night but have yet to drink it. I guess we bought a fizzy red wine that taste best when it is chilled but our flat has no fridge and ice is a foreign concept here. I like any type of wine especially when it is open and going down my throat--so now we have a bottle of wine sitting in the room waiting to be drank tonight-ice or no ice! Last night I was really just too tired.

On the way home last night it started raining and caused a lot of confusion. The train line ends at 9pm for some crazy reason and than we had to take a bus back home. The bus was crowded and sweaty, it smelled and there was chaos caused by the rain. I thought it would take forever to get back because of the traffic and the stop lights but it wasn't really bad at all.

Today I went to the Colleseum and the Roman Forum. Melanie did not want to go inside but I felt I had to. So she went to some church and I walked around it following tour guides and listening to tidbits when I could. It was the coolest thing ever--people were brutally killed in there and I felt this overwhelming sense of everything that happened there. I went to the Forum afterwards but I must say that nothing is labeled and it is hard to know what you are looking at. I know that they don't know what everything is for sure but it was very confusing.

Right now I am hanging out at Steve's flat (provided by ACLE) while he is cooking ME dinner. Sharing a bottle of wine right now and than heading back to drink the bottle of wine at my flat (hopefully Melanie hasn't broken into it yet). Tomorrow the Vatican and than leaving on Friday for FLorence.