So the one thing we forgot was... it was Sunday. I figured trains would be going all the time to Rome, but when we made our way to the train station, the next train going to Rome was at 4. It was now like 9:30am. AHHHH. More time in Bari. We sat in a cafe for hours, I wrote in my journal, and read, as did Kathleen. Danielle slept for awhile. It wasn't completely bad, but we were stuck in Bari for a total of 26 hours. If I ever see Bari again... it will not be good for it. We ended our time in Bari well with gelato.. but gelato makes everything better.
We took a seven hour train to Rome, leaving at 4pm and getting to Rome around 11. I spent the majority of the time reading The Romanov Prophecy, it's the Russian version of Da Vinci Code. It was SO GOOD. I couldn't put it down. It took me about 5/ 5 and a half hours to read, not a personally best. It was sooo good though. Read it. Kathleen picked this novel up in an airport, and just got around to reading it on this trip, and realized how good it was. I had finished reading my two novels- 7 Caesars, and a 100 Years of Solitude, so I would have read anything. But good choice by Kathleen.
We sat in Harry Potter like compartments, which was fun. Kathleen and I were in one, and Danielle was in the one next to us. By the time the journey ended, only I could put my feet up on the chair across from me. Kathleen was very jealous. We sat these two kids, they were fine. They didn't make a lot of noise, so it was all good. I did take a picture of them without their knowledge... hehe
It was very hard to contain my excitement as we got into Rome. I mean... Rome, the home of my dreams! Rome where Marcus Aurelius, Julius Caesar and Augustus ruled, walked, and LIVED! AHHHHHHHH. Of course exploring Rome would have to wait until the next day, but for now I was just happy to be in the city of all my dreams.
Alright to Rome, our first day. Careful, this will be long. I am going to type an entry I wrote in a cafe, across the street from the Colosseum, our first night there. I wrote one entry in the hostel, but it doesn't really make sense... I'm not sure I made sense that whole day. So here we go:
I'm back. It's about a half an hour later, and I am sitting by the Colosseum with the smell of English Breakfast tea coming up under my nose, and at this moment I wonder if things could be any better??? .... Okay yes they can, the waiter just brought me a plate of little cookies and chocolate, now I am in heaven. I have the Colosseum to my left, my first cup of tea since leaving England in front of me, and chocolate... ummm life is beautiful.
There is something about Italian people, one of the waiters just ordered a taxi for a couple who were eating here, and when it arrived, he bounced practically over to the taxi to open the door for them. He was all smiles, and really happy. On his way back into the cafe, he stopped, and leaned over my shoulder, and asked if I was writing about him. How did he know? I said actually yes, and he just laughed. It's weird that I am going on about my tea, and the waiter when ohhh there is this big building to my left... and wait it's the Colosseum. Let me see if I can do the Colosseum, and this day justice.
As I said before, we went to the Colosseum first, once we left the hostel. I would not hear of going anywhere else, I have waited years to see this building. I woke up with a headache this morning, but I got rid of it quickly, nothing was going to mess with this day. We had breakfast in the hostel, just bread and jam, but it's fine. Danielle had the map, and she stopped to check it every 5 seconds. I was practically running to get to the Colosseum, and I was not happy when Danielle stopped every 5 seconds. We were on this one road, and I looked to my right, and there I saw ruins. I saw a forum... and I stopped breathing. I also stopped walking, and it was the first of many times that Kathleen bumped into me. I never meant to stop walking, or breathing, but just seeing these forums, I thought they might be the famous forums, just made me stop and stare. Even if they weren't the most famous ones, like ohhhh Julius Caesar's, or Augustus's... it still had the name of some famous Emperor on it. I was half right, some of what I saw was the Forum of Julius Caesar. So I finally started walking again, I just knew I was going in the right direction, so when Danielle stopped to check the map again, I didn't stop. I kept walking, and I came to the end of this street, looked around the corner, and there it was... the Colosseum. I stopped once again.
I couldn't move, breath, blink... anything. I just stared at the Colosseum, this building I see every time I watch Gladiator, that is in every history book, that is a symbol of the great city of Rome. I close my eyes, and I see it as clearly as I did when I turned that corner, and looked on it for the first time. It was even better than seeing the Acropolis for the first time, and I would even put it up there with when I saw the Castle at Disney for the first time. I don't spent half my day thinking about Disney though, like I do Rome. (For example, this isn't in my journal, but right now I'm watching HBO Rome, and Titus Pullo is about to kill Cicero aka Mr. Collins from the A&E Pride and Prejudice. I'm good at doing two things at once) Rome is an important part of my life, I love the history of the place, and I know so much about my favorite Emperors, so to see a building that one of my favorite Emperors sat in... still takes my breath away. As always, I wish I could have seen it in all it's glory, to be there during a gladiator fight, and the crowd cheering on the fighters. Seeing an Emperor granting life, or sentencing death with either a thumbs up or down... that would be quite a sight, and of course now impossible.
agree. I don't have to watch HBO Rome anymore to The waiter I was talking about, was just talking to an American family next to me, they are from NY. They were having a discussion about how big America is, the beauty, and all the different people. They started talking about the Colosseum, and how modern life goes on with so much history in the middle. The guy brought up HBO Rome, and how interesting it was to watch the show, learn all about the childhood of Augustus, and then come to Rome and see his forum. I so agree. I don't need to watch HBO Rome anymore, to get a picture of it in my head, I'm here. It's just across the street.
When I was inside of the Colosseum today, the Barbarian Horde was running through my had. I could see Maximus leading the gladiators, Commodus watching and doing his little (woohoo), and the crowd cheering and eagerly waiting for bloodshed. I keep looking at it, afraid it's all a dream, or that I am not really here. I think I'm going to leave now, and just stare at this beautiful, majestic ruin.
To the rest of my day, after the Colosseum was the Palentine Hill. Rome doesn't really believe in signs, so I am looking at all these ruins of houses, and just thinking, WHAT ARE YOU! Where is Augustus's house? Who use to stand here? I needed signs, I would have taken them in Italian! Since Kathleen didn't know what anything was, she made it all up. She had a huge room for shoes, a big dining hall... she had it all planned out. It was so funny. We ate after the hill, and then continued on to the Trevi Fountain. This was our Trafalgar Square. Kathleen and I loved this place. It was just amazing, so many people, that it was hard to get close to it at first, but we did manage just fine. We threw coins into the fountain, if you stand with your back to it, and throw a coin over your shoulder then you will return to Rome. If you throw two then you will find love in Rome. I threw one, I just want to return. We sat on the steps of the fountain for awhile, people watching, and I just smiled at the thought of being in Rome.
After the Fountain, I suggested the Mausoleum of Augustus. We walked up there, Kathleen and Danielle just followed me. They had no interest in it, but to me, this was getting close to seeing the Colosseum. I do love Augustus, and not because of HBO Rome. I just think he's a good Emperor, I mean he did so much when he was so young. We stopped by a fountain close to the tomb, and rested. I couldn't exactly find it, so I rested and wrote a postcard or two, before getting up, and searching for it. Kathleen and Danielle had a power nap on the fountain. I found the tomb, and just sat on the steps, and did nothing. It was so cool to see it. I remember seeing a picture of it last year in Rome class, and my teacher said that it was an ugly building, and yes it is, but who cares. I was in Rome, looking at the tomb of Augustus. HEAVEN!
That was basically our day, we headed back after seeing his tomb. It was an amazing day, and this is a long entry.
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