I’ve only been in Rome for a couple of weeks but it feels like much longer. What at first felt like a dizzying array of alleyways and roads that I would immediately get lost in, is now starting to be full of meaningful markers, and I am slowly understanding the plan of the city by foot. I didn’t really fully appreciate the nickname “the eternal city” until I spent some time walking around Rome. It’s absolutely awesome to see so many layers of history converging in a romantically haphazard way. The first day seemed more like a dream, and the heat made it equally as unbelievable. Being from Texas, I am used to the heat. That being said, Rome in August is a completely different animal, and being without AC will definitely make the next few weeks here memorable to say the least. Fortunately there is so much to do and see that it is very easy to forget about the heat every so often – and some late afternoon gelato does the trick as well.
Our apartment is perfectly situated between Piazza Navona and the Tiber River. We are quite literally two blocks from Castel Sant’Angelo, and the Vatican City is just another stone’s throw away. Living here for the coming months will literally be like nothing I have ever experienced before and I can hardly hold back my anticipation. It is serious tourist season in Rome currently and it’s almost impossible to find a single Roman on the streets because they are all off on vacation or at the beach. It will be nice to see the city in its normal state come September when everyone settles back down for the winter. Our apartment is spacious and very unique. The European appliances will take some getting used to, and living with 3 other guys will make the refrigerator situation pretty interesting, but we are looking forward to some great home-cooked Italian meals. The food in the grocery stores is inspiring, and what we see as delicacies in the US (cheeses, salty meats, wine and fresh artisan pasta) is normal here and very cheap! Every meal is immediately more satisfying. I think I’m going to be able to get used to this.
I am looking forward to the next two weeks so that I can see as much of the city as possible before the work form Studio begins to pile on. Already I’ve seen countless churches and basilicas – so many that they almost begin to run together. We sit in each for awhile to try and really take it all in, which is virtually impossible as every single corner of these churches is detailed and polished. Every single one is a masterwork. St. Peter’s Basilica being the masterwork of all of the masterworks. I was never expecting to be so completely awestruck by St. Peter’s since I thought I knew what to expect – but I really didn’t. That basilica is so magnificently large and detailed that it would take months to really see and understand everything that has been painted, tiled, carved or constructed within its massive marble walls. Needless to say I will be visiting it again a couple more times, and that goes for a lot of the churches I’ve already seen. Rome is so extensive it will take very good planning to get to everything we want to see. There’s literally never a dull moment because, even if there is nothing to do, we can just walk anywhere and find a new treasure! I don’t think I’ll ever be completely satisfied with how much I will see while I am in Rome for the next couple of months but that just excites me even more for what is to come.
