When in Rome...

We arrived in Rome, and it didn't take us too long to realize that other than the amazing Italian food and warm weather, it was almost night and day compared to Venice. There is so much to see and do in Rome, and it is busy, busy, BUSY! There are so many people, and we were probably warned about a hundred times to watch out for pick-pockets. 

The first thing we did in Rome was head to the Colosseum, which was obviously at the top of all of our lists of things to see! Notice the crazy traffic...

The Colosseum is absolutely gigantic. I can't even really describe the experience of seeing it in person. It has always been something I've wanted to see, and it certainly did not disappoint!

We were able to go on an English-speaking tour once we got inside the walls of the Colosseum, which was so neat to learn exactly when and how it was used. And we got to hear a lot of gruesome Gladiator stories. :)

Lindsay and I inside the Colosseum...

I'm not sure if it was the vivid story-telling of our tour guide or my own imagination, but this is the one historical landmark I've seen where I felt like I could really picture what went on there when I was inside. Having seen the movie Gladiator with Russell Crowe probably helped a little too. :)

Speaking of, this is where the Emperor of Rome used to sit to watch the gladiators...

Jordan loved seeing the Colosseum! I loved it too, but I think he had a slight edge on me. Maybe it's a guy thing?!

After the Colosseum, we also got to take a tour of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, which both make up the remains of the ancient city of Rome.

Here is the view of the Colosseum from Palatine Hill...

There weren't as many cool doors in Rome, but I did manage to find a few. :)

Linds and Jord leading the way through the Roman Forum...

The joke of this trip was to try and say "when in Rome" and "by the beard of Zeus" as many times as possible (if you've seen the movie Anchorman, you might understand.) We came across this statue of Zeus, and naturally, Lindsay had to get a picture by it. :)

Although it wasn't everywhere you turned like it was in Venice, there was some Italian charm in Rome...

Here we are in front of the Pantheon, first Lindsay and I, and then Jordan and I. There were so many people around that we decided to make ourselves "stand out from the crowd"...

The next day we went to see Vatican City. Again, we were able to do a really cool English-speaking tour of everything, which was so helpful. I had no idea how big and extensive the Vatican Museum was -- they say it's four miles long! It is definitely comparable to the Louvre in Paris as far as the amazing art and artifacts it contains. 

At the very end of the tour we got to walk through the Sistine Chapel, which has the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, including the well-known "Creation of Adam" image. I didn't really know what to expect from the Sistine Chapel, but when I looked up at the ceiling I was in complete and total awe. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen in my entire life. I think knowing that it took Michelangelo four years to complete it made it even more fascinating! We weren't able to take pictures inside (although a lot of people broke the rules!), but click here to see some images of the Sistine Chapel. 

St. Peter's Square is the next well-known place to see in Vatican City. It contains the famous St. Peter's Basilica, which is the highest building in Rome. In fact, to this day, by law no other building in Rome can be built higher than St. Peter's. 

This is my favorite picture from Vatican City; it is how I, personally, saw it... beautiful, but just a little off...

What I mean by that, and I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this, is that everything just seemed overwhelmingly ornate and overdone... it just didn't give off a very "Christ-like" feeling, if you know what I mean. Lindsay hit it right on the head when we were walking through St. Peter's Basilica and she said, "Uh... I'm not quite sure that this is what Jesus had in mind. I mean, come on, WWJD?!"  :)

Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful, but seriously, necessary?? Here is a tiny glimpse of the inside of St. Peter's Basilica...

Here are all the chairs set up in St. Peter's Square probably for a service or a word from the Pope maybe...? 

Jordan and I in St. Peter's Square...

To see all of our pictures from Vatican City, click here.

Our last night in Rome, we decided to walk over to the Colosseum to see it all lit up. They do such an amazing job with the lighting -- it was more of a subtle glow, and it looked so enchanting.

We all loved Rome, and left with quite a few funny stories. Our biggest regret was not getting a picture with the guy who ran our little hotel -- his name was Santi, and he was Italian to the core! He took such great care of us, bringing us wine, folding our clothes, wanting to take us out to the disco every night (although we respectfully declined!) He was a riot, and I will never forget him coming to greet us in his baby blue velour pajamas. :)

To see all our pictures from Rome, click here.