ROME

Rick Steves' Best of Europe in 14 Days

Sept. 17-18, 2008

Under a perfect azure sky, Carla (a local guide) and Dave showed us the marvels of ancient Rome. The 2,000-year-old Colosseum loomed over us, its aged façade a stark contrast to the 21st-century traffic buzzing by on all sides.

The stadium held 50,000 thundering fans, who sometimes gave life-or-death judgments with a twist of their thumbs.

The costumed gladiators outside the Colosseum were a reminder of the stadium's grim past. We steered well clear of them.

Several hundred yards away, the ruins of the Roman Forum awed us with their majesty. I'll never forget the sight of these ancient buildings glowing in the late-afternoon sunlight.

The Pantheon, our next destination, was built in 100 A.D. The dome was Europe's largest for about 1,400 years and was the inspiration for later Renaissance domes.

I couldn't believe how the ceiling's 30-foot-wide oculus kept the Pantheon so well lit.

dinner in Rome with tour friends
By this time, we had worked up quite an appetite, so Dave pointed out some inviting restaurants at a nearby piazza. My cannelloni was delizioso!

On our last day (no, it can't be!) in Rome, we visited the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.

The Vatican Museum is an immense trove of art treasure from around the globe and across the centuries. The enormity of this art collection is mind-boggling. Room after room filled with statues, sculptures, tapestries, and paintings overwhelm the mind.

Two of my favorite pieces were the sculpture of Diana, goddess of the hunt, and Raphael's School of Athens, which filled one whole wall in a large room.

Even the ceilings in the Vatican Museum are works of art.

But the best was yet to come! The Sistine Chapel was up next!

There, in the Sistine Chapel, we simply stood in hushed silence, craning our necks at the masterpiece 68 feet above us. Photos were not allowed, understandably, but you can use this postcard to help you imagine the scene. It was just breathtaking to see Michelangelo's ceiling in person after seeing it in textbooks my whole life!

By the way, the postcard is one Gene mailed to himself from Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, which has its own postal system.

Nearby, the dome-capped St. Peter's Basilica was waiting to dazzle us, as well. We had seen some very impressive cathedrals and churches already on this trip, but nothing really prepared us for the size and grandeur of this church. It's enormous—it holds 60,000 people. Bernini's bronze, canopy-like altarpiece beneath the dome is 98 feet tall! Roman Catholic or not, one can't help but be amazed in this magnificent place.

And finally, there's Michelangelo's Pieta, which is just inside the doors in St. Peter's Basilica. I loved its pure simplicity. Again, we just stood in awe.

As we were getting ready to leave St. Peter's, we noticed that the center section of the basilica was quickly being roped off. Then church officials and Swiss guards escorted in some visiting dignitaries—another impressive sight!

And, suddenly, it was time for our last group dinner. If our faces look a little somber, it's because nobody wanted this incredible journey to end.

One last "buddy-check" with Don and Julie and we headed off our separate ways.

But if the Trevi Fountain works its magic, we'll be back! Tossing in those coins just assured us a return visit.
I can't wait!

Overall impressions of Rome:

It was amazing to see buildings 2,000 years old!

Seeing the Colosseum and the Forum gave us a sense of the glory days of the Roman Empire.

I absolutely loved Michelangelo's awe-inspiring ceiling in the Sistine Chapel!

St. Peter's Basilica was even more spectacular than I imagined.

Italy has the BEST FOOD on the planet!

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