Oh you should see the Colosseum, Spaniard

When I was little, I had a book of Greek Myths that I practically memorized. I got it one year at a Scholastic Book Fair at St. Mike's, and I read it over and over again. It didn't matter how many times I had read the myth of Persephone, or the myth where Athena is born out of Zeus's bad headache (which then made me paranoid that people were going to pop out of my skull everytime my head hurt), the myths were always a source of entertainment for little Courtney.

Fast-forward 10 years, and it's spring semester my freshman year at Iowa: slightly more mature, but still pretty life-clueless Courtney is deciding which classes to schedule. I needed to take a Humanities Gen-Ed class that semester, and I was having trouble deciding which was the most appealing. Most of the classes had descriptions with them, so I had a better idea of what to expect that semester. One class didn't: Greek Civilization. I was intrigued by the course name, but I wasn't sure what all the class entailed: Is it modern or Ancient Greek Civ? Was I going to have to learn Greek for the class? Do I really want to roll the dice with a class I know nothing about, just because the course name sounds cool? Unsure of which class to take, I did what any mature life-savvy college student would do in that situation: I called my mom. "Take the Greek Civ one, " she said, "It sounds fun." So I signed up for Greek Civilizations. Little did I know that class would change my life.

Greek Civilizations DID turn out to be fun; no, not just fun, AWESOME. I had the best TA, and I read the entire Iliad in two weeks instead of the assigned two months. Despite having a crazy semester class-wise, I would still manage to look up facts about Greek civ and their myths even after I had finished the assigned work. I enjoyed the class so much that I took another class, Classical Mythology, that was taught by the same TA the following summer. Same situation: loved every second of the class, and I found a subject that I truly enjoyed learning. As I was completing my end-of-class evaluation, I had a life-changing epiphany and noted it on my form: "As a result of this class, and the class I took with you last year, I have decided to switch my major from Athletic Training to Ancient Civilizations". And I never looked back.

Ever since that day, and as a result of all the classes on ancient art and history that I had taken, I have been mentally planning my trip to Rome. Some people have to save up their entire lives for such a meaningful trip; I was fortunate enough to find cheap enough airfare on Skyscanner.com for us to go over the long Veteran's Day weekend. The fact that we can GO TO ROME OVER A LONG WEEKEND is probably the most amazing thing about being here: flights are so cheap, that you can visit your dream location for 100 euros round-trip and only after a short flight. Once we had the tickets and hotel booked (Best Western offers military discounts at hotels across Europe, just fyi), I set out to create a ridiculously-obscenely-detailed travel itinerary over the three days we'd be there. I didn't want to waste a second of our Rome time trying to figure out what to see next, where we should eat, how to get there, etc. I even highlighted and noted where different museums and restaurants were on a map before we even left Spain. I have to pat myself on the back though, as we saw everything (and more) I always dreamed about seeing.

We got into Rome after a 2 hour flight filled with RyanAir flight attendants hawking everything from bikini calendars (I wish I was kidding: http://www.ryanair.com/en/calendar *On the way home, the flight attendant described it as the "greatest calendar ever published") to shot-sized cans of Pepsi and flighty American girls behind us talking about seeing "St. Peter's Bassil-something" in Vatican City. Fortunately, the airport RyanAir flies into in Rome was only a short, 8 euro roundtrip, bus ride away from the city center. Like an anxious kid looking out the window for Santa Claus, I sat with a smile on my face as I finally gazed upon the city I had spent years studying. The bus dropped us off right in front of the train station, and we were able to walk over to our hotel, passing sewertops that had SPQR on them (which I took a picture of, naturally).

The hotel was very nice, and a nice breakfast spread and wireless internet were included in the discounted price. The room was pretty small, but clean and we weren't going to be spending much time in there anyways. We dropped off our stuff and met Stu and Emily in the lobby for dinner. We just went to a local place, where we split a bottle of Prosecco, some bruschetta, and enjoyed our own pizzas. The chef had gone home sick, so it wasn't the largest selection in the world, but it was still pretty tasty. We were all pretty exhausted from a product-placement filled flight, so we just hit the sack after dinner, ready to awaken at 7:00 for the Vatican Museums.

So maybe we woke up a little bit later than 7:00am, but we still managed to down a quick Italian breakfast (most European breakfasts consist of pastries, bread, deli meats and cheeses, scrambled eggs and fruit) that included cappuccinos, we walked to the Metro station a block and a half away to head to the Vatican on the opposite side of the city.

Rome really loves its tourists, because there was a tourist metro card option for 11 euro, was good for 5 days and included unlimited subway rides. Que bella! The metro was pretty clean, and we somehow always managed to get to the platform with only a minute or two until the next train. The subway cars are a mix of old and new, with the older ones covered in graffiti and looking like a Ninja Turtle was going to jump out when the doors opened. Despite no chance encounters with Master Splinter, the graffitied subway cars looked pretty cool, and it made me smile that Romans are still graffiting everything in their city-guess not much has changed in the past 2,000 years.


After playing sardine in the cramped subway car, we got off at the Metro stop closest to Vatican City. From the second we stepped onto higher ground (no, not the Papal residence, just out of the subway station), we were approached by people hawking their Vatican Museum tours. Since we had heard/read ahead of time that lines are insane in the morning, we had already bought our tickets and were able to get the tour peddlers off our backs with a smiley, "Soooo-rrryyy! Already got our tickets!". They then pretended like they were just trying to help us find the correct line for entering the Museums. Nice try, folks; the jig is up!


Guidebooks and friends were correct in their advice, as the line to buy tickets was a heck of a lot longer than the NO LINE we had to stand in with tickets already purchased. Since the Vatican is its own "country", we had to go through a reasonable security check to enter the museums and the nation. The Vatican Museums is just as it sounds: many museums within the labyrinth that is the Vatican. Almost every sign you see, no matter what part of the Vatican you're in, will have an arrow pointing "this way to the Sistine Chapel". After taking pictures with the dome of St. Peter's Basil-or something in the background, Elliot and I split off from Stu and Emily, planning to meet for lunch in a few hours. I had very specific things I wanted to see, and we only had 3 days in Rome, dammit! No lollygagging for the Brouses, no siree!


The first amazing thing we discovered in the Vatican Museums was the fact that you can take pictures... and not just any pictures, pictures with FLASH. "Oh hells yes", said Courtney as she entered the Egyptian museum, camera (with flash on) in tow. Since the crowds were pretty thin at that point, we decided that now was the best time to see the Sistine Chapel. We followed the signs that led to the Sistine Chapel, through the maze that is the Vatican Museums, seeing amazing statues, frescoes, and elaborate details along the way. I saw some of my favorite statues, including Laocoon and his sons, the Augustus of Prima Porta, the Discobolus, the Apoxyomenos and a massive bronze statue of Hercules resting (among many other busts and full-length statues that lined EVERY room and hallway-I do not exaggerate). We also went through the Etruscan Museum, and the Greek vase/amphorae collection that contained one of my favorites, Exekias's Achilles and Ajax Playing Dice. Words really can't describe what an unbelievable experience it was for me walking through those rooms and hallways; it's like everything I studied became real for me, and I was able to appreciate the artwork in a way I never have before.

I'm really not even sure where exactly the Sistine Chapel is located in the Museums, as we had to go up and down stairs and through long hallways to reach it; by the time we descended stairs only to ascend another set to finally reach the entrance, I was so turned around I didn't know where the hell I was. I do remember, however, that it was tucked away in a basement area. But oh man, was the walking and confusion worth it. the Sistine Chapel literally took my breath away. Every inch of the (small than I thought) chapel is covered with frescoes that look like they're popping out at you. The colors were so much more vivid than I ever imagined, and your eyes automatically go to the painting of Adam and God. The depiction of the Last Judgment is just magnificent, and the experience of being there was enough to choke me up a little. I'm glad that we went when we did, because the chapel did not have a lot of people in it and we were able to take our time in there. We sat down on (plastic-covered) marble seats along the sides of the chapel and just took in all the detail of the chapel. Despite the people, the guards will occasionally shush the crowd to keep an atmosphere of respect and sanctity. Remembering a line from Good Will Hunting:

"So, if I asked you about art, you'd probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo. You know a lot about him. Life's work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientation, the whole works, right? But I bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel"

....I took extra care to take a mental note of the smell inside the Sistine Chapel. And no, even though I've been there, I can't describe it.

After buying some souvenirs and unsuccessfully trying to hunt down the world's only Latin ATM (it's in Vatican City, and tourists don't have access to it), we got in line to enter St. Peter's Basilica. The line was moving very fast, and we were able to take in the full-length statues that crowned the buildings in the Piazza de San Pietro, the obelisk in the center and the beautiful, white marble buildings that lined the Piazza. We met back up with Stu and Emily at that point, and went through another metal detector to go into the Basilica. We weren't feeling up to going in the dome (plus it cost 10 euro), so we just went into the Basilica itself.

Spanish and Italian cathedrals/basilicas/churches/etc. are very different in their styles, so it's hard to "rank" which ones I like the best. Spanish churches are decorated in gold and precious stones, while Italian churches are covered in wall to wall paintings and frescoes. There really is no way to compare the two; it's like comparing apples to oranges, but both are incredible. St. Peter's Basilica is no exception: just sheer magnificence. It's so much bigger than it looks from the outside, and every side chapel is more detailed than the next. The Pieta is immediately to your right when you enter the Basilica, and the beauty of it, coupled with the fact that you're IN Rome, is enough to make you choke up (again). It is an amazing and moving piece of art; one that you've gotta see to believe.

There was a door with a cross whose bottom was charred next to the Pieta, and people kept going up and touching it. I still have no idea what the significance behind it is, but I took a picture and touched it myself. Don't want to miss out on anything!

All of the popes are buried in the Basilica, with some having more elaborate tombs than others. Pope John Paul II's tomb is relatively plain, but there were plenty of people praying over it, making it noticeable. Other Popes had some downright garish tombs, that probably were paid for by church corruption money (shakes fist at over-elaborate tombs). There were full-sized statues of saints throughout the Basilica, a gigantor altar that was made with melted down antiquities from the Pantheon (sob), and "portals" that allowed you to see the crypts below your feet. The round windows throughout the basilica shined light through in a single beam, making it appear as if God was literally shining down upon you; it was pretty impressive.

Disappointed that I had just missed Confession (my Gigi always asks me the last time I've gone, and it would've just been too awesome if I replied "Last week, in St. Peter's Basilica"), we left the Basilica in search of lunch. On our exit, we saw some bored Swiss Guards who only came to attention when they realized I was going to take their picture and the Vatican Post Office. It was there that I learned of my inability to withdraw money from a Latin ATM. Cue sad trombone: http://www.sadtrombone.com/ . They were also in the process of washing the statues at the tops of buildings, and you could see the immense difference between those that were already washed and the "unclean". Very Biblical... JK

After walking the what must've been miles through the Vatican Museums, we were all ready to sit down and have a good meal. The next stop on our agenda was the Museo Nazionale de Roma: Palazzo Altemps, where the Galatian Suicide statue is, so we headed in that direction... mostly because I had already researched restaurants in that area, and there was one that was cheap and sounded delicious.

Everything in Rome looks ancient and awesome, even the statues on bridges crossing the Tiber River; even those look like they belong in a museum. The walk was about 15 minutes, but our legs were about to fall off by the time we found the narrow street where the restaurant was located. Despite the other restaurants that lined the street, I was determined to eat in a place that was recommended as a non-tourist trap and led the exhausted pack to the place I had in mind. A little hole-in-the-wall family restaurant with photos of Rome in the early 20th century on the walls, it was only one big room so we had to split up our group. With only 2 people per table, we were seated right away. Elliot and I both got hot crusty bread and split a bottle of Pinot Grigio. For lunch, I had spaghetti amatriciana (a Roman staple), and El had the Lonely Planet recommended dish of pasta alla gricia, a penne with olive oil, pecorino cheese, pancetta and black pepper. While mine was very tasty, Elliot's was fantastic. Lucky for me, I have a generous hubs and we split our dishes between the two of us. We also ordered these bowling-ball sized meatballs that were just okay; no matter, the pasta made up for it. We ate more than we probably should have mid-day, but we left satisfied and without a huge dent in our wallets.

On our way to the next museum, we stopped in an Irish pub (shocker for us) and had a beer. The sinks in the bathrooms were a germaphobe's heaven, as they used a foot pedal to start the flow of sink water. What a glorious invention! Now, if only you didn't have to pull a chain to make the toilet flush...

The museum was more fantastic than I had thought, and included many full-sized (and oversized) statues of the gods and goddesses. It was originally a Roman villa, and the museum still has parts of the original walls still standing. I was able to see the Galatian Suicide (one of the first statues that you needed to walk all the way around to appreciate; late Hellenistic period), and the security guard was wicked excited when he found out we had lived in DC. Apparently his parents live in Delaware, and he is all sorts of jazzed to visit the States next year. U-S-A! U-S-A!
On the search for gelato after the museum, we turned down a side street (Elliot swore he led us there) and almost instantly in front of us was the Pantheon. The Piazza where it's located is exactly what you'd picture in your mind: a bustling area lined with restaurants, young people hanging around the fountain in the center, horse and carriage rides being advertised and street performers entertaining the masses. It was all so very Roman that it made me smile. The Pantheon itself is so ancient-looking and impressive that Elliot and I enjoyed the outside more than the inside. Inside, mass was going on and we were able to see the tomb of Raphael, but there's something so sad about all the ancient artifacts from this location being melted down or thrown away because it later converted to a Catholic Church. So instead of spending a ton of time inside the temple to all the gods, El and I sat on the fountain steps, gazing up at the temple and listening to two nearby violinists play. Viva Roma.

We headed back to the hotel and passed by the Trevi Fountain on the way. Living la dolce vita, we took pictures and tossed American pennies into the fountain and made our wishes. It is really a gorgeous fountain, but anything more modern than 2,000 years is a bit bland for me :) Naps were had when we got back to the hotel room, and we went to an area close by that was supposed to have some great Irish pubs (again, shocker). We had a quick dinner in an Italian-Irish bar where the food was surprisingly decent. I'll be the first to admit, the Irish can't really do Italian food, at least in America. The Irish in Italy, on the other hand, have a better grasp on that Italian flavor. The service was terrible, but we got fed for a decent price, so I can't complain.

We had a drink in a bar that was designed like a Wild West train club car, where we watched these ridiculous British music videos that featured plenty of scantily clad women (not random), sledgehammers (random) and skydiving babies (most random). The skydiving babies made me laugh like no one's business, but we all realized that it was our cue to leave. We found a local ex-pat hangout nearby called the Druid's Den, where we encountered many an American. It was pretty awkward when we first walked in, as the entire bar was silent and a lone female singer was singing a sad ('nuther shocker) Irish tune and we had to cut between her and the rest of the crowd to get to our seats. Fortunately for us, Irish fiddles and flutes soon joined her and we realized that we hadn't walked into a private function. The music was pretty entertaining, the bar was so small the musicians had to play at a small, round table. After having a beer in the part of the world that demands wine, we headed back to the hotel and completely crashed.

The next morning, El and I woke up early again to have breakfast before starting Day 2 of our Roman Holiday. Our first stop was the Forum of Trajan, but it was off the Colosseo metro stop, and our plans changed when we emerged out of the subway station and were greeted by the Colosseum. I had yet another "I can't believe I'm here!" close-to-weeping moment, and El and I both agreed that we definitely had to make the Colosseum our first stop.

The Colosseum wasn't that crowded yet, as it was still pretty early, so we got through the ticket line very quickly. Our tickets were good for both the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill/Museum, so it was nice not to have to worry about buying another set of tickets to see that area. I got an audio guide, and we climbed the very steep steps to get into the main part of the Colosseum. The audio guide didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but the map that came with it was helpful in locating the different locations in the Colosseum and on the Palatine Hill.

There are exhibits set up along the hallways of the amphitheatre, so we were able to see ruins of graffiti, columns and statues that once adorned the Flavian Amphitheatre (it wasn't known as the Colosseum until the Middle Ages). Everything is so out in the open that you could probably chip off a piece of a pillar and take it home with you, if you wanted. There were some assholes who were standing and/or sitting on the pillars for a photo opp. I gave them my best "evil eye" and said "What assholes" to Elliot, not realizing that said folks were American and could understand what I said. The lady taking the picture looked sheepish and said sorry to me, then making ME the asshole. Oh well, don't sit on my dreams!

The inside of the Colosseum is just spectacular, and they had re-created part of the arena floor over the ruins, making it "come to life" for the visitors. Everything about the Colosseum fascinates me, including the fact that it was named a holy site by the Pope in the 1700's. In fact, there's a big cross in one of the archways, in memory of the Christian martyrs who (allegedly-no proof that there were sacrifices inside the Colosseum) died in the arena. For me to be inside this arena, one that I had studied and taught my students about for years, was just an out-of-body experience and I couldn't help but think of how lucky I was to be there.

The view of the Arch of Constantine and the Palatine Hill was also fabulous, so after some photos taken from that vantage point we decided to head in that direction. While on the Palatine Hill, we saw the house of Augustus, the stadium complex, toured the underground crypt, the House of Livia and the house of Tiberius, and had some amazing panoramic views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum below us (yes, another steep climb). After our climb up to the Palatine Hill and feeling very Roman Patrician, we descended the hill and social ladder to join the Roman plebs in the Forum.

You feel very tiny walking through the Roman Forum, next to the remains of these MASSIVE temples, and it's not surprising that the ancient people were in awe of the gods given the size of their temples. Everything just seems larger than life, and the arches on the Forum look like they're only 200 years old, not 2,000. We climbed to the top of the Temple of Saturn and gazed upon everything below us, trying to imagine what the Forum looked like in its glory.

We were right by Rome's modern day capitol building, which looks like it could have belonged on the Ancient Roman Forum, so it was interesting to compare the old with the new. The capitol was next to the Imperial Forums, and we were able to see the (amazingly still intact) Column of Trajan, now topped with a statue of St. Peter. It's amazing that people in this modern world are living their life side by side with the memory of people who walked these streets 2,000 years before them.

We had a quick lunch of pizza and pasta carbonara at a nearby restaurant before heading to the Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michaelangelo and the home of the Capitoline Museums. In the center is a copy of the bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, and the steps to the Piazza (of course there were steps, this is Rome and nothing can be an easy walk) were lined by colossal statues. We people-watched on the steps of the Capitoline Museum for a bit, and witnessed a heated Italian argument between a hot, bitchy looking girl and her way out of her league boyfriend in a corduroy blazer and blue "I <3 Rome" t-shirt. Watching Italians argue is practically performance art, and Elliot and I were very entertained by this couple. The argument kept going back and forth, with her finally sitting down and lighting her cigarette (which I predicted to Elliot would happen) and the guy conceding defeat and holding her purse. That's amore.

The Capitoline Museums were not surprisingly pricey, but we meandered up and down steps through them and saw some amazing and ancient pieces of art, like the She-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus, the statue of Brutus (the last king-slayer, not the one of "Et tu, Brute?" fame), the Flavian woman, the constipated bust of Cicero, Commodus as Hercules, the gigantic equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Dying Gaul, Venus Bathing, and the Colossal head, feet and hands of Constantine, amongst many, many others. We took pictures, we climbed steps (again), and we made our way to the Circus Maximus.

The Circus Maximus was on our way back to the hotel, and is open for people to walk on its track. We pretended to run on it and marveled at how well-preserved it still is; it's very easy to imagine chariot races happening and the crowds going nuts for their favorite charioteers. With the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum, everything just seems so....modern. That's what I love about studying ancient cultures: people and human nature really don't change, especially when it comes to entertainment. After a cappuccino next to the C.M., where we attempted to locate the University of Rome, we met up with Stu and Emily to find the University of Rome campus and get a t-shirt.

Fortunately, the campus was nearby our hotel so it wasn't that bad of a walk (after the two days we had of sightseeing, the last thing our legs wanted to do was move). We were met, however, by a ghost town of a campus. The only human beings we saw on the entire campus were a spooky-looking Italian man who seemed to show up everywhere we went to stare at us, his wife who thought we were Italian and a theater guardsmen who told us in broken English that the bookstores were closed. Exhausted and defeated, we rested at the hotel before dinnertime.

Lonely Planet had recommended a restaurant called Papa Bacchus for a delicious, moderately priced meal. I had told Elliot previously that all I wanted for our anniversary was a nice Italian meal in Rome. Italian restaurants in Rome are very small, quaint, quiet and family-oriented, and Papa Bacchus was no exception. The decor was very modern, and there were sliding panels on the walls that led to the kitchen on one side and the bathroom on the other. There were only 3 other groups of people dining with us, including a family who looked like they ordered the entire menu. And thus began the most AMAZING DINNER EVER.

Dinner in this restaurant was an experience, and the staff made sure not to rush us through it. Plates were brought out with enough time spaced between, and everything we ate was amazing. We split two bottles of wine (one red, one white) and the first thing that came out was a basket full of hot, different types of rolls and bread. The first plate was a short macaroni dish with a cherry tomato sauce topped with buffalo mozzarella for me, and pasta alla gricia for Elliot. Holy hell, were they both delicious. Even though our pastas at lunch the previous day were fantastic, these blew them out of the water. We had to force ourselves to stop eating, as we had a beef filet dish ordered for our second plate. The filet was incredibly tender and topped with a brown sauce of caramelized onions. To go with, we ordered broccoli that was stir-fried with olive oil and incredibly tender and tasty as a result. I have had some delicious food in my day, but this meal may have topped them all. Too stuffed to even consider dessert, we paid our check and rolled ourselves out the door.

In serious need of walking off our dinner, we decided to stroll around Rome for a bit and find a place to grab a drink. While we were walking, cars driving by started honking their horns and people were cheering. Assuming that Berlusconi had finally stepped down as Prime Minister (it was expected he would that day), we sat in the Piazza della Repubblica, split a bottle of Pinot Grigio with Stu and Emily and listened to the honks and cheers, taking in the fact that we were witnessing history. After the wine was finished, we went into a warm, cozy pub by the train station that had great music and got some dessert. I had a panna corto with chocolate sauce and whipped cream that was clearly Redi-Whip, and we all felt warm and fuzzy after all that wine....

The next day, El and I enjoyed our last breakfast at the Best Western ArtDeco and made our way across town to the Ara Pacis Museum. The closest metro stop was the Spanish Steps, so we were able to take our picture by the famous steps. I'm glad we didn't seek those out on their own, because they're just, well, steps. There's really not much to see there except the piazza fountain, and the nearby streets that resembled Rodeo Drive with their Gucci, Armani and Valentino stores. The Museum is tucked away behind the glamorous stores, but the prospect of seeing the Ara Pacis excited me more than any $10,000 Fendi purse could. There's really not much to the museum, besides the altar, copies of Roman statues and miniatures of the Campus Martius, but it was something on my "must-see" list. Augustus is one of my favorite historical figures to learn about, so it was exciting for me to see "his" masterpiece. Walking around and in the altar was incredible, but we were pissed that the admission price was jacked up because of an Audrey Hepburn's fashion in Rome exhibit that was going on. The exhibit was not interesting to either of us, but we walked through regardless-trying to see what our extra 6 euros apiece went towards. We both now have a bitter taste in our mouths for Audrey Hepburn movies...

We walked past the under-construction Mausoleum of Augustus and made our way back to the hotel to check out. We met Stu and Emily at the train station, where our bus was going to pick us up, and had a quick lunch at some joint called Pizza Express. It will not surprise you to learn that it was not nearly as good as our dinner the night before. The same flighty girl who was on our flight over got into it with the bus driver because he wouldn't let her bring her ice cream on the bus. When she asked him what she should do with the garbage, he said to throw it on the ground, to which she disgustingly yelled "LITTER!!!????" If she would have held up our bus any longer than she did, she would have had that ice cream up her nose.

We made our way back to the airport and through security quickly, and I was yet again reminded how much more laid-back security at European airports is compared to American airports. The TSA (or Italian-equivalent) agent joked that his wife was crazy when she accidentally ran into a guy with her security bins, and buzzed at me when I went through the metal detector. The RyanAir flight rep didn't even check to see if our bags were too big for carry-ons, thus making my efforts to hide the watercolor paintings we bought underneath my sweater futile. I was a bit disappointed that my smuggling efforts were without merit, but mostly glad to just sit down on the plane. Our legs now jello, and an unbelievable trip stored in our memories, we said 'Ciao' to the Eternal City...