We got one last look at Florence as we headed towards the train station in the morning. It was during the morning rush hour, so most of the glances around were, “Am I about to be hit by a car, motorcycle, bus, or autobike?”
Not to play up any stereotypes, but EVERY SINGLE TRAIN going into Roma Termina was at LEAST 10 minutes late. Everyone one of them. When we were in Prague, or Vienna, they would get on the intercom and apologize at every stop. Not so in Italy it seems. We’re just happy to get here.
We ended up in the Big Mama hostel (minbak) which is a freaking PALACE compared to the stuff we had to tolerate in Venice. We’ve got a clean rooms, funtioning toilets NOT inside the shower stall, and a great, easy to find location. Venice this is not. We came here planning to move somewhere else despite it coming highly recommended. Instead, we’re taking the couple room tomorrow for the next three nights. It’s so nice, and SO clean, and the food, (breakfast and dinner) are free. I just had a literal feast of Samgaetang with 20 other people for free. I don’t mind Korean food in Italy if it’s drool worthy. I’ll just enjoy my Italian lunches even more. For the price ( nearly 1/4th the price of the cheapest recommended place in guide books in English), it’s an absolute steal.
Today, we went to the National Museum of Rome. This is supposed to be the best place in the world to see Roman art. Nearly everything was a copy of something from Greece according to the descriptions I heard. At least they stole well. I saw “The Discus Thrower” (Discobolus) and “Thermae Boxer“. Did you know Greek and Roman boxers ONLY hit each other’s heads? Nothing below the neck? What a wonderful sport THAT must have been to watch.
From there, we went to the Baths of Diocletian. Some punk, named Michelangeo, went and built a church over it. Man, what a jerk. What did he ever amount to? Oh right… According to the guide book I was reading, all the floors of the original baths were MUCH lower than the church we walked around in today. The conspiracy theorist in me says this is all an elaborate cover up to keep some pimped out baths for the Pope hidden in Rome.
Finally, we went to Santa Maria della Vittoria, which houses “St. Teresa in Ecstasy“. You’d have to be DEAD to look at that sculture in person and not feel something. The light shines down through the roof, golden, and the entire scene looks…perfect. The church surrounding it isn’t bad either, but damn. St. Teresa is really emotive.
Tomorrow is probably going to be one of the more interesting days on the trip. A Korean tour of the Vatican. Yeah, I don’t know how that’s going to work out either. I’m charging my Cowon D2, and keeping an open mind. That is, unless I am on some sort of “Do not enter” list of the Vatican for having a website and nickname with the word “devil” in it.
