.... Rome ...

Our last day in rome consisted of sleeping in (8:30 lol), breakfast on the rooftop, and a stroll through central Rome. We started at the base of the Spanish steps, climbed up them, took some pictures, then back down again! They weren't too impressive. We cruised down through some of the main shopping areas to the Piazza Venezia which is the location of the Victor Emmanuel monument, a pretty ginormous structure. This is the location of my run in with the Italian Polizia. Ok, it wasn't much of a run in, but I got a whistle blown at me for trying to go some place I shouldn't. Twice actually, the first time as a quick warning that I didn't really realize was directed at me, the second whistle (a long, get the hell back or I'll beat you with this billy club kinda whistle) finally got my attention and I retreated. Following a deluge of more pictures, we walked back to get our bags, lunch, and a 1:15 train.

The train is again where I type this message, and as I peer out the window at the Italian countryside filled with old little towns built atop hillsides, grape vines that are just past harvest (they are starting to turn yellow and to die off for the winter), I also noticed that the powerline poles are painted the colors of the Italian flag. Neat.

Just an additional note about the Vatican Museum... I don't think I've seen so many people waiting in a line, nor have I ever seen some many people crammed into a building. It was quite strange, the museum has probably 100,000 "specimens" to look at, supposedly the most expensive collection in the world, and nobody was really stopping to look at anything. It was as if everyone was being corralled through to see the finale, the Sistine chapel. The whole time the only signs you see are "Cappela Sistine --->". The museum almost makes you think that's the only thing in there, and people are just following everyone in front of them like cattle, not really looking at anything, just wanting to get to the chapel. Sad kinda.



WTF: