Trip to Rome

I celebrated Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday in Rome. Tze Wei came to visit from the US, and we traveled to Europe during the long weekend break. If you've read some of the comments in this blog, she's the one with the initials "TW". We were ex-Gamuda scholars and it was great meeting up again in a foreign country.

Piazza Venezia

Before I went to Rome, I had great expectations of this city. Rome is a "cocky" city that makes bold statements like "come with high expectations, and we can surpass that!".

Rome

I was overwhelmed! Vatican City is a country within a city-Rome. It's like saying a carpark in a car. I know it makes no sense, but this tiny country is also the most stable and prosperous country in the world, as reported yesterday.

They say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". But I ask what exactly do the Romans do that we must do in Rome? Roman bath? Gladiator? Drink water from the public tap? Worship the sun? or...errr pick pocket? I have no idea.

Do as the Romans do?

But I found out that running the Rome marathon backwards is gaining popularity there. That's running 42.195km backwards! I can't imagine doing that for 4.2km! Probably that's something I can do when I return to Rome next time.

Rome is an old and historically rich city. It's more than 2500 years old. It is a city of great architectural and engineering splendour. That means this city has started appreciating art and science 500 years before Christ was born and that's really impressive especially when you see the ruins of the Roman Forum. I can't even imagine what is Malaysia like 2500 years ago.

Palatine Hill

Roman Forum, here since 2500 years ago

Ape-like people were probably still playing stones in Malaysia when the Romans were already talking about sustainable development (who knows!).

If Rome is a showcase of art and science, then Vatican City is a representation of "heaven". Or at least the country's interpretation of that. Vatican City is not another country that has passport control before entering. In fact, it charges visitors! And your passport to enter is a 16 Euro barcoded ticket!

Queue to get into Vatican City
(click to enlarge)

Vatican City is perhaps the most unreal thing I have ever come across. It's not about the carpark in a car analogy. It's the entire content packed into this country. In fact I didn't feel like I was in another country. I felt like I was in another world - an unreal world. The last time I felt like living in another world was when I was in Cambridge.

I read that Rome is nicknamed "The Eternal City". I think Vatican City is "Eternity in Art". Almost every nook and cranny on the ceiling and wall in the Vatican Museum are covered either in paintings, drawings or sculptures! Whoever painted them must have a sore neck!

Tze Wei

Tze Wei and I were absolutely in awe admiring those paintings on the ceiling. We joked that the people then must have been really free to spend so much time on the ceiling. Mind you, these are not wallpapers! Even if they were, they will probably have broken a few printing machines trying to duplicate the entire work of art!

Vatican Museums

We also came out with more questions as we stumbled upon more paintings. "How on earth did he do that!?", "How are those paintings maintained?", "Does the Pope keep and view all of them?", "Does the Pope ever need or bother to see other paintings in the world???"

We took 2 hours to finish the Vatican Museums before reaching the apex of the tour - Sistine Chapel, residence of the Pope and great paintings by Michelangelo. By that time, we got really "sick" of seeing anymore paintings. We felt numb in our thoughts. It's like having a nice jewelery and admiring it for 48 hours. You get "sick" after a while.

Sistine Chapel

The feeling sunk in. This is unreal because in the real world, an art by Michelangelo the size of my laptop could easily cost me a leg and a limb. Vatican Museum measures in kilometres!

Our trip also covered a few other places like the Colosseum, where the gladiators fought, St Peters Basilica, The Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and a few churches.

Above two photos taken in St Peter's Basilica

Pieta by Michelangelo (St Peter's Basilica)

Panorama of Colosseum
(click to enlarge)

Pantheon

Verita, the mouth of truth

Italian food is always known for five things - Pizza, Pasta, Mozzarella, Coffee and Gelato. We had them almost every meal except the last when we decided to try Chinese food in this part of the world. We found it amusing that my favourite Fried Wonton is known as "Fried Ravioli" here.

There are just too much that I could write about this trip. However, I think I will keep it up to here for now. Pictures are more self-explanatory.

I threw a coin over my shoulder when I visited the Trevi Fountain. The people believe that when you do that, you will return to Rome.

Trevi Fountain 1

Trevi Fountain 2

I did that not because I already know that I will return to Rome in May when my parents visit. I did it for....**how can I tell what I wished for**....