Glass of holy water with a side of sin.
Well, lots of things have happened since I last wrote.
On the 15th, we went to the Vatican. All I can say in reference to this is "Holy shit." (No pun intended.) It was rediculous. The things that people will do for God just shocks the hell out of me. St. Peter's Basilica (that's the huge, fancy church in Vatican city) was incredible. It was so elaborate and ornate and old. We had to pass through security just to get in, and there were these guys making sure everyone had their shoulders and knees (and all the parts in between) covered. The Italians are reall psycho about that: everyone has to be totally covered in their churches.
So after we walked around inside the church, we went to this museum with lots of old relics and other assorted religious shit. Definitely interesting. There was some Pope that had this huge bronze tomb thing made for him. It was like the size of my bedroom. Insane. There was tons of little gilt crosses and boxes containing pieces of the "true cross" or little bits of important religious people and stuff like that. I found this a bit creepy. The way people would find something that they beleived to be holy (who knows where this shit really came from) and built little (and not so little) golden, jeweled boxes for it.
As for the Pope, I didn't actually see him, but I saw where he supposedly lives, and it was guarded by these guys in absolutely rediculous uniforms/costumes. I am really glad I didn't see the pope, because I think that would have terrified me. After seeing the museums with all the holy garmets and cross scepters and stuff. And the current Pope, once I figured out who he is, scares me. I mean, the old Pope looked all happy and fatherly, like a guy you could just talk to about stuff, religious or no. The new one looks like he eats babies or something (eternal damnation, here I come...) If I were to meet the new Pope, I think I would lie and say I was Catholic.
So after the Vatican and its various museums, I went to eat dinner at Piasa Novona with this dude we met at the hostel. It was expensive, but good. There were tons of street performers out, like a guy juggling fire. Definitely a fun change of pace.
The next day, the 16th, we went to the Colesseum. I was expecting it to be a little more whole and well preserved. It was kinda falling completely apart. They were apparently trying to fix it though. It was impressive, considering when it was built, and for what purpose. I told Scott (excitedly) that they used to murder Christians, right here in this very spot! It was really ironic though, becuase there is now this huge cross right in the middle of the entrance. Like they are trying to make up for it or something.
I've also concluded that every biulding eventually becomes a Catholic chapel at one point or another. The Pantheon, which used to be a pagan temple, is now a Christian church. We saw it on our first day in Rome. It was totally amazing. The ceiling is open in the middle so it rains inside, and it's made out of big slabs of fancy marble, and it was really well preserved.
Anyway I came to this conclusion when we visited what is supposedly the prison where the apostle Peter was kept after starting up Christianity. It was either converted to a church, or the church was just biult on top of it, right next to another Catholic church. The people in Rome must be like "Holy shit, we can't see a Catholic church from the Catholic church we are standing at, we better build another!"
So after the Colesseum, we wandered around some ruins, which were cool, but looked remarkably similar to all of the other ruins we have seen: like piles of rocks and columns. I had to make notes which picture numbers were which so I could distinguish things. Several of these things were pagan temples that were left to rot.
Later, we went to see the oldest Christian chuch still standing. It looked similar to every other church I have visited. Joy. Scott was disappointed, because he said he didn't expect it to look so Catholic. :/ I was getting tired of so much religion at this point.
At about 4 pm that day, Scott and I decided to part ways. We both wanted to see different things, so we just split up. I went to Florence, and he stayed in Rome an extra night and then headed to Nice, France.
Florence (where I was on the 17th and 18th) was amazing. Their Cathedral there is the coolest one I have seen in all of Europe. It is huge and white with green marble accents. Florence was the cleanest city in Italy, but still filthy in comparison to the German-speaking world.
I saw the statue of David, which I thought was going to be just a statue like any other, but it was like three times as tall as me, and it was so perfectly sculpted. I see why people make such a huge deal about it. There's really no describing it.
And I have to end on that note because my train leaves soon, and I need to get back to the station. More will come.
On the 15th, we went to the Vatican. All I can say in reference to this is "Holy shit." (No pun intended.) It was rediculous. The things that people will do for God just shocks the hell out of me. St. Peter's Basilica (that's the huge, fancy church in Vatican city) was incredible. It was so elaborate and ornate and old. We had to pass through security just to get in, and there were these guys making sure everyone had their shoulders and knees (and all the parts in between) covered. The Italians are reall psycho about that: everyone has to be totally covered in their churches.
So after we walked around inside the church, we went to this museum with lots of old relics and other assorted religious shit. Definitely interesting. There was some Pope that had this huge bronze tomb thing made for him. It was like the size of my bedroom. Insane. There was tons of little gilt crosses and boxes containing pieces of the "true cross" or little bits of important religious people and stuff like that. I found this a bit creepy. The way people would find something that they beleived to be holy (who knows where this shit really came from) and built little (and not so little) golden, jeweled boxes for it.
As for the Pope, I didn't actually see him, but I saw where he supposedly lives, and it was guarded by these guys in absolutely rediculous uniforms/costumes. I am really glad I didn't see the pope, because I think that would have terrified me. After seeing the museums with all the holy garmets and cross scepters and stuff. And the current Pope, once I figured out who he is, scares me. I mean, the old Pope looked all happy and fatherly, like a guy you could just talk to about stuff, religious or no. The new one looks like he eats babies or something (eternal damnation, here I come...) If I were to meet the new Pope, I think I would lie and say I was Catholic.
So after the Vatican and its various museums, I went to eat dinner at Piasa Novona with this dude we met at the hostel. It was expensive, but good. There were tons of street performers out, like a guy juggling fire. Definitely a fun change of pace.
The next day, the 16th, we went to the Colesseum. I was expecting it to be a little more whole and well preserved. It was kinda falling completely apart. They were apparently trying to fix it though. It was impressive, considering when it was built, and for what purpose. I told Scott (excitedly) that they used to murder Christians, right here in this very spot! It was really ironic though, becuase there is now this huge cross right in the middle of the entrance. Like they are trying to make up for it or something.
I've also concluded that every biulding eventually becomes a Catholic chapel at one point or another. The Pantheon, which used to be a pagan temple, is now a Christian church. We saw it on our first day in Rome. It was totally amazing. The ceiling is open in the middle so it rains inside, and it's made out of big slabs of fancy marble, and it was really well preserved.
Anyway I came to this conclusion when we visited what is supposedly the prison where the apostle Peter was kept after starting up Christianity. It was either converted to a church, or the church was just biult on top of it, right next to another Catholic church. The people in Rome must be like "Holy shit, we can't see a Catholic church from the Catholic church we are standing at, we better build another!"
So after the Colesseum, we wandered around some ruins, which were cool, but looked remarkably similar to all of the other ruins we have seen: like piles of rocks and columns. I had to make notes which picture numbers were which so I could distinguish things. Several of these things were pagan temples that were left to rot.
Later, we went to see the oldest Christian chuch still standing. It looked similar to every other church I have visited. Joy. Scott was disappointed, because he said he didn't expect it to look so Catholic. :/ I was getting tired of so much religion at this point.
At about 4 pm that day, Scott and I decided to part ways. We both wanted to see different things, so we just split up. I went to Florence, and he stayed in Rome an extra night and then headed to Nice, France.
Florence (where I was on the 17th and 18th) was amazing. Their Cathedral there is the coolest one I have seen in all of Europe. It is huge and white with green marble accents. Florence was the cleanest city in Italy, but still filthy in comparison to the German-speaking world.
I saw the statue of David, which I thought was going to be just a statue like any other, but it was like three times as tall as me, and it was so perfectly sculpted. I see why people make such a huge deal about it. There's really no describing it.
And I have to end on that note because my train leaves soon, and I need to get back to the station. More will come.