And a Happy New Year!
I'm baaaack! How is everyone?
I have been away on a very long trip with the spousal unit. He wanted to see Europe, so we traipsed through a few cities in Italy, popped by Paris, and spent Christmas in London. Of course his wallet and credit cards were not too pleased by the time we touched down back home, but we were very satisfied with our almost-too-long vacation.
We landed in Rome after a grueling flight, but somehow my husband was still energetic and lively, so we headed to the Coliseum. I had expected a large building, of course, yet I was still awed by just how humongous it truly was. What got to me more was the melancholic air around it. It felt odd, looking at this arena that had once housed the rich and famous, now falling to bits while tourists poke and pry and seagulls wheel about screaming for the ocean. (I apologize for the crappy photographs... I am not a good photographer.)
I think what stuck with the most about Rome was the sense of age, forgotten. All the fallen columns and arches that litter the grounds about the Coliseum seemed like fossilized bones of some legendary beast. I suppose in a sense that is quite true. Rome as the heart of Western Civilization is no longer, and all that is left are the stories told of the Roman empire and massive, crumbling rock structures.
The glory of Rome, indeed.
On a side note: the spaghetti carbonara and lasagna we had in a roadside cafe in Rome remain the BEST Italian meal we had throughout the trip. I wish I had got the name of the eatery.
(The next blog post will be on the Vatican City, and the lessons I learned in the Basilica of St. Peter.)