23/05/09
After a well deserved good night sleep I woke up around 9:30 and headed out to see Rome. My camera ran out of memory since I had over 200 pictures on it so I have no pictures from this day but I did see a lot of cool things. I started at the Castel S. Angelo. This building was once used as a castle for the rich and powerful, had a prison, and was also used as a fortress. It was an amazing building filled with interesting artifacts and had a beautiful views of the city of Rome. I then went to the Vila Borghese which was a park filled with museums and many people. I walked through the Kings once private gardens (which were huge, well maintained, and looked like something out of a movie) checked out some monuments, and relaxed by a pond. I then grabbed a slice of pizza for 3 Euros. The cool thing about Italy is you can by pizza, they will cut it off, weigh it like its deli meat and then charge you for it. I got sausage, cheese, and mushroom, but there was no sauce on it. That is the cheapest way to eat. I then did a ton of walking while just looking around and taking in the town and then went to the Musei Capitolini which is the oldest public museum. It is in a building from the 1500's and I feel like the building was a piece of history itself and didn't need to house precious artifacts. The ceilings were covered in paintings from famous artists and the whole building seemed to have a story to tell. I have noticed through my trips in Europe that ceiling were a lot more important back in the day; covered in art and detail. Not anymore apparently. I then went outside and took a nap outside the colliseum and next to some ancient ruins that have recently been discovered on a bench under a tree since the sun was still beating down on me. After doing some more walking I headed back to the hostel to pick up my journal and upload my photos so I could continue using my camera. I then took a walk and grabbed banana, mango, and coconut gelato and sat outside writing. All flavors were so delicious. I then grabbed a beer and relaxed as the sun set over Rome. After that, we headed out for the spanish steps pub crawl, which started on the Spanish Steps which are a huge group of steps that lead to a church. We went to 4 bars and then out with some cool Italian guys. Many people have said that Rome is a dangerous city, but I never felt endangered. I did watch a lady get her bags robbed but that was because she was an idiot. If you put your bags down in the middle of a crowded street and not watch them, they are obviously going to get stolen. In any big city that you encounter. I will definitely return back to rome on another day. I will put up some pictures of Rome now that I have a few. These are all at night, but some of the sights look magnificent at night. I put up two pictures, one is of the Vittori Emmanuele II Monument, and the second is of the Spanish Steps