Yesterday, we walked through five thousand years of history, seeing the colosseum, the Ancient Roman ruins, the place where Caesar was cremated and where Marc Antony would've delivered his famous speech had, ya know, Shakespeare lived a few thousand years earlier.
Today--oh, today!--we strolled through the Vatican museums and although we only saw the painting exhibit, it was fascinating to literally live art history, culminating at a Raphael exhibit.
Then, the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel! THE SISTINE CHAPEL!!! (Nope, still doesn't feel real...) Im going to geek out for a moment and admit that I nearly cried at seeing The Creation in person (did you know there's a Creation-of-Eve just above that of Adam?!) in all of its restored, brilliant perfection. It was as if, through his art 500 years later, Michelangelo was reaching out to us, present mankind, and touching our souls and breathing into us the breath of life and of appreciation for divine-like talent, as God so does with Adam in the creation. Besides the Sistine Chapel's role as the election-site for the papacy, it is truly a source of divine inspiration, drawing man's gaze forever to the heavens.
We also visited the Trevi Fountain (swarming with tourists claiming their good luck penny toss), after which I found the most impressive apartment courtyard, stopped in Piaza Novona, and the Pantheon (RAPHAEL IS BURIED THERE!!!), where we sang one of our more impressive intro pieces. It was amazing singing in an architectural phenomenon over 2,000 years old and hearing our voices soar to the gods as the pagans' would have done so many years ago.
Speaking of holy, I found the most incredible coffee shop today. It was just around the corner from the pantheon, and I think it just might be the cafe Liz Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love and subject of one of my all-time favorite movies, frequented for an espresso during her time in Rome! (I found the text of EPL online tonight, and after skimming through it, I must agree with my friend Julie that Liz is entirely too whiney. Many of the other people on the trip are getting whiney, too: my feet hurt, it's so smelly!, this isn't sanitary, do they have real bathrooms here?, I like SUVs better... People, get over yourselves. It's Europe(!) and if you're too blind to whiteness it's true magic, then fine. Just don't ruin the pixie dust for the rest of us.)
Anyway, I treated myself to the most gloriously bitter and froth-topped espresso a burgeoning coffee connoisseur could hope for. Props, again, to Julie for opening my eyes to the wonders of the cocoa bean.
(So far, this whole iPad-picture thing is working out, n'est pas?)
We had a marvelous 3 course dinner of penne in a meat sauce, procutto and pork in a white wine sauce and sautéed potatoes, with tiramisu for dessert (yum!) and headed to the church for the concert.
Oh my, the church. No, it wasn't extravagant like the Francescan church yesterday or supremely beautiful like Notre Dame, BUT St. Catherine was buried there, as well as 4 popes! In addition, two popes were elected there because the church is older than St. Peter's and was used for the papal elections before the Sistine Chapel was a twinkle in Michaelangelo's talented eye. So yeah....I sang within feet of where Catherine is buried. Oh, and get this! The priest on duty saw me drooling over the high choir and he LET ME IN!!! That's right! He let me in (didn't even have to sneak!) the high choir in one of the oldest and most prestigious churches in Rome. (Ill have to get back to you with a name. magedelena something.)
The concert was frankly splendid, with every seat filled. Judging by the faces in the front, they absolutely enjoyed the concert, and it was nice being able to give back to a city after it has already given so much to us in the two short days.
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