I also went to a gelateria with over 150 flavors of ice cream. So then again, maybe not.
First thing for me this morning was this nice note from my host at my B&B with my breakfast place all set up. She hopes I'm having a great time and told me to give her a call if I need anything. Too nice! I'm liking this place - and not just because they keep a giant jar of Nutella in their "guest" spread for breakfast.
The first half of my day was my first dose of this "culture" I spoke of. I spent a good long while in the Vatican museums and then checked out St. Peter's Basilica/Square. This place was mind-blowing my huge. The Oby reason I could process how much was there was probably only because I went to the Louvre and Versailles last year. There was some pretty crazy stuff in addition to the normal collection of statues and religious artwork. Like an actual mummy, partially uncovered. Creepy and gross and really, really cool. Also, tapestries reaching far and wide, at least 20 square feet, if not more. Ceilings that looked like this down most every hallway:
Oh yeah, and the Sistine Chapel. No big deal. As per my usual behavior, I used some sleight of hand to score you guys a picture. See if you can pick out Creation of Adam!
Yes, it was insanely awesome. Sometimes, I still can't believe I'm even on this trip. Also, go to the Vatican in the morning. And be prepared to push through tons of tour groups. I didn't feel like spending all day in there, so I just reserved tickets online (also the way to go - you skip the big line to get in) and walked myself through the museums and that was entry good enough for me.
I came back to drop off something expensive I purchased while there, and decided to take a little nap, which was almost as good as seeing the Sistine Chapel.
After that, I headed towards the Colosseum to begin the sightseeing portion of the day! ....except it was closed. Why? The guards were on strike today. What?? What is it with Europeans and striking? Oh well, I adjusted my schedule and moved on. I walked to Piazza Venezia, then to the Pantheon. I then came upon the gelateria I mentioned earlier, which was suggested to me by my Canadian friends from Florence See? I wasn't kidding about those 150 flavors.
I went ahead and got the medium sized cup, and had Nutella, Strawberry Yogurt, and regular Yogurt (which had this awesome border-line cream cheese sort of thing going). It was sooooo good. Is it sad that the thing I think I'll miss most about Italy is the gelato on every corner? And no, fro-yo is NOT the same.
Next, I came upon the wonderful Trevi Fountain! It's interesting, because I always thought it was in some big square. It's not, by the way. It's in the middle of a bunch of buildings with a street running alongside it, and kind of comes out of nowhere. People were obviously crowded around it, though. I got pictures, watched it glowing in the twilight, threw in a coin and was on my way.
Finally? The other really "cultured" part of my day. My friends, I attended the ballet at the Teatro d'ell Opera di Roma.
I read that you can get discounted tickets the day of AND for being 25. So I went for it. Second row in the middle for 45€. Normally 120€. Suck it, Europe. I'm saving money left and right.
As you can see in my picture, I saw Romeo and Juliet (or "Romeo e Guiletta" as they say it here). Luckily, it was a story I already knew, so following my first ballet wasn't too difficult. It was interesting, as I'd never seen this particular brand of theatre before. I've seen dancing of course, but never an actual ballet. It was lovely, though odd at times, since there is no dialogue. A synopsis is included in the program, I guess to follow along and infer what is meant by the expressions and lighting and music changes. It was very interesting indeed.
I was right behind the pit, and the music was just as enchanting as the dancing (if not more so for me). Again, I found myself tearing up. It was just beautiful. Here I was, in the heart of Rome, watching a ballet in their most established theatre. What an experience.
As for the dancers, you could tell which ones were the performers and which were the dancers. Tybalt (or "Tebaldo") was easily the most intense, which makes sense. He was dressed in all black, and would at times be dancing as an expression of his emotions and how he cannot help but be controlled by his anger ad need to fight. Also, there was a lot of choreographed swordplay. It was pretty cool. Juliet ("Guiletta") was the most graceful. Again, also fitting. She would leap and glide about the stage with a huge smile on her face, constantly brought down and subdued by Lady and Lord Capulet ("Capuleti"). However, the best ACTOR (who was a pretty insane dancer as well) was Mercutio ("Mercuzio"). Also obvious. He had such an attitude and made fun of Tybalt and taunted him, and did all his Mercutio-y stuff. But he wasn't just dancing with an expression on his face. This guy was actually acting, which I appreciated. He was hilarious and easily the most entertaining to watch.
It was just a very cool experience. I'm so glad I carved time out for it. Tomorrow, I'll do some hardcore sightseeing, and give the Colosseum a go again. Hopefully the guards will have gotten over themselves by then.
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