Inbetween the Ruins

One of my early posts said that life is made up in the details, and I'm going to have to say that is what made the past few days for me really great. Sure the epic sights of Rome were incredible, but the small details, the people I met, and the little things that happened are what made the trip for me. Wanting to remember better I wrote down notes after each day. Failing to bring a journal or even a pen, I had to borrow a pen from the Hostel and take notes on the back of my flight information. The folded back of my flight sheets hold why I loved Rome better than my imperfect memory can. Obviously you know that I saw all the famous tourist sights of the city, so I am going to recount the little stories that made Rome unique for me.

On Friday after walking around for most of the day I went to the Colosseum to see the Pope's procession at the time recommended to me by the person behind the desk at my hostel. He was a little off, I was 3 hours too early, so I decided to continue walk around. I hadn't gone into anything that day because I didn't feel like waiting in lines, but one of the things I walked by earlier with a large line was now vacant, and still open. Paul's prison, from where he wrote a significant part of the New Testament. I went down there with no one else around. Being down there alone was quite an experience that I won't try to explain here. After walking around some more I found myself resting in a park above the Colosseum watching the sunset above it. When I finally returned to get a place for the Colosseum but was unable to meet my friends because of how fast it filled up. But I did find myself to this elderly American/British couple. The British man was one of the most interesting people I've met in a long time, and I couldn't have been happier to share my first Pope experience with them. He had gone to Cambridge in the 1950's, he had been to Arkansas once, and drove highway AR 1 and said some of the small towns reminded him of Western movies. This was about 40 years ago. He had also lived in Madrid for a while, working during the Franco era doing something with manuscripts, he was a professor of Latin and Greek. He told me lots of stories of Spain during this time period, being the first person I've talked to about this time period I was very willing to listen. I could tell that this couple has lived quite a life, with more experiences than I could imagine or begin to understand. They were incredibly friendly to me and he even translated some of the Pope's speech for me.


I feel very fortunate for meetings such as this one. There was no reason that we should have met, as I was looking for my friends, but we did and this is something that really improved my trip to Rome. I am also starting to realize that if I record every event such as this one that I won't sleep tonight, so I am only going to mention a few more things. I would go on to see the Pope once more for Sunday Mass in the Vatican, which was something very unique. At times I felt like I was at a fair, while others I was at a religious ceremony I did not know the rules to. But all in all that was another great Pope meeting.

On Monday I had another little adventure. Most of my Rome trip and visits were planned on the spot. After visiting the Capitol Museum, I sat down, read my guide book, and decided I would go to the Roman Catacombs. According to my map they didn't seem too far away, about the same distance from where I was as the Hostel is to the Colosseum, about a 20/25 minute walk. This is when I discovered that my map had several imperfections, one of which being that it wasn't drawn to scale. After an hour's worth of walking through streets not on the map I was about to give up at turn around. Suddenly I saw a sign saying Catacombs this way! Only 1500 more meters! A little while later I found the catacombs, which were certainly worth the trip. It was a great tour, but of course only consisted of more walking.

When it was over I started the hike back. In a short hour and a half I was back to the Circus Maximus, the closest metro. I decided I would spend the euro and take it back to the hostel. After I bought the ticket and went to the platform I realized I was on the wrong side. I searched my side for stairs to the next and found that it was one of those one entrance ones with no way to the other side. I would have to pay another euro to get to the side I needed. Being in a very one track state of mind, I decided that the metro of Rome did not deserve another euro for having poor service and not being well labeled for the common tourist. I continued the walk on foot. I made it back to my hostel after a 2 hour walk, sore and tired. I had a nap before exploring that night and meeting my Italian friend Alessandro later.


The great memories didn't even stop at the airport, where I was to meet a Chinese business man that has been traveling all over Europe and parts of Africa for his Telecomunications business in China. He had never been out of China before working for this company, but is now very well traveled, with many experiences. He along with the people from my first night are examples of how easy it is to meet people from all over the world, in places that aren't there own. All of this had me thinking somehow, but I don't really know exactly how. I know that doesn't make much since, but to me it does somehow. But for now I'm finished with thinking, I haven't slept much this week and tonight won't be too different. I am afraid this is going to be a difficult school week, although it is only two days long for me. These will be an intense couple of days.