soaked in history

Rome, in all of my one day wandering around it, was truly impressive. It was a dismal day - pouring down rain. It wasn't long before I was soaked despite all my layers and coats - the street vendors who consistently walked up to me with an umbrella and said "5 euros" seemed baffled by my not buying one. As an EastCoastSouthern boy who scoffs at how a little shower sends LA into a tailspin (SuperDoppler7000 Stormwatch 2006!), I wasn't going to let a little rain foil my day.

Rome is alive with ancient history everywhere you look - layer upon layer upon layer - all in one place. Ruins and monuments are everywhere. And I can't impress how huge and vast they are - unlike anything I've ever seen. These are no puny monuments like in Washington DC, these are truly massive. It boggles the mind how they were created centuries ago. What I love, too, is how alive the sites are - busy streets of traffic and commerce run right amongst them, and regularly you run across a site of ruins that is an active archeological dig. They're still discovering.

I must have looked like some sad wet dog based on the looks I seemed to be getting (though the streets were still packed with tourists and residents - with umbrellas). I circled the Colosseo (which was closed) and walked in the very spot chariots raced in Circo Massimo, accidentally stumbled onto the Trevi fountain and wandered through the Pantheon. I really enjoyed sopping up the history and wondering what things must have been like in this very spot ages ago.