Beautiful Rome!
This city has more past than present.
As I was stepping out onto the street on the first day, an old Italian man grabbed my arm and announced he was to lead me into the centre of the city. He asked my name. I said it was Anna. He said I was Anna Bella.
He walked me through the back streets of Rome and to the Colosseum in a way I would never have found on my own. He told me stories of the Roman soldiers who marched through that arc, singing this song. He told me how he had no friends because he worked all the time. He sang to me in Italian Opera in the middle of the street while I sort of, er.. looked around for a means of escape..
He was strange to say the least, but very friendly and I learned something about Rome and its people. I know I probably shouldn’t walk off with old men, but when in Rome hey?
Later that night I met up with Lucas and Lisa and we drank wine till late on the Spanish steps.
During my stay in Rome I tried to visit all the main attractions.. the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Forum, the Trevi Fountain - here’s me making a face at some girl who got in my photo…
bitch
We also visited the Vatican City, where I definitely had some sort of um… experience. I had been feeling sick all day, I had a bad headache and was finding the Vatican Musei to be a bit claustrophobic, so I went into the courtyard and lay down on a bench. Apparently no one lies on benches in the Vatican city, because three different guards woke me up by shouting “ARE YOU OK” in my face. I obviously didn’t sound convincing because two of them sat on the bench opposite me, and just watched me. So I couldn’t really sleep anymore, because, er, I guess I don’t like strange men watching me when I’m sleeping, so I sat up and then it was even more awkward cause I was just sitting there, and they were just sitting there, and it was like… yeah, I’m gunna go now………
So I went and found Lisa and Lucas and we went through all the Museums into the Sisteen Chapel, which was absolutely beautiful. To get there you go through the Vatican’s Apartments, some of which were painted by Raphael. There’s also a modern art gallery with religious paintings by artists from the 20th Century. Two of my favourite artists were right next to each other! Dali and Bacon.
Then we went over to the Basilica, but while we were looking around I realised everything was moving that shouldn’t have been, I felt like I was drunk except I wasn’t. I had to sit down I felt so sick. Then Lisa and Lucas went to the tower and I didn’t feel up to climbing a million stairs, so I sat on the steps outside. By this time I really couldn’t see anything, I wanted to be sick, and all these people kept watching me. One guy offered me his apple. yeah sure dude, thanks. but not actually.
Then the guards came over (not the Swiss ones in jester outfits unfortunately), and told me I couldn’t sit/slump on the steps and they obviously noticed something was wrong because they immediately looked worried and started saying “miss miss are you ok miss!” and I sort of just opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t really, all I could manage was a pathetic “I can’t see anything”. But at this stage I actually couldn’t see much at all. So they helped me into the Basilica and called the doctors, and 4 doctors came, and stood around me stroking their chins and ummed and arred, and said “I don’t know” a lot. At one point I think they asked If I was on drugs, yeah, like I’m going to take drugs and then come to the smallest sovereign catholic state in the world, sounds like a party right there.
In the end they just told me my blood pressure was really low and made me eat a whole sugar cube covered in vanilla essence, it was disgusting. And they watched me eating it so I had to consume the whole thing. That didn’t help at all, I still couldn’t see and I really wanted to be sick. I just had to be taken home by Lisa and Lucas and then I went to bed and slept 17 hours. It was really scary but thankfully it went away.
So after that, I didn’t really feel like venturing down to Napoli all by myself. I sort of lost my travel confidence. Plus Lucas told me people get shot dead in cafes. So I just came back to Lyon early.
I loved Rome. I loved Italy! Its such a beautiful country with pretty cities and friendly people. Definitely have to go back soon.
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