Things I’ve Learned in my First 2 Days in Italy
- The Pantheon is breathtaking. It pulls your soul back in time.
- Italian people are warm, gracious, beautiful, and fearless.
- Nutella flavored gelato is… I have no words to explain to you. I licked the cup clean.
- Michelangelo was a genius. The Sistine Chapel was a divine creation.
- People from all over the world seek a better life in Italy.
- It’s weird to share public bathroom sinks with the opposite sex, especially when you want to check your face and reapply lipstick.
- Italian people have an incredible sense of style. High heels abound despite the rocky cobblestone walkways.
- One word can mean many things. Prego. Ciao.
- My kids are really good kids. They can be polite and appreciative for an 8 hour guided tour in oppressive heat on almost no sleep for 3 days.
- Cities are built upon cities which are built upon cities. If you keep digging deep, you’ll find ancient ruins and treasures that will fill in the gaps of your history. Quite the metaphor for our lives, no?
- The Vatican is awe inspiring. Power. Priceless art. A line of popes all the way back to the time of Jesus. Charity. Violence. Contradiction.
- I’m not sure if I’m angry with or proud of my 16 year old son who was so moved by the Sistine Chapel that he took this forbidden photo despite the guards who we watched berate anyone who tried to use a camera inside the sacred space.
- Italy is nothing like what I thought it would be.
- This spectacular place, Roma, will stay in my heart forever. I eagerly await the lessons in store for me in Florence and Venice in the days to come.
7 Comments
Not jealous! 😉 Love the photo. xx
I’m jealous because I have wanted to see the Sistine since I was an art major in college. Michelangelo was a genius. I can’t believe you’re not allowed to take pictures in there! Kind of seems like a raw deal that you can’t come away with any pictures of it.
Glad you’re having the time of your life.
Sheryl and Shelly, wish you were here too! You must go! Shelly, we had an amazing tour guide who explained everything to us before we saw it which made it that much more impactful. Would have loved to have you wih me to tell me all you learned about it as an art major and to take in its majestic beauty!!!
You will love, Venice and Florence! I went there with my parents when I was 12 and I still remember it.
Glad you’re enjoying it!
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Yep. We also have those forbidden pictures from the Sistine Chapel 🙂 Were the guards calling out “no video, no pictures….shhhhhhh” ROFL! My husband and I still tease each other with that line 🙂 We were lucky to go by ourselves and it was some of the best days of my life so far. Hope you enjoyed it!
Haha, Vicky! Yes, the guards were so aggressive, I’ve never seen anything like it. They caught someone taking a picture and yelled at him so loud they drew a circle of people to watch the reprimand! I’m glad I didn’t learn that my son took a picture too until after we left! So glad you enjoyed it so much too. It was a trip I’ll always remember!