Exhausted in Rome

Hello to Everyone,

Look I figured out the picture situation. Scroll down for more pics.

SO first I want to know why (Rocky) S. Stallone is at the Vatican in a famous painting???????

Another fabulous sunny day in Roma. We hear it will rain tomorrow but I am hoping not. Cross your fingers for us. So this morning we woke up the earliest we have ever and got ready to do the Vatican. Met at the metro station RIGHT in front of our b and b. Enjoyed a wonderful il tea while waiting for the rest of our group. Then we started our short walk to the Vatican lines where we met our friend Alex from yesterday and his boss. I was fortunate enough to have the student ID card on me and I got a discount on the tour.

We were given head phones to hear since there were so many of us. We then followed Alex all around the vatican museums looking at all the amazing things there. We learned about Pietra a famous statue of Mary with Jesus lying in her arms. She is holding Jesus as if he were a baby and she is much larger than him. She holds her hand out as if to ask why his fate is his fate. There is a somber look on her face too. When the Pope saw the piece done by Michalangelo (probably spelled that one wrong) he said it looks as if the Lord created it himself. Michalangelo instead of taking it as a complement he became upset because he was not given any credit. Soon people began to think it was someone elses work and when he was in a crowd and heard someone talk about how another artist sculpted it he became very angry. As you all know I am not the bet story teller. Sorry. So anyhow Michalangelo has only signed one of his sculptures. Because he was so mad and wanted everyone to know that he was the creator of this piece he went back to where the statue lay and took out his chisel. There he carved something like this sculpture was made by Michalangelo right across her chest. What a statement huh? He made that statue when he was only 25. A neat thing about him was the fact that he created the statue through the statue's eyes. It was so beautiful.

So next we went on to learn about the people in the Sistine Chapel. Apparently MIchalangelo only painted things he knew. He never made up anything. So every piece of the chapel is someone he either knew or saw a statue of. So in the last judgement painting on the back of the chapel Jesus is created by three different pieces. The arm is from a statue in the vatican museums. Starts with an L but I can't remember it. Then his Torso is from a statue that was found uncompleted with no arms or legs. Its idea would later also be used to complete The Thinker statue. Then his face is from a statue of Apollo also found in the museum. It was really neat to see all of these things put together. There are so many stories in the sistine chapel and in Michalangelos work. Fascinating. Also there is a saint that was said to have the flesh cut from his body. The flesh that this saint is holding is not of his own though. There is no beard and there is hair. The saint has a beard and no hair. The saint's face is from the pope that had made him paint this after his eyesight was poor, he was an old man and his back hurt. Anyhow, it is said that this skin is MIchalangelos. Because he felt that this pope had taken him for all he was worth. If I remember correctly MIchalangelo was actually never paid for the job either. I could be wrong though.

It was all amazing. Climbed the the top of the basilica also. Beautiful views of Rome. Was able to look down to st. Peters square which is actually not a square but elliptical. What else did we do? hmmm. I am sure there is more about the vatican but I can tell you all later. As the weeks go on I am getting more and more tired. We had a really long day today and I am supposed to go out now. Annaliese doesnt want to go out and I am not too sure I feel safe going out on my own. So I think I might just have to stay in. Tomorrow I am going to try and find my dads old house and his fave. resturant. I might be on my own for that one too but it will be an adventure of its own..

Today we tried to go to the resturant we went to with our friends Cooper and John. We took a taxi and he GOT LOST. In his own city. Then he wanted us to pay for it. We just made him take us back to the basilica which he needed a map for. HE dropped us off near the wrong metro stop so we ended up taking the metro. Most expensive ride to go very little distance. Kind of a bust. We spent the night shopping. There are crazy sales going on but still a lot of the cute stuff is really expensive and the not so expensive stuff is not so cute. NOw we need to find laundry again because I have run out of socks. It is 9pm right now and to tell the truth I could just fall asleep right now.

Alright, that is all I can think of. You all need to go to the Vatican and take a tour with our friend Alex. He wants to move to Santa Monica and become an Actor. SO you better get here quick. Dont know how great of an actor he is but his tours were so history filled. We were both very impressed with his passion for the history of the Vatican and Roman history in general. Very good looking too but is worried his hair is falling out and has far to many insecurites to make it in the film industry. This is the conclusion We have of him. But a great tour guide. hahah.

So leave me your posts or emails. I am so pleased that so many of my aunties have joined in on the fun. I love hearing from you all. I also love all of your advice. Thank you for all making me feel so loved. I miss you all.
Ciao from ROma.