-amor = roma

Castel Sant Angelo

Rome.. Maybe I have become more German but Rome was a mess! Chaotic and so unorganized. Big cities are expected to be dirty but it's the dirtiest I have been to. I only complain because it is a capital of a first world/EU country! It took awhile for me to 'understand' their wonderful bus system wherein some buses skip bus stops and it doesn't announce the names of the stops.. you are expected to know! wow... I didn't even bother going down the metro for fear of being unable to find the exit! And the rip-offs.. the gelato which cost Eu 0,80 in Milan was 3 euros in Rome!!! They don't place price cards.

Okay, so that was the bad side, what really compensated was the 'magnificence' that is Rome! I went to the Vatican 3 times. To pray for my sins, yes, and to see the Sistine Chapel/Museums (this took half a day), to go up the Cupola, and to see the St. Peter's Basilica. I loved the Foro Romano and Palatino - ancient Rome is amazing, this is where it all started. I saw Augustus house. I also loved the fountains! - Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Navona, the one in the Pantheon, and the Spanish steps . Other sights I saw were the Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, of course Vittorio Emmanuelle, Campidoglio, etcetera! Rome is all about the big monuments, I love it, it reminds you, hey see this, this is Rome!

The Vatican Museums were amazing. I bought tickets in advance and was able to skip the looong line. I liked that it was small (except it had about the same amount of visitors as the Louvre). the Emaculada room and the Maps room - Galleria della Carte were my favorites but of course the Sistine Chapel was just uff... minus the 100+ people inside it, it would've been perfect to stay there at least an hour.

The Pine Yard - outside the Vatican Museum

Ajax protesting against sending the Trojan Horse

the largest 'bowl' carved in a single piece of marble

Michaelangelo's Judgement Day - Giudizio Universale

View from the Cupola

Vatican Guards - swiss plat

view from the front

view from behind

Vatican Gardens

At the top of the dome - hadluk ko tanawa unsa kataas

St. Peter's Chair

Look how the lion and the man have the same expression

The Pieta

Foro Romano! To save some money, I downloaded in advance mp3 tour info.. it was so funny the Foro Romano audio guide started the opposite order you would see the monuments. About at least 5 times I had to replay it.

Basilica Aemilia
There were quite a number of arcos, this one I think is Arco di Tito
Do you see the Colloseo?
Palatine Hill

Augustus house
Mandatories (yabang)
Campidoglio - my night pictures are better
Europe is small, I bumped into Gustavo's friends.
But the world is smaller... :)
Spanish steps by night
Spanish steps/Trinita dei Monti by day
Fontana de Trevi
Rafael's Tomb at the Pantheon
Piazza Navona
Isola di Tiberina
Trastevere - not worth going to!
Bocca della Verita
I found it! By accident! :) Romulus and Remus sons of Mars adopted by this wolf
Villa Borghese - so nice and peaceful side of Rome!
Below is Piazza dal Popollo
Thats it! :)

I loved Rome :) Is it better than Paris?? For having impressive imposing touristic things to see, definitely! For cultural experience - music, arts, Paris wins. For overall cool City I choose Barcelona. But thats just me! :)

Current LSS : Carpe Diem - Aldebert