Italy itself is an intriguing place.
But it wasn't until the end of the trip while looking up at the frescoes of the St. Agnes in Agony Chiese while listening to Baroque era music on the outskirts of Piazza Navona, however, that it struck me that once again, as it often does at the last minute, that I was doing one of those things that I had always always read about and fantasized doing. It truly occurred to me the level of amazing-ness that was happening. The centuries, the talent, the insight, the passion it had taken to produce what I was looking at, what I was able to appreciate, what I am able to appreciate now, in 2010.
Until last night, every day and night spent in Rome was simultaneously fun but far too trying to be appreciated. Rome is not my favorite place on earth.
Too many people - too many tourists, too many angry residents.
I spent my time being herded from place to place, and not always out of tour group choice.
I got too resentful of not being able to be, to stand, to think on my own because of the enormous mass of humanity who had no care for what was happening around them.
Rome, I have decided in another sweeping generalization, doesn't give a shit.
The people in Rome, they don't give a shit about you, or anybody else.
And while there, I didn't give a shit about anybody else, either.
And that is what I disliked about Rome the most.
In the short time span of one week in Rome, with some interspersed trips out of the city, I lost sight of my compassion and understanding and interest in human beings.
I cared as little for the next person as they did for me.
Mere coexistence.
I had always dreamed of staring up at The Creation. But seeing people on pamphlets and in books standing and gazing peacefully and thoughtfully, having the time to process and appreciate what they are seeing is very different from reality.
I was just another cow being herded around in unsanitary air conditions being knocked over by other cows that deserved to be standing in my much sought after position more than myself.
It seems to me that many of the things that are a Must See in Rome are being far too capitalized upon.
When visitors can't even enjoy what they are doing and seeing and would rather just Get Out than spend time appreciating what is there... something is wrong.
But this is just the first entry on my trip -
so many things happened, I can't put it all in right now.
A little taste:
Italians are PDA prone.
My father was pickpocketed and all of his money taken. In this manner, Rome sucks, and we couldn't
even walk around and enjoy doing certain things out of fear.
We took a lot of venus and penis gallery tours. Except for that one crazy priest who went around covering up genitalia and/or chopping it all off with a hammer, there were clearly a lot of lusty Romans/Italians who once upon a time had no qualms about nudity.
We took a wine tasting, and rented a car to tour around in.
That was quite the Adventure....
More to come!
