Roamin' Rome

         Had a good hour or two of bus riding, with a stop at the beautifully scenic town of Orvieto sandwiched in between.  The 'main attraction' was the cathedral...but it didn't quite catch my fancy.  I mean, it was beautiful,  but there's only so many paintings of biblical scenes and striped marble design I can stomach.  It was neat the first time....now it just comes off as a lack of originality.  Regardless, took some pretty sweet pictures along the way:

One thing I've wondered this entire trip:  Where the fuck did all this marble come from?  They used endless amounts of marble to create endless amounts of churches.  Did the big man upstairs just drop it from the sky?  If not, then are we going through a global marble shortage?  I want answers.

         Soon enough we were in Rome.  At this point I could probably whip out some 'When in Rome' jokes, but they're so overused.  I want my descriptions of Rome to be fresh and hip.  Like sweaty toms and raggedy cardigans.

          After settling into our new hotel, we wandered the city to find some food. We settled on a fancy restaurant recommended by our tour guide.  The price was fairly steep, but it was well worth it.  I had 'traditionally Roman' roasted lamb with potatoes and red wine.  Magnificent.

           We met up with an old friend of the family who happens to be a priest in Rome after dinner.  I know him as Father Brian.  My clearest memories of him are when he would come visit us in Pinole.  Every single time he would bring two gallons of ice cream and fold our clean laundry for us.  If you hadn't already guessed, he's a wonderful guy.  He gave us a personal tour of Rome that stopped at the Trevi Fountain and ended with a surprise walk to the Pantheon.  It was all awe inspiring.  Apparently the legend is that if you throw a coin into the fountain over your back, it will ensure you return to Rome.  Father Brian joked that he's never thrown a coin in because he's scared he'll stay here for the rest of his life.  Apparently he's serious.  And I didn't learn this until later.

          I talked to my dad about it later.  Apparently when he took his vow to become a priest, he submitted himself to the will of his superiors for the rest of his life.  He does six year stints in Rome, and after he finishes up, he could very likely be put in for another six years.  Although I thought this sounded amazing, apparently he misses his family in America dearly.  So his joke about the Trevi Fountain wasn't really a joke at all.  He wants out of Rome.

         After The Pantheon, he took us out to gelato and then to his favorite Irish pub in Rome.  He was a regular there, mostly because he enjoys eating hot dogs and watching American sports on their televisions.  He was greeted warmly when we entered.  We were introduced to his friends: Pierre Luigi (can't get much more Italian than that, eh?) and his wife.  Pierre Luigi was born in Italy but is in love with America and its music.  Apparently he's been to more American states than I have.  Damn shame.

       The Pub had free WiFi, so I sucked it for all it was worth.  After finishing the Irish Car Bomb that Brian so kindly bought me, we all parted ways and headed back to the hotel.  And now I sit, tired but ready to experience Rome in its fresh morning state.

I must admit, I'm homesick for America.  Luckily it's easy to take my mind off of it when I'm surrounded by Italy's endless beauty.  And so, I'm off.  Good afternoon America.  Good night Italy.

CIAO

-LZG