I woke up this morning still feeling quite under the weather, but I was determined not to let last night's traumatizing experience keep me down. Most of the swelling went away, but it is still visible that I am more swollen than usually. My lips look like I have a bad case of chapped lips and many of the boiling rashes remained and now look like bad mat burns. I've got some bruising on my behind from the needle and my body in general is tender. However, I'm grateful to be alive and breathing this morning, and that's all that truly matters.
Determined to make the most of our time in Rome we hit the Vatican first thing in the morning.
I'm really happy we booked tickets through our hotel, because the waiting line to buy tickets was insane, and the line to get in even worse! In the photo above is the line to get tickets, the line goes around the entire Vatican and then into the streets. The Vatican Museum sees approximately 25,000 people every day (that's insane)!
Beautiful historical statues stand along the walls of the Vatican Museum interior, all with a tale to be told. There are also many statues of She-wolfs as they were a grand protector in Ancient Rome and are a big part of Roman legacies.
More statues can be found in many of the great gardens and resting places found throughout the Vatican. Once again, if Roman history interest you, there are so many stories to be read and the Vatican is definitely for you.
This clear hallway is the only clear shot within the Vatican that I was able to get without people, and thats simply because this area is gated off for tourist (I took the photo in-between bars).
The Vatican is phenomenal for breathtaking architecture and beauty everywhere you turn. Looking at these pieces of history and art makes me wonder how they did so in ancient times without the technology we have today. In modern society we have advanced technology and never do we see beauties such as these, nor do any of the monuments or building compare in mass.
The Vatican was a nice experience, but it is one I would never do again. We are herded through the museum like sheep and the design does not allow you to exit before going through the entire museum which is absolutely massive! Picture yourself being herded through Ikea with the amount of people you see on Canada Day and the experience is pretty accurate. There are times that it was so crowded I could not even access my water bottle from my side pocket. Pictures were allowed but for the most part it was so crowded, so many people shoving that it was impossible to take a second to click let alone see the beauty it had to offer.
I've never been so happy to run down a large set of stairs like I was to get the heck out of the Vatican! I wanted nothing more than to run outside and breath in the polluted air of Rome! We had lunch (I had plain rice as I am now terrified to eat), and we toured some surrounding site. After about 2 hours we had taken in all we could of Rome and decided it was time to hit the road!
On our way to Tuscany, Italy, where we decided to spend the night, we toured the city. This tour of Florence did not last very long... Rome, and Italy in general does not have very pleasant people, the majority of men are very macho and just down right arrogant. Of course their are a few gems amongst the population, but they are rare to come by. The city itself is very stressful, excessively dirty and poor and the pollution is incredibly terrible. The Country of Italy is absolutely beautiful, but the remainder of the things that comprise a country tarnish and jade its beauty like no other. I plan to never return to Italy, unless it is for some sort of martial arts competition where I am there simply to kick some butt!
I hope you are all still enjoying these entries, even if they were inactive for a few days! I thank you all for continuously checking in and reading along, as I know some are lengthy and time consuming. Know that I appreciate you reading along and sharing the excitement.
- San
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