Day 2

Captain’s log, day 2: I have a rough time falling asleep despite exhaustion due to sheer excitement, so I stream Arrested Development to fall asleep as one does in the states. I wake up with Belle’s ballad stuck in the nog: ”there goes the baker with his tray like always, the same old bread and rolls to selllll”, and even though I know that this is not a provincial town in France, Rome is giving me that vibe. I proceed to sing it all day. ***Side note: not sure if it is the water in the sarcophagus of a shower here or what, but my hair decidedly does not care for Rome. If you have room for a bidet, maybe expand the shower instead? Or am I supposed to use the bidet to wash my hair? At any rate, I appear to have a wig fashioned from straw in the shape of a helmet on my head, so forgive the pics.***The 8 am Vatican tour comes quite early, but we greet the day with a buongiorno and make it in plenty of time for an espresso + a cappucino. No Americano profiling going on at Vatican Caffe. The Pope opted for abdominal surgery rather than a chance meeting with me today, which was most unfortunate. We do meet a mother-daughter duo from GA that may hold FSU season tickets very close to the DeLos….to be continued. Franis I’s papal palace left me speechless and led to yet another emotional breakdown. I was fortunate enough to have a Humanities teacher at Lincoln - Mrs. Cassels - who shared her passion for art and history with me in every lesson she taught. While I was not the best student by any stretch, I carried her teachings with me all of these years and was so excited to be witnessing with my own eyes what she’d so poetically taught me. The Sistine Chapel, The Pietà…all the famous works of art whose home cannot be described with words; it was overwhelming. We wrapped up our tour 3 hours and 300 pics later, then ate some delicious risotto near our AirBNB. I had the best 7-min nap and then we moseyed on over to our Segway tour: Rolling Rome Tours. This was AMAZING. Maybe not as amazing as seeing me try to master riding the damn thing with a helmet and overalls on, but still pretty great. I so very highly recommend this no matter the length of your trip, but especially if you only have a short time. Cruise cobblestone streets and uphill roads with ease!! Navigating the busy streets of Rome was a bit nerve-wracking but so very worth it. We saw bits of everything but the Pantheon was undoubtedly my favorite. It was built over 2000 years ago and is as exquisite as it is giant. I‘m left imagining where we’d be in 2023 if we just didn’t persecute and murder intellectuals. Our Segway tour guide, Guino, is an actor who is blown away by Derek DeLo’s uncanny resemblance to Liev Schreiber. He proceeds to let us know that he had a minor role and was a stand-in in some Ernest Hemingway movie with Liev (fact-check forthcoming). We part ways with Guino, have another espresso and great bottle of Pinot Gregio, then walk down to the Trevi Fountain. We throw a coin into the fountain and now shall safely return to Roma (with Josh - hint, hint Joshua)! We had the absolute best dinner I’ve ever had (go to Contrario, Vineria con Cucina. Seriously.) and now I know what people speak of regarding authentic Italian food. It was divine. We walk around the Colosseum at night and the energy is enough to make me never want to step inside. Maybe it’s just my neuroses, but I’m unwilling to find out. The shit that went on there for human entertainment is unfathomable. We catch a cab home so we can get ready for our very early morning train to SOLERNO and ferry to POSITANO!! Thank you for all of your feedback and encouragement. Excited to look back on these memories as I’m making more in the future.

PS I only said ”when in Rome” thrice times. I’m disappointed in myself.

PPS I learned that Michelangelo was a bit of an asshole with a sense of humor, painting (in the Sistine Chapel) a Cardinal he hated in hell being bit in the penis by a snake, for all future generations to see. He also, in his 80s, gave the middle finger to the pope when sculpting Moses that resides in the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. He’s got him on a little ledge above Moses giving some sexy time to the people.

Buonanotte!!