Rome
Sometimes I forget the usefulness of history class, especially if I'm taking one at 7:45am called Histories of Overseas Animals. But when in Rome, I realized that a perk of being educated on the world's past is that my travels are enhanced by the faint memories of stories I'd learned. To be honest though, there was nothing that could enhance my travel experience because I was super sick with the flu. Still, it was incredible to be around Rome's treasures, which I'd only previously seen on Google Images and in textbooks. One of my lifelong dreams had been to visit the Colosseum, so it still blows my mind that we stayed a short ten-minutes walk away! Sadly, I burned up with a fever the morning my family went to the Sistine Chapel, so I didn't get to see Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam'; guess I have to go back someday! In the meantime, here are a couple of shots from my first time in Rome!
All Roads Lead to Gelato
The title is not an exaggeration. When people travel to Rome and post pictures of their gelato with the caption 'daily gelato fix', they're not kidding. I'm not kidding either when I say that though I'd never felt more sick, I somehow had the energy to walk a few blocks as long as I was promised gelato. Upon my return to the States, many people first asked me what I liked the most about Europe. When I unhesitatingly responded with 'gelato', they then asked me what makes the gelato in Italy better. My answer to you if you're wondering the same thing, dear reader, is that you have to go there to find out for yourself! Honestly, it might just be because I don't eat ice cream very often, so I have low standards.
This picture was taken at a local favorite called Gelateria Fatamorgana. I chose to go there for its nearly perfect rating on Yelp and the claim that their gelato is 100% natural. I was pleasantly surprised with all the unique flavor options like my choices of Banana Cream with Sesame Brittle and Ricotta with Fruit Mustard. Pictured, however, are my dad's prettier and more classic choices of Strawberry and Lemon.
Roman Ruins
The first night we were in Rome, we were trying to find a Christmas market. Within 3 minutes of our walk (gelato in hand, of course), we stumbled upon a giant ditch, and inside was this vast abandoned city. It was my first look at Roman ruins, and I wasn't even looking for them! I was surprised by how well preserved and accessible the ruins in Rome are; we probably passed more than five sites like the one pictured that day.
I joked that the other half of the pole on the left was in the British Museum.
Bold Drivers in Little Cars
Don't be fooled by the tiny size of the cars in Italy; the drivers inside are intrepid! I would know since I drive a Prius C myself (for scale, at 5'1'' I can still see over the top of the vehicle). On our way to the metro station one day, I saw a Honda Fit trying to fit itself into the tiniest of spaces between two other Honda Fits. That was the scariest thing that happened to me in Italy, so I would say that despite the reputation it has for theft, the country is pretty safe!
It's so interesting to see the differences in cars from country to country. Is car culture a thing? Of course, the overall culture of the country is much richer than just the cars. Around 2,770 years richer, in fact. Although I wouldn't do so on my own time, I gladly revisited many pieces of what I'd learned in class during my time in Rome. Things of the seemingly irrelevant past became tangible things that are now associated in my head with memorable experiences such as being incredibly dizzy while looking down at the ground floor hallways of the Colosseum. Ironically, the fuzzy pictures in my head became sharp but pleasant realities.
As a photographer, I'd say I failed to capture Rome in all of its glory. Thus, some things will remain just pictures in my head, but as a dreamer, I'm okay with that.