rome

venice and florence set the bar high... and unfortunately i think rome fell short. don't get me wrong — i think rome is absolutely someplace you have to see in your lifetime, to see all the touristy things like the vatican and the colosseum, but it's much more of a city than the other two and felt a lot less like vacation. thankfully we were able to cross everything off our list — rome wasn't built in a day, but it can definitely be seen in one!

the piazza della repubblica.

entering the vatican.

the ceiling of the sistine chapel. while it was lovely, the process of getting to the chapel was miserable! thousands of people and multiple kilometers of museum hallways lined with what i'm sure were beautiful and important tapestries and the like for those who are into that sort of thing but i was very frustrated that there's no way to cut to the chase... er, chapel. it took more than an hour of being herded through the museum, only to arrive to a sign that said "no photography." i don't think so!

another illegal shot of the hand of god giving life to adam. the sistine chapel was worth seeing (especially for this art history student!) but truthfully not an experience i'd like to repeat ever again. been there, done that!

gardens at the vatican. finally some fresh air!

more of the vatican.

the trevi fountain. now this i loved! the fountain is huge and trés impressionante... the perfect place to buy some gelato and escape the heat.

the spanish steps. what a mob scene!

the view from the top of the spanish steps.

besides the trevi fountain, the colosseum was my favorite part of rome. while i can't argue that it looks to be particularly well-kept (lots of crumbling stone and stagnant reconstruction efforts), it felt cool to be in a place with so much history.

looking a little worse for the wear after our first week of travel. at least i've got a flower in my hair!

a view of the colosseum from the exterior. note mr. map in the corner!

the gardens just outside the colosseum were spectacular. finally a chance to unwind from our hectic day of sightseeing!

orange trees — my favorite!