We arrived back to the ship late that night in Chitiveciak and what a heavenly sight. I didn't think that I would feel that way but I was happy to be back to the ship. The next morning I am off to Rome on a SAS tour called the Highlights of Rome and then the next day with Tracy, woohoo. Seriously it is like Christmas Eve every night on the ship with waiting to see all these sites. Rome is amazing, everywhere you turn there is either art or ruins. We took the metro to the Coliseum and when you exit the tunnel it is right there in front of you, extremely large and demanding of your attention. I can see that Rome was amazing and powerful at one time. The day before when I went on the highlights of Rome tour we got to enter the Coliseum and it is truly powerful. As I stood in the middle I can only think of The Gladiator and looking around and I am able to picture what it must have been like when Rome was at the top of its reign. I want to stand in the middle and yell, "Are you not entertained?" :) haha. The Coliseum is huge like a football stadium and again it is amazing that so long ago this was built. Rome has captivated me! As I walked around the city seeing all the site that you learn about in school it is a wonder to actually see them with your own eyes.

I could go on and on about Rome but I am going to cut it short because I am so behind in my blog.

I went to the Vatican City and got to the Sistine Chapel and it is incredible and almost surreal to see. When you go through the museum to see the Sistine Chapel you have to go through around 14 other museum rooms before you get there and you do have to go through them no short cuts around them. Everything you see leading up to the Sistine is breath taking and beautiful and yes the Sistine is amazing but after seeing all the other beautiful ceilings it takes away from the beauty of the Sistine. I think you can only really know this if you have been there to see what I am talking about. Once you have arrived to the Sistine Chapel you walk into this room that is FILLED with people, almost like riding the T to a Red Sox game, and a bunch of guards says shhhhhh in loud tons and telling people to put away their cameras. Unfortunately it feels that my senses are so distracted that I can't just stand there and take in the ceiling but I do get to see it and appreciate it's magnificence. Like the David it is cracking :( You can see where some of the paint is coming off and to think that someday this great work of art that we have studied about in history may not be there for future generation. This only confirms how grateful I am to be here and the whole experience is humbling. After I exit the Sistine Chapel we walk over to St. Peter's Church and this is also just as stunning and beautiful with the ceilings painted, statues, and other works of art scattered throughout the church. As soon as I walked in you I literally gasp and was stopped in my tracks because of it's beauty and grand-or. Of course this is not the first time that I am complete stunned by such amazing works of art and I am sure as a reader of my blog you may be thinking that I am just overly passionate about art which may be true but truly these sites are something to see. I am do believe everyone should try and make this happen in your life time. This kind of art and history just doesn't exist in the U.S., understand I am not saying that the U.S. doesn't have history or art it just doesn't have it on this kind of scale.

The Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, and St. Peter's Church may all be amazing and unbelievable to see but I think my favorite site is the Trevi Fountain. This fountain flows from the aqua duct that runs throughout the city that you can drink from or fill your water bottles. However you aren't actually allowed to take from the Trevi Fountain just the surrounding fountains. Here Tracy and I grabbed a piece of pizza from a local restaurant and sat by the fountain and ate lunch. It was awesome to people watch and sit by the fountain. After Tracy found this great gelato place and it was delicious!!! I think the best I had the whole trip :) Leaving Italy was hard and defiantly a place that I want to go back to. I feel as though I could have spent at least a week in Rome. Well back to the ship and on to Croatia.