If you don't get the reference, don't worry. It's mostly just a plug for a childhood favourite site. It does, however, accurately capture how much my head hurts after being in Rome only 3.5 days. I'm lucky I'm leaving for Florence or I might end up in a Roma Coma.
Rome is completely enveloping. Every block has a fountain or statue or huge marble building. Sometimes they put all those things on the same corner just to watch all the tourist's necks break -- and heads asplode -- as they try to take it all in. Rosemary and I wandered leisurely these last 3.5 days. The first day we just looked around. We haphazardly came across monuments such as The Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, The Piazza Navona, and more. The second day we went to the Colosseum, and Palantine Hill and the Roman Forum. We also accidentally encountered what we have termed the "white wedding cake building" because we have yet to discover its actual name. The third was devoted entirely to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. And .5 of the fourth was spent at Saint Peter's Basilica and the Pantheon. Even at such a lesuirely pace, we returned to our hostel every night and fell into bed exhausted. Our exhaustion was mental and physical. The things we saw consumed all our mental facilities and despite being relatively close together they consumed the tread of our shoes and the engery of our legs.
I have a theory on why Rome is so overwhelming. Naturally because it is a city it is more bustling. And obviously because it is so crazy old there will be a lot of history. But for me, the following is the clincher. In Rome, nearly everything is intact. Even the sites that suffered terrible fires in the past have been meticulously repaired or restored throughout the ages. Very few areas are currently sitting in ruin. In every other city I've been to, the history has been displayed nearly completely in ruins.
Ruins and complete structures effect the mind differently. When one walks through a hill of ruins, for example Palantine Hill and the Roman Forum, one imagines tall buildings and beautiful statues. The area's splendor is vast but is essentially within the limits of one's imagination. And one's imagination is subject to the limits of one's mind. Thus, you feel impressed or maybe even awed but you likely would not say overwhelmed. Such has been my experience previously and to a smaller extent in Rome. Conversely, when you turn a corner and are faced with 4 monumental buildings of white marble, of brick, and of stone, your visual field is assailed. Throw 20-30 life sized statues on each building scattered around countless sculpted arches, doors, and windows and your eyes have trouble picking a focal point. You focus on one spot just to be distracted by something else tickling your perifery. Add in even the slightest attempt to contemplate the gathering of those materials, their shaping, and transport to the site and your mind begins to spin with your eyes. Then you consider the construction relying solely on the power of man and beast. No cranes, no power tools. My brain nearly implodes. But there is more. People used these buildings. Millions of people walked those halls. Billions of conversations were had. Life changing discussions, choices, and laws were breathed into the spaces between those magnificent walls.
I'm dizzy writing this to you.
My saving grace has been my camera. I distract my mind with thoughts of exposure styles, proper subject framing and the like. I half-click a button and bring my picture and my mind back to focus. I let myself forget about looking at every detail and relax into the knowledge that my pictures will capture those details for me.
"There, there brain. It's going to be ok."
I have loved every second of my time in Rome. After Florence and Pisa, I plan to return. Hopefully I will be less of a tourist and will be able to immerse myself more in the culture and life of the city. Perhaps I'll even sneak in some shopping.
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Hey guys. I'm back.
I wrote that first part on the train to Florence. My head literally hurt and my eyes were aching. Now I've had a good nights sleep and I feel more mentally capable to share more about Rome with you.
It's funny. I'm still struggling with where to start and what to say. Meh. This blog has never been organized so let's just dive in!
The Trevi Fountain.
As it seems to go in Rome, we turned the corner and Bam! there it was. I'm sure you've all seen pictures or are capable of running The Google or The Facebook so let you discover it visually that way.
I, while capable of running The Google, hadn't researched the fountain and as such had no idea what to expect. Rosemary on the other hand had been wanting to see this since she was small. Neither of us were disappointed. It was massive. It completely filled your visual field. The running water perfectly complimented the fluidity of the sculpted figures. The water's crystal blue subtly amped the effect of the white marble. Everything projected and slid with grace into the next plateue or relief and pooled in shimmering blue and white ripples.
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Ok so I got overwhelmed again thinking about writing about all the major sites I saw. And three days later I'm no more inclined to hammer through it all.
So.
We'll just have to have a conversation about it when I get home. Ask me about the crazy pizza guy too. That's a good story.
Let's just hope the suspense doesn't hospitalize you all.
Love!
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