A late view of Rome - In which I wander around gorgeous buildings and wonder what the Romans do

This blog is actually really late. I went to Rome two weeks ago but since then I have been running around like crazy trying to experience my last bit of time in Córdoba before I leave. However, I did want to show a bit of what I experienced while in Rome still, if just for having a complete well rounded list of blog entries for every place I went.

I stayed in a convent a short walk outside of the Vatican, which means that St. Peter's Square was my stomping ground for a couple of days. At night, this square that is drowning in people is absolutely beautiful and serene, something that you don't find a lot of in Rome. Sitting there and eating gelato was one of my favorite experiences of the trip.

The inside of St. Peter's is as grand as you would expect. It is the largest Cathedral in the world, and this is evident when you are inside it. It stands in baroque glory, and every detail has been very carefully cared for. It is a breathtaking monument to the power that the Catholic church has held through history.

The one thing that I will never understand about Baroque architecture is it's fascination with cherubs. These two are larger than life, bigger than a full grown adult, and I found them absolutely gaudy. Though I am not usually a fan of baroque architecture, the cathedral was quite beautiful right until I saw these.

My favorite part of this cathedral were the mosaics on the ceiling. And on the walls. Instead of paintings, the entire church has mosaics so that the artwork could be cleaned from the ash and soot from candles. The mosaics are so tiny though it is nearly impossible to tell that they aren't real paintings until you step up closer.

The Swiss Guard watches over the Vatican, and the outfits are a piece of art in themselves. This is an important job since the Vatican is probably the top tourist attraction in Rome. Which is why the Vatican has infamously long lines, whether you are trying to get into the basilica, or worse, into the Vatican Museum, where you get to see tons of precious religious artwork, but most importantly the Sistine Chapel.

Understandably the Sistine Chapel was nonnegotiable, and as a lover of art museums I stood dutifully in line for about an hour and a half. The wait in line was absolutely worth it. We were up against the walls of the Vatican, in the shade, the line moving steadily. I will say the vendors trying to sell selfie sticks and tours of the museum are relentless. They have a trapped audience and they work it to their advantage. Imagine yourself locked into a car dealership with a couple dealers who haven't eaten for a week and you have essentially the same feeling that you get when you stand in one place too long in the Vatican. 

That being said, the museum is spectacular. The artwork is breathtaking, the museum is enormous, and aside from the Sistine Chapel the Rafael rooms are a true work out art. However, the museum has a linear path through it which eventually leads you to the Sistine Chapel. It is impossible to stop and take in the artwork because there are so many people traipsing like cattle towards their ultimate destination, and if you stop you will be shoved into a statue or a corner with no hope of escape. You suddenly realize that that nice fast moving line that you just stood in has been steadily filling this enormous building with as many people possible all day, and they are all here for the same reason you are: the Sistine Chapel.

Which is spectacular. I don't have any photos of it because photography is not permitted. But I think anyone who is planning on going to the Sistine Chapel should know something. Visiting the Sistine Chapel is not a fairy tale, it is not an experience that will transcend you to another level of wonder in a still universe, it is an experience that you will have to take for the wonder that it provides as well as the annoyance. When I finally made it to the Sistine Chapel, the long line pushed its way up a small staircase and filed through some doors, where guards told us to cram further into the room. This small chapel was stuffed with people, a loud buzz echoing around from the excitement. You are pushed into the middle, where even as you stand to take in the artwork, someone pushes past you, shoving you every couple of seconds. It's a bit like standing in one place on the sidewalk of NYC at Christmas time. You look at the artwork, astonished, in disbelief that you are actually looking at something you have heard about your entire life. And then the guard comes on a loudspeaker to say "Be quiet, no photography" as your neighbor takes a flash photo in your face. The artwork is stunning, it will stir something deep inside you, and the sense of history is unbelievable. Despite Michelangelo's propensity to paint women as men with breasts, this is a masterpiece that will move you to feel something, but you also may be feeling something because your nerves have been rubbed raw by the crowds. 

After that, it was a pleasant relief to wander around Rome. The dome of the Pantheon was beautiful, and the building much less crowded. The sunlight streaming through the roof is breathtaking.

The many plazas in Rome are beautiful as well. If you try hard, you can actually cover all of the big monuments in one day. They are all close and anyone who loves walking will find strolling through the streets a pleasure. However, you will not be strolling with Romans. You will be strolling with tourists. There is this idea that is constantly referred to in pop culture that when in Rome, you should do as the Romans do. The truth is when in Rome, you will have trouble figuring out what the Romans do because it is rather difficult to find them. Most self respecting Romans seem to avoid the touristy part of the city like the plague (forget about walking through the Vatican), and this city has done a great job of marketing itself to foreigners.

The Roman Forum, however, was an absolute delight. I got in with no line, wandered around the ruins for hours, wondered what it would be like to have lived in ancient Rome. This was the highlight of my trip by far. It was just a pleasure to be out in the open air with wide open spaces again.

Also the forum is absolutely stunning. That helps a lot.

Of course no trip to Rome would be complete without a trip to the Colosseum. This too, was a wonderful experience, but mostly because I had already bought my ticket at the Roman Forum. The line to get into the Colosseum without a ticket was enormous. Standing in the Colosseum, I was amazed by how many people could fit in it now, and how amazing it must have been to have Romans filling the floors back in its heyday. Going to Rome fulfilled so many childhood dreams, but at the same time Rome was not the city that I had dreamed it would be. I am glad I went, I am eternally grateful to have seen what I have seen, but Rome does not make my short list of my favorite places in Europe.

That was my last big trip this semester. Now I am celebrating my last few days in Córdoba and beginning to pack. The next blog article I write will probably be my last. It's been an awesome journey, and I've loved sharing it with all of you.

Sintra - In which I find some whimsy and am swept by mountain breezes

Though I took a trip to Sintra out from Lisbon, I felt it deserved it's own article. Mostly because this place was absolutely enchanting. Sintra is an UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is the home of at least three large castles, one in the center of town, a moorish castle on the hill, but most of all, to the most famous one, the painted castle, Pena.

Walking around this place is like walking around Disney World if it were actually a real life place. Alright, Disney World does exist, but we all know it's there for your own amusement. The Portuguese Royal family actually lived in this castle. This building had a purpose other than to be the centerpiece of a tourist attraction. As it is, that it what it has become, but there is something so much more magical about the fact that this place wasn't solely built for show.

It's possible that it's the colors that make Castle Pena so intriguing. While we are used to seeing castle made of stone, or even white, a castle that looks like a little kid took a box of crayons and drew it on the side of a cliff just awakens the childish wonder in everyone.

From some angles the castle looked even more like a fairy tale than say, the cartoon version of Cinderella.

From the walls, however, there were absolutely breathtaking views. This is the Moorish castle I mentioned earlier. It also sits on the side of a cliff, overlooking the Portuguese countryside. 

If that wasn't enough, that is also the ocean in the distance. Not only is this castle stationed on top of a mountain, painted like it was designed by a whimsical 5 year old, and absolutely gorgeous, but is has an ocean view.

The inside was beautiful too, although undergoing some restoration efforts. The rooms were beautiful, and many of them were filled with beautiful details, including ceiling moldings, wallpaper, chandeliers, and stained glass windows, but I still found the outside of the castle the most enchanting.

It is fun, however, walking through a castle and finding details which look a bit absurd. Or that might be considered tacky anywhere else but an UNESCO World Heritage site. This chandelier/lamp/statue monstrosity was particularly intriguing.

My favorite part of the interior of the castle was the kitchens though. It made me feel like I was stepping into the set of Downton Abbey. Unlike the rest of the house, the kitchen was very orderly and minimally decorated, which made it a very peaceful place in the midst of a very colorful palace.

This castle was also in the middle of a natural park, which has tons of hiking trails for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. The park was beautiful, with large trees framing beautiful paths, wildflowers blossoming everywhere, and the occasional monument in the middle of a pond.

The town was also a pleasure. It was small and touristy, but also was quite welcoming and felt completely different from what we had experienced in Lisbon. Besides the tourists, it was sleepy, idyllic, a picturesque mountain town which looked more or less like time had forgotten it for many years (as long as you ignored the strip of touristy restaurants). This town is a treasure, and although not a well kept secret, worth a visit for anyone who enjoys inserting a bit of whimsy into their travels.

Lisbon - In which I eat a lot of pastry and am moved to tears by marine biology

This past weekend a couple of friends and I took our long weekend to go visit our next door neighbor, Portugal. Lisbon was never on my list of places that I wanted to go, but with the fervent assurance of a friend that this city was highly underrated, I packed my bags, hopped a night bus, and hoped for the best. Despite my complete lack ignorance of all things Portuguese, this city was an incredibly pleasant surprise.

The great thing about Lisbon is that it is a port city with a ton of history. The monument of Prince Henry the Navigator leading the explorers of Portugal onward was actually pretty moving, and the water, albeit water from a river, adds a wonderful ambience to this city.

That's actually kind of what this city is all about: ambience. Lisbon has a sort of decrepit elegance to it. One friend equated it to a college version of Paris: you can tell that it is elegant and beautiful, but it's also slightly overused and worn down, but in a there is tons of energy surging everywhere kind of way. Old beautiful buildings have broken windows and weeds growing out of the roofs, and still other buildings are covered in beautifully manicured tiles, mostly blue, that I have not had the pleasure of seeing anywhere else.

Graffiti covers a lot of the walls through Lisbon, and although workers come and paint over it pretty frequently (I personally witnessed the wall below getting cleaned up) it just adds to some of the life of the city rather than seeming like a blight on an otherwise perfectly manicured European painting.

In fact, some of the things painted on the walls made me chuckle. Here you can clearly see the tourist with his large camera in front, completely unaware of the beautiful woman with her hands in his backpack. Apparently in Lisbon, pickpockets are most often women dressed as tourists themselves who turn out to be just a bit too friendly.

This hopeless romantic wanted to let their sweetheart know that they write on walls for them.

But although Lisbon can border on the grungy side, as cool as that ambience is, it also has some absolutely breathtaking parts of the city that murmur European elegance. The trams are a cool way to get around town, and the buildings by the river are elegant and grand.

The people of Lisbon do have a tongue in cheek sense of humor. They credit a lot of their language and culture to the 20 year French occupation of Portugal, an invasion that was led by, who else, Napoleon. The king of Portugal apparently hightailed it out, so when they erected a statue to him, they made his horse face the ocean as if the king is abandoning Portugal, just as he did years ago.

No trip to Portugal is complete without a taste of this famous pastry, pastel de nata. This is basically puff pastry filled with custard. I was skeptical at first, but by the end of the weekend I was a very enthusiastic convert. Insider's tip: though you usually get them plain, they are absolutely fantastic with cinnamon and powdered sugar on top, and the best ones are in Belem, where they were first created.

While visiting the birthplace of pastel de nata, we also stopped in to Jerónimo's Monastery. Though we didn't go into the cloisters, the church was an absolutely breathtaking gothic cathedral. After being saturated by baroque cathedrals in Spain, this was a pleasant change, and a nice break from the blinding glare of gold leaf.

This is also the resting place of Vasco da Gama, the first European who sailed across the ocean to reach India rather than crossing over the continent.

Just a ways down the road was the Tower of Belem, which looks a lot like Cair Paravel, from the Chronicles of Narnia. One thing I can't recommend Lisbon for: the weather. This was the only bit of sun we had when we were actually in the city, but when the sun comes out the city practically sings.

I also managed to take the metro up town to visit the famous Lisbon Oceanarium. This is one of the largest aquariums in Europe, was an incredibly good deal, and was absolutely beautiful. A particular highlight: the sunfish. Most aquariums don't house sunfish because they are incredibly large and require very specific ecological conditions in their tanks, but these two enormous fish sailed around the central tank, reminding us of just how large the ocean is and how small we are in comparison. I'm not ashamed to say I almost cried. There are photos to prove it.

I came to Lisbon skeptical, but am glad to say I left pretty much enamored with this city. The Portuguese people were warm and welcoming, the food spectacular, the the city filled with pockets of ambience. Though this city is not on many people's radar for places to visit on a European vacation, I am incredibly glad that I got the opportunity to experience it.