What I will remember about Rome

Hidden Meanings
In Rome, everything seemed to have symbolic meaning. One could know learn much, or so we were told,  about the historical figures depicted in various works of art, by the clothing worn by certain people, their accessories, their poses. Something as simple as a mitre or a crest spoke volumes and there are people who analyze and study and write and speak on these and have for centuries.



Tired eyes, tired neck,  tired feet...gorgeous sights
At the Vatican Museums I did not know where to look:
out the window at the gardens and piazzas
at ceilings , floors or the alcoves
at the maps, frescoes, tapestries or the carvings, mosaics
or the frescoes or the panels ...

we covered a big part of the 50 something galleries. By the time we got back to the hotel, I wasn't sure which was more tired, my feet, my eyes or my neck (from looking, up, down, all around...)

How big the colosseum is

(even with parts of it now missing...)

I finished reading "The Hunger Games" in Rome. At the Colosseum, I couldn't help but make comparisons to the ancient games there and those written of in the book. The game masters in ancient Rome did not have modern equipment...no computer graphics. Just pulley systems and real live wild animals. In the end, though, blood sport is just that.

The ancient pharmacy near the Trevi Fountain

Our guide pointed out to us, the  Farmacia Pesci, which opened in 1552. near the Trevi Fountain. We ducked in for just a few minutes to look at the beautiful dark wood furniture and shelves. Lovely  ceramic vases that once held medicinal herbs are other antiquities are still on display there.  Prescription are still being filled here and compounding done. Mortars and alembic remain.  The guide said medicines have been concocted for the popes here through its history. I took a picture for the pharmacist back home!

How expensive everything was:

Around the sites, where we spent our time, there were kiosks with trinket souvenirs. A lot of these were made in china or elsewhere and who really wants a souvenir from Italy that was made in china.Near the sites, there were shops with the genuine articles but most were way expensive.
Further into the city, where the people live, I imagine there were the kind of souvenirs we sought but we didn't have the time to seek them out and still see everything we wanted to see.
By the time we left Italy, we we getting and exchange rate of 64 cents on a euro. Gas in Italy was around $5 a liter. Space is at a premium.
 These are the reasons I came up with why everything seemed so expensive there.
In the travel folder my middle sister made me for the trip, I taped a picture of some of the things I hoped to bring back. Perhaps I was a little overly optimistic...