My two days with the Krauses (1/20-1/21)

Lourdes called me around one to let me know they were in town and they were going to be going to the major basilicas and I was more than willing to come. I thought that would be nice so I took her up on her offer. I had a few hours to kill before meeting up with her so I cleaned my room and put away the great stuff that I bought at the market this morning. I bought two new purses, one black, the other brown, and a pair of black boots. They are great but I’m going back next Sunday to get another pair of green boots. I know that green sounds like a weird color for boots but trust me, they are great.

San Paolo Basilica
I walked down one of the main streets on my way to Stazione Piramide to catch the metro to San Paolo Basilica. The wait wasn’t long but I definitely got their before Jeff, Lourdes, and the kids did. I went to the park to read a little while I waited. I was 50 pages from being finished with Kite Runner when Lourdes called to tell me they were there. I walked to the Basilica. I was greeted with smiles and open arms. It was so great, like being with my family.


This is what the ceiling looked like going down the isles. The detail was astonishing. To think that someone took the time to not only think up that ceiling but actually execute the making of it astonishes me.


Jeff prepped us for this site. If you look along the top of the picture you will see the faces of previous Popes. Inside this Basilica there is a portrait of every single Pope that ever existed. Along a different wall there is a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI with a light shinning on his face as an indicator that he is the current one.


This is a statue of San Paolo, or Saint Paul. Lourdes told me that the way that you know its St. Paul is by looking at the sword that he is carrying. San Paolo is always shown with a sword. His name used to be Saul because he was a soldier that persecuted Christians but his name was changed to Paul, not sure why, but he’s always depicted with a sword.


From Left to Right you have Lourdes, Sophie, Me, Vickie, Isabel, and Christian.


Mostly same people except I’m not in there and Jeff is.


This is San Pietro, or Saint Peter. Lourdes told me that the way that Peter is always shown is with keys because he holds the keys to Heaven. So… this is Peter, note the keys in his hands.


And guess who this is… You’re right, San Paolo. He’s holding his sword, like always.


This was the holy water holder thing, I don’t know what it’s called. But I was looking at it and thought it was worthy of remembering. There is an angel on one side and something that looks like a demon or even maybe the devil. It had horns, very long toenails, and the wings looked bat like. What seemed most interested about this statue was the mixture of two different elements, good and evil.

Piramide
Once we had finished at the basilica, we headed back to the metro to get back to the hotel. We made some stops on the way and the first was to the pyramid. I live about 15 minutes walking distance from the pyramid. The history of the pyramid is that a man wanted to be buried in a pyramid like the Egyptians. So when he died he had his children build him a pyramid. They went completely bankrupt in doing it but they had to fulfill his last dying wish.


The pyramid was built before the walls were put up around the city so if you look to the left of the pyramid you will see the wall built right into it. Before the wall was torn down to make way for roads it served as a way to protect the people from raids by other countries. People didn’t even live on the outside of those walls because it was unsafe.


This is a piece of art that sits across the street from the Piramide. It is a WWII statue that is supposed to express how cruelly prisoners were treated during the war. It’s always creeped me out.

Colloseo
We jumped back on the metro to go two stops down to the coliseum. I had been there a few times before but hadn’t taken any pictures with it.


As soon as we stepped foot over there Jeff was camera crazy. He asked if I had taken any pictures with the coliseum and said I needed one. This was it.


This is the Arch of Constantine, I think. It’s right next to the coliseum and its just one more beautiful thing to add to the list of marvels in Rome.

Stazione Repubblica
This was the last stop for the day. We got off the metro and walked up these steps to be greeted with a beautiful sight of the building of the Republic. I’m not sure what it is for and I was such a dingbat that I didn’t take any pictures. But it was gorgeous. There was a fountain in the center of the circle and the building went around it. It was composed of tall columns and marble floors. Very beautiful.

Hotel
We walked to the hotel from the station. The hotel didn’t look like a whole lot of anything from the outside but when we got inside it was like being somewhere different. Much of italy is like that, it looks like one thing from the outside but the inside is always something of a surprise. There was a courtyard on the inside and the elevator was located right next to it. we took this very old elevator up to the fourth floor and we walked across this outdoor skywalk to get to the lobby. They handed us the keys to the room and we went down the hall. It was very interesting, you had to have the key to be able to turn on the lights. It was small and cute and even their bathroom was nicer than ours.

Ristorante
We walked over to Barberini to try and find something to eat. We came across this very cute place that was reasonably priced. We go so much food and everything was good. We had cozze alla marinara, penne arrabiata, salmone alle linguine, something with clams, margherita pizza, prosciutto pizza, tortellini Bolognese, penne Siciliano, pane, vino and acqua. Everything tasted so fresh.


This is what was left of the Cozze alla marinara. It’s pretty much just mussels with a white wine and olive oil sauce. It was sooo good. When we finished the mussels we were using the sauce as a dip for our pane. It was a perfect combination.

Spanish Steps
After dinner we headed toward the Spanish Steps. I had been there earlier in the week and thought that it was a little over rated but when I got to see it at night with no one there it was stunning.


This is the same view that I took the picture where the street was crowded and there was an ambulance trying to make its way through and was having trouble.


The girls were carrying Sophie up by her armpits and I wanted a picture of it. Lourdes was yelling that they were going to rip her arms out. I thought it was funny.

Termini
From the Spanish Steps we walked to Termini, the largest station in Rome, I think. You should look up a map of Rome and see how far it is and try and follow my days around the city. From Termini, I went home, to Piramide.


This is one of the fountains at the four corners. There is a fountain on each corner at one intersection in Rome. There are two fountains of the rivers and the other two are of goddesses. This is Leto. The swan in the background is Zeus. He gets her pregnant and she has Apollo and Artemis.

DAY TWO

Piazza di San Pietro
Lourdes called me and told me that they had just finished at the Vatican museum and were one their way to do St. Peter’s Basilica. I was invited and you know I had to take her up on the offer. What could be more great than getting to see St. Peter’s Basilica with someone to tell me all the interesting things about it? I made a walk over there (about 20 minutes from my school, around Piazza Navona)


This was my first time seeing the piazza. I was blown away. I took this picture in the middle of the street and I thought that I was going to forget that I was in the street and get honked at. But I didn’t.


This is the fountain on the right side (when looking at the basilica) of the piazza. I love fountains, and I love that I can now say that I have lived in the two cities with the most fountains in the world (Rome being number one, Kansas City number two).


This is one of the entryways to the basilica that we are not allowed to go in. That is a Swiss guard making sure no one tries to weasel their way in. Lourdes said that the reason that the guard is Swiss is because back in the day they were the best trained soldiers. Then, when the Swiss decided that they didn’t want to be involved in wars they kept their soldiers there and they still trained them to be the best. That makes sense, only the best for the Pope.

San Pietro Basilica
We stood in line for a while waiting to get inside. As we waited I took pictures of everything. When I got inside, I took more pictures.


This is the very top of the basilica. We didn’t go up there but for 5€ and 553 steps you can walk up there and have a great view. I hear that it is the best view of the city. When I make it up there you will be the firsts to know.


This is another statue of none other than San Paolo. I would hate to have been on his bad side. He looks fierce.


This is what the piazza looks like from the entryway of the basilica.


These doors are only opened when the Pope declares it a holy year. The last time that they were opened was in 2000 because it was a jubilee year. No one really knows when the Pope will have the doors opened but its pretty badass that he gets to pick when it will happen. He just wakes up one morning and says to himself “Heck yes. This is going to be a holy year. Let’s do it!”


This is how grand St. Peter’s is. Even their holy water holder is maxed out to the tenth power. I love how there is a mixture of mediums used to create one thing.


I cant remember the name of this piece and I cant remember who exactly created it but I do know the reason why it is behind glass. I know you cant see the glass in this picture but that is because I am such a remarkable photography. The reason it is behind the glass is because a few years ago so crazy person threw acid on it in hopes of destroying it. I’m not sure what happened to him but they put it behind glass and wont let people get close to the glass even so that nothing like that will happen.


This is the cover that goes over the alter of the Pope. Breath taking.


This is a statue of Jesus. They let you walk up to him and kiss/touch his feet. I had to do it. they were so smooth, smoother than eggs, it was no longer round, the way toes should be, because so many people have touched them over the years.


This is Peter’s seat, which sits high off the ground. Sometimes he would actually sit in it but not anymore, he’s dead.


Another shot of the cover for the alter. Rumor has it that the Barberini’s took the brass that was used at the Pantheon to construct that cover. The phrase goes: “What the Barbarians didn’t take, the Barberini’s did.”


This is Saint Veronica. If you look very close you will see the face of Jesus on her cloth. She was the woman who walked up to him as he was carrying the cross to wipe his face.


And we close with another statue of St. Peter. How perfect.

Pizza Navona
Once we were done with St. Pietro, we made a little walk over to Piazza Navona, where my school is. We took a different route than the one I took to get there. We went by the old castle, which is not a prison, and we crossed one of the original bridges of the city. We stopped in some shops that blow glass and we got to the pizza. I was informed that the Piazza used to be a horse racing track and you can still see the old booths that they used to keep the horses in. Aren’t I the lucky one?

I had such a great time with them for those two days. I’m so lucky to have people so close by that I can call family. They told me that if there is anything that I want from base just to let them know and they will find a way for me to get it. And they extended an invitation to their home so if I want to go somewhere for a weekend get away I can always go there. Thank God for good people.