When in Rome!

Greetings ye web-surfers!

I have just returned from Italy, where I visited Naples, Pompeii and Rome. Rome has now become my favourite city, and I am eager to go back there as soon as possible. It is absolutely beautiful, packed with history (history makes me drool) and as romantic as they say. I've been cramming Italian sightseeing into six days, meaning I have walked about seven or eight kilometres in intense sunlight everyday, in less than supportive footwear, and I now ache a bit.

I don't want to sound all pretentious or anything, but Rome really got me thinking about the incredible creative power that human beings have. The architecture and artwork in the city is really astonishing. Obviously, the Sistine Chapel is renowned for the quality of Michaelangelo's painting and I really did appreciate craning my neck to see God and Adam, but sometimes the less obvious creative works are the ones that bring the most joy. There were some beautiful examples of early religious paintings in the Vatican museum, and I enjoyed looking at the Caravaggio works in the end chapel of St. Luigi's church. Simple things like the elegance of a Roman column or cobbles on a street really caught my imagination, and as a complete sucker for anything beautiful or romantic, I lapped it all up like the cat who got the cream.

Another thing that I found powerful about Rome, and indeed the ruins of Pompeii, was the frightening power of time. I know I'm slightly obsessed with this subject, but once again I was reminded of how nothing lasts forever. My travelling companion Rachel made a comment as we were walking around: "Rome has more ancient ruins than it knows what to do with." It's true. You can be walking along a modest street or through a park and you will come across more ruins, unmarked, unimportant within the great ancient network of Rome. Everything is slowly crumbling over the years, and, while every effort is made to preserve the ruins, it would be naive to say that keeping all of it entirely sustained for another two thousand years is likely. Ironically, the destructive force of Vesuvius, which wiped a town and its inhabitants off the map, led to the preservation and discovery of Pompeii. Now it has been unsurfaced Pompeii is deteriorating, and, while there is plenty more to excavate, archaeologists are choosing to preserve the existing ruins of Pompeii rather than dig up more of it. Rachel pondered, "What will our buildings look like in two thousand years time?" It's quite a frightening thought.

Before I get carried away with trying to be deep, I will mention that the food in Italy is outrageously good. In Naples, I managed to get the most delicious pizza for €3. The prices were higher in Rome, but it was still worth every penny. And the gelato... Don't get me started on the ice-cream!

This was the beauty I had on Saturday!

I had a wonderful, if exhausting, trip in Italy. I will definitely go back!

J xxx