Oh oh, meltdown in Rome!!

20th June 2012

Had a bit of a meltdown last night, missing everyone dreadfully and feeling lonely, but this morning I got a fantastic text from saying they’ll be here for a few days, so I’m feeling better now and looking forward to their arrival.

Courtyard of Musei Capitoline, Rome Italy

Today I visited the Musei Capitolini, what a marvellous place to spend the day – utterly captivating. I was told I should make sure to spend a few hours for a good look around but I was there all day and could have stayed longer. The special exhibition was Lux in Arcana, The Vatican Secret Archives. It doesn’t matter where I turn in Rome I run into all things religious – still with mixed feelings about it too, but in saying that I was utterly engrossed with the history. The beginnings of the  museum reach back to when Pope Sixtus IV donated a number of bronze statues to the Roman people in 1471. Apparently there were many donations to the museum made by popes over the next few centuries but it wasn’t open to the public until the seventeen hundreds.

Roman Forum from the Tabularium, Rome, Italy

There is just so much to take in when you visit a place like that, the paintings, the statues, the coins, the Epigraphic gallery, it was all incredible. I was blown away when I walked out on the verandah of the Tabularium and realized I was looking over the ruins of the Roman Forum. Those are the times I appreciate being on my own to just stay as long as I want doing nothing but soak it up (and take a hundred photos), but at the same time I wish I had someone to turn to and just know they were thinking the same thing – we’re so fortunate to have this experience. I also loved the courtyard where the pieces of the  giant statue of Constantine are placed along with slabs of reliefs and other statues. There was just something about that courtyard that gave me a good feeling, it might have been the colour of the walls or the way the sun was falling on the statues but it felt peaceful.

I had a lovely lunch at the cafeteria looking over the rooftops of Rome and at the end of the day I wandered around the forum for a little look before heading back to the hotel totally footsore and tired but oh so happy. I still can’t believe this is me having all these great experiences but don’t pinch me, I’m not ready to wake up yet!!