Non-Catacombs and Bridge Panini Talk

Well, the plan was to go to the Vatican Museum and see the Sistine Chapel, but the line was ridiculously long. We actually had been supposed to do this a few days before, but the line was long then, so we thought a Monday morning would be better, but no. So we were free to stay and wait if we wanted, or go do something else. So Justin and I opted to go to the catacombs. It didn’t work out, though, because we waited for the bus there for a long time, it finally came, but then they didn’t have change for our fifty and the charge was sixteen. :( So we were disillusioned and sad for a while (this had been a long process and we were really hoping to see the catacombs or the Sistine Chapel), but we recovered and went and found this great little hole-in-the-wall shop where obviously the clientele was locals, not tourists. Which meant that we got the best panini ever—slabs of pizza-crust bread, several slices of salami, and some cheese of which I could not understand the name—for a really stinkin’ great price, and even got to warm them up! Then Justin and I found a wall above a river and next to a bridge and proceeded to have the second great talk of our trip, during which we reviewed all the great things God has done in bringing us together just the way He did, and all the things that went on as we got to be friends over the past two years. It was really good and brought about a change in our perspectives. Then we also talked about another great thing God is doing, which is helping us to be different from the other people in our group, in a way that makes them wonder about us and respect us for having higher standards, kind of. It is really good. :) Then we hustled, and I mean, HUSTLED back to the hotel—we were off the south side of our street map of Rome, and had to get to the middle right side… and did it in 35 minutes, which included some pretty shtinkin’ fast walking! By the way, for those of you who don’t really know me that well, yes, I do say “stinkin’” fairly often to intensify a statement. :) Betcha didn’t know that. :) This was so we could get to the Italian Parliament building by 3:15, “non-negotiable.” Yeah… so we kind of made it. We actually went a little wrong because our path was roped off at one point and we never got quite back on. So at about 3:16 in desperation, Justin, Stevie, Pam, and I hopped into a taxi, which got us there before the rest of the group made it through security. Parliament was kind of interesting. The building was fine, and we got to see some of Parliament meeting, but then a lady talked to us afterwards, and I was so exhausted, and her voice was so quiet and lulling, that I hardly stayed awake. Everybody was having trouble, and Justin actually fell asleep on a bench around the corner. Then Justin and I went shopping without money on the way back from Parliament—we didn’t think we needed our wallets to visit Parliament, and forgot we still didn’t have them. Thankfully, we had 4:25 euros, which satisfied the nice street vendor. :) Oops. We had omelets for dinner, which was smashing, and packed up to leave Rome for Assissi.

posted by LizC @ 2/07/2005 02:03:00 PM