Rome, Italy

I went to Rome for 4 days trip few weeks back. As usual, the post is always few weeks after my travel. Rome is a city that full of history and basilica. I am amazed by the glorious achievement of the Roman Empire. Becaues of this trip, I start to realise that how poor is my history foundation. Ya ya ya, it is poor even before I go there. But, I never aware of how serious it is!When I am doing research for the trip, I am so confuse with all the emperor, painter, artist, war, pope....bla bla bla... ! How I wish to have more time to improve myself on it, seriously.

Colosseum

First of all, of course I am going to talk about Colosseum. Colosseum souvenir is everywhere at Italy. It came across my eye whever I am there. Besides, Hollywood did plenty of movies about Colosseum as well. It is not something new for me, not at all. I believe almost most of the people in the world knows about it. When I were walking towards Colosseum, by the time it goes into my eyea my blood flush, my heart pumps. I am totally overwhelm by the structure. Titling my head up and looking at it, speechless....(haih....my English...my poor vocab....)

Colosseum---it may not as tall as Twin Tower, or the going-to-be-the-tallest-building at Dubai (lazy to search what that building called), still....his impact to the everyone who had seen him is something that modern building cannot make it. No wonder it is one of the 7 wonders of the world for so many years.Modern world keep on building skyscraper, trying to compete who has the tallest building in the world. Your country may claim to have the tallest building in the world, but within few years from now, another building will be taller than yours by that few inch or meter difference. So, what's the point of building the tallest?

Fountain di Trevi

Fountain di Trevi is one of the reason I am fancy about Rome. Please don't laugh at my silliness. I know it sounds shallow if I want to visit Rome for this. But, I am being honest here. Fountain di Trevi is always one of the place that I want to go. And...I make it!=) According to the legend, throw one coin with your right hand through your left shoulder, and make a wish, you will have second visit to Rome. Throw 2nd coin again, you will meet a guy and fall in love with him at Rome. Throw the 3rd coin, you will marry a Rome guy!!

I thought I am always positive with human attitude and always forgive what others had done to me. Seriously, this is something I will not forget. Talk about fountain di trevi, I have to mention a souvenir shop that right opposite of the fountain. As you all know, Nic's mother like to collect fridge magnet, I am planning to buy some souvenir back. When I entered the shop, I read the sign about DO NOT TOUCH on top of the fridge magnet rack. However, I saw some magnet that I never seen in that shop that other stalls don't have, so I took it up and choosing for other magnet. At the mean time, the shop lady walk towards me and I asked: how much is this? Instead of answering my question, she said: did you see the sign of DO NOT TOUCH? I said: ya...but I want to buy it, if I don't touch, how am I going to buy it? Maybe she didn't hear me clearly by my poor english or her poor english (most Italian don't speak English at all) but she replied with her finger point point at the sign of DO NOT TOUCH. And then, I was a bit angry, and I said, if I am not going to touch it means I am not going to buy. ( i guess i raise my voice a little bit, and some other people look at us) The boss of the shop walk to us and said, it is fine if you don't want to buy, thank you for your visit. @#@#$%^&* I should have just take the fridge magnet and throw a 10 euro on the floor! So angry!! Ggggrrrr....

a cup of cappuccino that take less than 1 min to serve. faster than kopitiam uncle's kopi.

It is a new habit that I have after start working at Norway or shall refer back to Bali trip. I will try the local coffee wherever I go. I love Bali local coffee - the sweetness even without any sugar added, love Barcelona coffee too with the thick texture, so so with Norway sour coffee. Nevertheless at Rome, I saw another culture of drinking coffee. Rather than blog about how the coffee taste, I have to talk about how Italian drink the coffee. Italian like to just stand beside the bar, and wait for their coffee instead of sitting down to drink. They will STAND until finish the coffee! It is new for me. I suspect that the main reason they do so is because once you sit down, the restaurant will have the right to require for service charge since you are sit in dine. The service charge sometime is not the usual 10%, but it might goes up to 20 or 30%. So, most of the lower class coffee shop, you can see everyone just stand there and drink.

Rose window. I don't know why but I always love it.

The church. Almost every street at Rome will have a church or basilica. Some of it may look small from the outside but never judge a book by its cover. Surprisingly, everyone of it got its own unique and beauty. Deeply fall in love with the church's painting on ceiling and rose windows.

There are so many things for me to write about this trip, too many stories to share. I haven't share about the the pasta I ate, the Rome Termini that full of Be Aware of Pick Pocket sign, the tidy road condition that has accident every day, gelato - the tasty Rome ice cream...The wine is cheap! I am not a good wine taster. I only know how to differentiate dry or not. Over there with 3 to 5 Euro wine, no matter white or red, it just taste so good! It is smooth....go into my throat, the aroma...really love this part about Italy.

Anyway, the length of this post is enough by now, I believe that I shall stop. I don't like a post which is super duper long, so I am not going to write a super duper long post as well. Unless...someone are interested to know more about Rome story, then I shall consider to write more about it in future post. =P

most of the city roads are narrow. parking at rome is challenging from the view of a Penangite. keke... can you park as near as this? i can't.

In conclusion, I would said this is just an okay trip for me. Yes, I am overwhelming by all the church and historical building. At the same time, I am really disappointed with the Italian attitude as well.

santa maria basilica's altar

What make a country attractive is not only by the history or culture, building, beach or natural scenery, the people plays a role as well. Building, scenery are dead, human are alive! Maybe most of the travel advertisement or brochure, rarely the editor will take the people as a selling point. But, undeniable, the people is always something that will make you remember back the trip. The auntie who show you the way when you lost, the guy who bring you to bus station, the lady who help you with the ticket machines...These are the thing that warm a traveller heart, these are the thing that will left behind in someone's heart.

ps: i will blog about Vatican City and Pisa at different post during the weekend. Hopefully....