The Burnetts Romed It. They Romed It HARD.

Mel is relaxing now after the Burnetts journeyed into Rome three more times this last week. At least she is now used to walking in the heat, so her legs no longer look and feel like two large, swollen hot dogs (“American style”) at the end of the day.

The Clampetts (because that how the last post reads – “The Clampetts Go Into the Big City”) now have getting into Rome all figured out. See below for details, future Rome travelers.

Rome was amazing but overwhelming. The Burnetts absorbed antiquity like a good shammie, leaving very impressed with the architecture of ancient Rome, the sculpture of the Renaissance, and the stained glass of Art Nouveau. Of course, even a good shammie has a limit before it starts leaking. We had to stop touring before Mel got inspired to paint naked white people and muscular babies on the bottom of the bridgedeck.

The Burnetts did have one close call. Announcements in the Metro station are translated into English. The other day they overheard: “Passengers must please wait their turn before proceeding to the obliteration machines.” We were startled, but the Italians weren’t. So we went back to our travel books and lived another day.

Raphael wanted to be buried in the Pantheon. Smart guy.

The Pantheon: what Rome looked like, pre-barbarian

More Pantheon. It’s fun to take pics of.

Trompe l’oeil ceiling in a church. Named by the French, mastered by the Italians.

The random church art is better in Rome than in Portugal, I have to say

More optical illusions, painted on a domed ceiling, no less!

Mel sucks it in for the obligatory fountain pose

Italians talking with their hands. Mel is home.

We lay memorial flowers on Bruno’s statue. Cuz that’s what nerds do.

Mel finds her fav spot in Rome: by the water!

We get lost briefly and are finally alone in Rome

Every city should have these trees. 100% shade, 0% sticks.

We visit the founder of modern Italy. Us and this pigeon.

Mel likes the “glowing paint” phase of art history

The Romans were better architects than artists.

Bernini’s David tells Michelangelo’s David to stop posing and get to work!

Greg is smug after seeing the ideal man with his second toe length

Chandeliers, art, gold leaf. Yeah, this dude had money.

Mussolini’s drawer pulls were human heads. Of course.

A quirky stained glass museum. Mel likes!

We connect back to the USA by watching Obama’s speech on YouTube

The humble center of the Catholic Church.

This is a painting, not a sculpture. Trickery!

The are more people on the walls than in the room!

Raphael brings a little light into the otherwise dingy Vatican painting collection

Masters of cloth sculpting. Hair? Still hard.

This is what Mel looks like on the “rest days” in between Rome excursions

I would get that thing as far away from my body as well

Rome from above. Nothing can be taller than St. Peter’s.

Even the stairs in the Vatican are expensive.

Guess which part of the photo is over 2000 years old?

Shelley picked a very dramatic spot for his grave. Of course.

The guy wanted to gaze at the pyramid for a long, long time.

We find another cat sanctuary at the Cemetery!

The cats of the Protestant Cemetery Sanctuary, as named by Allie, much to Tommy’s chagrin.

Allie, the ever-elegant traveller, perks up when she sees cats!

We are visited one night by the Swan of the Tiber. HONK!

We show up early for our admission to the Domus Aurea.

The inside of the Domus Aurea, just opened two years ago

This is Nero’s old party house, now an underground palace. Seriously!

Mel Photoshops to bring back ancient art.

The painted ceilings inspired Raphael and others, who crashed this pad to study it.

It seats 50-60,000. So, it’s Texas football sized.

We smile even though we are really, really hot

Mel’s audio tour guide, AKA “Mr. Phone Solo”

GIANT Roman government and legal building. Because laws are IMPORTANT.

Mel takes a pic of the “most photographed columns in Rome.” Yep.

We find a vent in the ground. Air conditioning!!!

Tommy’s journal. Evidence we are “educating” him.

We number our milk pints. “When In Rome…” Sorry.

Travel stuff: Mel will put the details here. This kind of stuff is boring to read if you are not trip planning. Okay, here is how you get into Rome from the port in Fiumicino/Ostia/Lido. 1. Rent a car. Cheaper than taxis. 2. Drive either to the Ostia Antica metro stop or the one we used, the EUR Magliana stop. At EUR Magliana you can park in a pay lot for 2.50 Euros a day or fight for a spot on the street for free. Google maps works. 3. Buy your train tickets from the person at the newsstand. Don’t bother with the machines or the “ticket office.” This is weird, I know. Just do it. Get two one-ways (for there and back) for each person if you are a walker, not the day pass. Cheaper. 4. Once through the stalls, go up the stairs. The train to Rome is on your left. If you have a good Metro map, you can figure it out from there. 5. The Roma Pass put too much pressure for us to see things in three days, so we didn’t get it. We did buy passes/combo tickets online ahead of time for the Borghese Gallery, Colosseum/Forum, Domus Aurea, Vatican Museums – you can skip lines. You have to book a specific time for all but the Colosseum/Forum. Note they only let you see Mussolini’s underground bunker twice a month; bookings essential. 6. The dress code at the Vatican museum is more lax than they say these days, probably because they are more worried about terrorism than shoulders and knees. Saw plenty of tank tops, shorts above the knees, and short skirts. Might be stricter in St. Peter’s itself – we skipped it this time. 7. Download Rick Steve’s Audio Europe App, and get the walking tours of the Pantheon, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. They are awesome. We were able to stick Mel’s phone in a Solo cup and broadcast it to just the four of us that way. This method doesn’t work in the Sistine Chapel, though. You are not allowed to talk, so it’s too loud in there to use it. Go and you will understand.

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