Due to my severe procrastination, I am reluctant to post anymore traveling journal *grin*. Nowadays I have nothing to do except watching male-harem anime (Kyou Kara Maou, anyone?) and ultra depressing anime (Bokurano, anyone?). According to psychological wise, it was a good exercise for our psyche to easily synchronize in both festive and agonizing situation at the same time ^o^.

Okay let’s cut this nonsense T_T. If you are crazy about history and Hellenism architecture, then this post is dedicated to you!

Rome is the center of Christian world right after the fall of Roman Empire. Most of the architecture blends gorgeous Renaissance art and ancient Roman style. Some buildings in vibrant pedestrian streets are dominated by baroque style.

St Peter Basilica (Vatican City)

We went to St. Peter’s Basilica during Good Friday, which is not a good timing. Million numbers of people there formed neverending queue, and part of the area was closed due to annual event at night. Even the Vatican museum was closed too! It opened only half a day, and we were very fortunate to be able to enter considering that we already came pretty late.

See the queue? So deadly!

The statue of the Saints are remarkably seen on the top

St Peter Basilica

St. Peter Basilica is Catholicism's most sacred shrine. A shrine was erected on the site of St. Peter's tomb in the 2nd century and the first basilica commissioned by Costantine, was completed around AD 349. The present basilica took more than a century to build and all the great architects of the Roman Renaissance and Baroque had a hand in its design.

Main Entrance

In front of Piazza San Petro

The tombs of the Popes for ages can be easily traced within the basilica. Some of them were crafted by Michelangelo and Bernini, and were breathtakingly beautiful!

A Pope's tomb

Erm, perhaps this is the Apostles, Archangels and the Sun? (apology, I have no idea ;_;)

Monument to Pope Alexander VII

This is Bernini's last work in St, Peter's and was finished in 1678 and shows the Pope surrounded by allegorical figures of Truth, Justice, Charity and Prudence.

Again, a dazzling tomb!

It stated "Pontifex Maximus", anybody still remembers history?

The inside (Seriously this is the most magnificent interior that I've ever seen)

Pope Gregory XVI's ?

The guard of Vatican City

Rome

My hostel in Rome didn’t have electronic plug to charge battery, so my camera was dead right after reaching Colosseum!

Colosseum!

Colosseum is Rome’s great amphitheatre and was built in the grounds of Nero’s palace. It is likely that the arena took the name of an enormous statue of the Colossus of Nero that stood nearby.

If you watch Gladiator (please do watch it before coming to Colosseum, unlike me who just watched it in Barcelona! The mood is just wrong XD!), you probably know that the Colosseum was the site of deadly gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights, staged free of charge by the Emperor and wealthy citizens. Somehow it brings me heavy reminiscences of Suikoden V’s gladiator game or Final Fantasy XII’s (I forgot where exactly this takes place) as well as many other references in the anime.

Trevi Fountain feat. Siang Leng, Michelia, Yeok Tho, Apratz (I got super tanned at that time since Italy's sun is so damn strong T_T)

Trevi Fountain is fairly recent creation compare to Rome's ancient standard. It was completed in 1762. The central figure is Neptune, flanked by two Tritons. One Triton struggles to master a very unruly "sea-horse" while the other leads a far more docile animal. This symbolize the two contrasting mood of the sea. Visitors often throw away coins here before making a wish.

The feeling that overwhelms the city of Rome is ancient and eternal, yet full of historical references and the anguishing traces of war. I was a bit regretting my two days visit in Rome (I need at least two days more to perfectly enjoy Rome along with its antiqueness!)