Roma

Roma Termini Train Station



3 nights in Rome was intense... with so much to see and so little time we walked till our legs felt like rigatoni.  We stayed in a place close to the Roma Termini train station and within a 10 minute walking distance to the colloseum.  It was clean and Nicola our host was helpful and friendly.  The elevator to our room was the old school weight and pully system with an exposed cage.  We got in late in the evening so our adventures didn't begin until the following morning. 

Interior of Pantheon (coffered dome + oculus)

Interior



I got up early in the morning before Emily, and walked the city.  The Pantheon was calling my name.  This was a place I had always wanted to see, a place my teachers always raved about in school, and after seeing it, I understood why.  In ancient times it was built as a temple for the gods and to this day is probably the best preserved ancient piece of Roman architecture.  I am not sure, but I think it was the largest free spanning dome in the world until 1996, which is quite a statement seeing how it was constructed nearly 2000 years ago.  From the outside it doesn't look like much, but when you get inside the beauty emerges.  The oculus at the top of the dome is open to the elements so when it rains the water falls through.

The oculus and the sun

Obviously the Colloseum was a main attraction, the history and construction of the place makes it one of fantasy, horror, and astonishment.  The monument held up to 55,000 people in its day and under just one emperor it saw 10,000 gladiators and 11,000 wild animals fight.  The amount of blood shed that took place is overwhelming. 

The Colloseum in the distance



The sophistacation of this structure was most impressive with advanced tunneling and pully systems which allowed for elaborate scenery and staging to take place underneath.  At one event a giant mechanical whale was constructed and pulled on stage where its mouth opened and 600 wild bears poured out of it. 

The tunneling below the arena floor

Interior ruins



Gladiators would fight to the death in the arena, or at some points their lives would be spared if the emperor and the crowd believed the gladiator to have put up a good fight.  If you won you were a hero, praised and flowered with gifts and money.  Most gladiators were men, but there were a few women.  I can't imagine what they looked like.  This structure was the heart of ancient Rome... it survived fire, earthquakes, thieves and time.  Many of the travertine blocks from the original structure can be found throughout Rome where they were used on other monuments.

Em + J + Colloseum

Colloseum exterior

The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica was our next stop.  Other than it being the home of the Pope and the heart of Catholocism I don't know a whole lot about the place.  I do know that the Church itself is Renaissance in style and has the largest floor plan of any church in the world.  It was beautiful and probably gave both Emily and I the most Awwww moments.  The beauty in the art and structures was nothing like we had ever seen. 

St. Peter's Basilica at Sunset

St. Peter's Interior

The Vatican Museum next to the Basilica is a rare collection of amazing works of Roman sculputure and famous frescoes including Michaelangelos famous Sistine Chapel.  It took him over 7 years to paint just one wall (The Last Judgement) which portrays life after death and how we will face the wrath of God.  I was unable to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel as it is considered a sacred place; However, I doubt the pictures would have ever done it justice.  I did however sneak a few seconds of film, which I will share with some of you at some point.  Here are a few shots of the Museum and surrounding areas.

Ancient Roman Tub

Bronze Statue

Interior frescoes

Piazza St. Peter's rotunda

There are so many more pictures to share and so many stories to be told, but I feel it will be better in person.  We visited many piazzas and fountains, basilicas and restraunts.  We found them all to be amazing in origin and taste.  Rome is a special place, with such great history that has shaped our world in the past and even today.  I like to believe I walk away a better architect, and overall a more well rounded person.  These next pictures are just a few shots of its richness.  We love you all and hope you enjoy.

View of St. Angelo Castle on a bridge over the Tiber River

Stone Sculpture

Piazza Del Popolo and Em

The Spanish Steps

Trevi Fountain

Em and Piazza St. Peter's













Barcelona, Spain

Catalunya

Our Europe trek has begun in the wonderful city of Barcelona, Spain.  It has been an exciting place with great food, interesting architecture, beautiful beaches, and friendly people.  With so much to see in 3 short days, we have been busy hopping the metro train and walking around the city, discovering special spots at every turn. 

Gothic Quarter Bridge

The first day was all about Gaudi, the most celebrated Spanish architect in the world.  His work is more impressive than we ever thought.  The tour included the Sagrada Familia (Roman Catholic Church), the Casa Batllo, the Pedrera, and Park Guell.  Each has a unique story, and familiar organic style.  The story goes that when Gaudi was graduating from architecture school his professor said, “I am either graduating a genius, or a madman.”  What do you think?

J + Gaudi

Sagrada Familia - backside

The Pedrera

Casa Batllo

Park Guell + Em

Park Guell + Em

The food markets here are nothing like we have ever seen.  People don’t shop for the month or the week, but for the day.  Why not… fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and other meats at their fingertips (and for cheap).  Outstanding red wines go for less the 2 euro a bottle.  Needless to say, we have put down a few.  I particularly have enjoyed the ‘pan con tomate’ and green olives.  The market near our hostel is in the median between to major streets, along a park walkway running right down the middle. 



If I were to not come back to the states... it would be because of this.

Mercat de Santa Canterina

Shark Head... Why not?

Today we made our way down Las Ramblas to the Mediterranean Sea, putting our feet in an ocean neither of us had ever seen.  We walked the boardwalk and discovered one of Frank Gehry’s famous fish sculptures, and enjoyed the sun.  It was a nice retreat from the busy streets.  Even in the offseason this city is a mad house.  It is estimated that 2.3 million people visit the Sagrada Familia alone each year.



Mediterranean Sea

Scary Gehry and his fish

Sand Castle on the sea

Barcelona is a special place, with more to see, but tomorrow we fly to Rome for new adventures.  We will be back towards the end of our trip… and look forward to it.  Hope you enjoy the pics.







San Pedro - Lake Atitlan

Driving Above the Clouds

Lago de Atitlan, our last excursion in Guatemala is the largest in the country and was formed by volcanic activity over 80,000 years ago.  You can find volcanic rock floating on the surface.  The lake is also the deepest in Central America, at 1100 feet deep.  Surrounding the Lake are three beautiful volcanoes and some lovely lake towns.  We found ourselves in the little hippie town of San Pedro, which we found to be full of party goers and the occasional weed smoker. 



Coming in to Town



Although only 31 miles from Antigua, it took nearly 4 hours to get there with winding, bumpy, make you want to barf roads that climb and drop until you stumble upon this amazing lake nestled in the middle of the country. 

View from the Lake



The trip was short, but we met a wonderful couple from Ireland (Brian and Louis), who we spent most of our time with.  One night included 6 - 40 oz Gallo beers, 5 margaritas, a bloody mary, and many laughs.  The Irish can drink.  They also offered up their apartment in Dublin for us when we get to Europe.  We may take them up on it. 

The Path to our Hostel

Grafitti San Pedro



The only real activity we did on the Lake, other than drinking, was a kayak trek.  The view was spectatular, including a unique perspective of the town, and the volcanoes.  The lake itself was warm and clear, and full of ducks with white beaks.  Some argue lake Atitlans as the most beautiful in the world.... it's hard to argue.  Cheers.

Em kayaking

J Kayaking



Monterrico - Pacific Coast

Fisherman at Sunset

It was time to make it to the coast.  A month in Guatemala with out seeing the ocean had finally taken its toll.  We took a minibus from Antigua to Monterrico, a little town on the Pacific Ocean.  Our hostess in Antigua recommended a little hostel called El Delfin so we went. 

The Boat to Monterrico

The bus ride was quite pleasant, driving through corn fields and mountains, till we finally landed on a large stream (mangrove).  From here we took a boat to Monterrico.  El Delfin was a nice place with a pool, bar and several hammocks.  The beach was black sand, made up of volcanic ash and the waves were powerful.  Swimming was minimal on this stretch of beach as the undertow was too powerful.  We did swim a bit, the water was as warm as the carribean. 

Em and the Waves

If I had to complain... it would be that it was scortching hot and misquitos were plentiful, but other than that, the Pacific was a great reminder of home.  A couple hundred yards down the beach was a large turtle sanctuary where a great effort is in pursuit to save native turtles and so nesting grounds a migration can be seen if lucky.  We did go on a hunt for turtles one night, but was unable to see them.

View from the Hostel

I was blessed one morning as I walked the beach and saw a group of dolphins jumping and playing... it was a pleasant surprise.  Hope you enjoy the pics.  Sending our love.

The Beach at Sunset

Volcan de Pacaya

Hello!

We had an amazing adventure yesterday. We climbed to the top of the active Volcan de Pacaya.

Volcan de Justin

It was great!! We had arranged to hike with a friend we had randomly met from Indiana. We woke and met our tour guides at 5:50 am and took an hour van ride to the trail head. On the van we met a couple from Michigan, and a man from Ireland. When we arrived, we were greeted by 15 children wanting to sell us walking sticks for 5Q each. We had forgotten extra money, so were not able to purchase one. The children were saying “ Es necesario” which was pretty funny after the fact…. Because, it really was necessary! The hike was pretty steep in some places, and the terrain was weird!! We were hiking on cooled lava broken into a pebble like substance. Almost like hiking up a huge sand dune… not easy!!

Looks a little like Mars... huh?

We finally made it to the top in about 2 hours. We were able to look directly into the mouth of the steaming volcano. Once and a while the steam would hit you in the face and give you a lung full of sulfur steam that would make you cough…  A few lone dogs from the town did the full hike with us!!! When we reached the top, I shared my water with themJ  At the top, you can feel the heat coming out through the pebbles. We could also see two other volcanoes in view. It was so beautiful!

El Perro y mi

The "boca" or mouth of the volcano

The steam out the mouth of the volcano... with carbon and sulfer

The way down was even more of an adventure! It was so steep in some areas that we literally had to “ski” down the lava pebbles. It was scary, but really fun!! This volcano is constantly changing and is very active. We did not get to see flowing lava like others who have done the hike, but could summit the volcano because of that. Others had told us that you can roast a marshmallow over the lava when it’s flowing! The next time we visit, we will do the hike again and it will be completely different. The last time it exploded entirely was in 2010. We loved this adventure!!

J and I at the summit

Today we leave Antigua for Monterrico which is on the Pacific coast. There is promise to see hatching sea turtles in the sand. We will stay here for 3 nights and then on to two nights in Panajachel, overlooking lake Atitlan. We miss you all!! Thanks for the nice comments!!