We woke up early this morning because we had to be at our bus stop before 7:00 this morning. For those of you who don't know me, I have a confession to make. I am one of the grumpiest people on the face of the planet in the mornings, especially when I haven't had much sleep, and even moreso when I am woken up before I want to get up. Needless to say, it was a very long morning. We had to catch the bus, though, so we could get on our train to Rome. It was a very nice train filled with working stiffs as well as high-class business folk. Tracey, Jordan and I went to the bar car and got cappuccinos. I woke up a little bit and became less of a grouch. Now we could start our day.
We got to Rome and caught taxis to our hotel, the Hotel Tiziano. It was super-nice. After we got checked in, we went to the Vatican City. That's an amazing place. We got to walk through the "city" and see all the sights that led us to the Sistine Chapel. It's true. Michelangelo was an unbelievable artist. Words can't really express what it was like to be there and see the painted ceiling first-hand. It was unreal. We kept walking and finally got to St. Peter's Basicilica. What a work of art. The largest church building in the world and we were standing right in the middle of it. It's amazing to see the result of what man can imagine and create, but it's even more amazing to see what God can create, which is so much more than we could ever imagine.
After spending some time there, we went to this cool little "Disney-esque" tourist attraction called "The Time Elevator" which gives a brief history of the foundation of Rome. If you've ever been on a Universal Studios ride or anything similar, you know what I'm talking about. Big movie theater screen with moving chairs that gives you that nice queasy feeling when you get up. Cheesy, yet surprisingly satisfying.
Then we went back to the hotel, grabbed our stuff and took taxis to our concert site which was a school with a small auditorium. Once we got situated and set up, I had the biggest surprise of my trip. My dear friend, Silvia Manfredi, came to see me! She's a clarinet player who lives in Genoa, Italy and was in Rome for an audition to play in the army band. Unfortunately, it didn't work out this time, but pray for her so her next audition will be much more fruitful. Anyway, I was so excited to see her and spend the rest of the evening with her after the concert. We had a great concert and the small room was packed with Roman people and their neighbors. After eating with the local church members (from the Church of Christ in Rome...how cool is that?), Silvia and I caught a bus back to the stop nearest to the hotel so we could spend time catching up after nearly two years of not as much as hearing from each other. We got there just in time for her to catch a taxi to the train station for a 6 hour ride home (which left at midnight) so she could get to work the next morning.
After Silvia and I parted ways, Tracey took the guys and me to see another historic Roman sight. The Pantheon. It's absolutely gorgeous at night. So majestic. So regal. So we left there and went to the Fountain Trevy which was even more beautiful. Tracey says it's her favorite place in Rome, especially at night. Quite the spot for romance. If you're ever in Rome with the one you love, go to the Fountain Trevy at night. You'll never lose that special someone that way (unless you do something to mess it all up, which is a whole 'nother story for a whole 'nother time).
We left the fountain and walked back to the hotel. It wasn't a long walk and it was a beautiful night so we took our time. Now it's off to bed late for an early morning.
We are seeing more sights in the morning before going to the airport to head back to Frankfurt. Pray, pray, pray!
Peace, Love, and Chocolate
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