Aug. 31, 2010
Ciao NU Fans,
By day three, almost of the guys have recovered from their case of jet lag. Despite having to get up early in the morning, we were all anxiously waiting in the lobby to tour the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. I am sure all of us have heard the cliché, "a picture is worth a thousand words" and in this case that phrase is definitely true because words simply do not do it justice, but I am going to try my best to give you an idea of what it was like anyway.
Before we could begin our tour, we first had to clear security, which reminded me of security checks at the airport. After we cleared security we began with our tour of the Vatican. The artwork at the Vatican is phenomenal; from the statues, to the paintings, to the panoramic view of Rome, the tour was nothing short of incredible. We then made our way to the Sistine Chapel. The atmosphere in the Sistine Chapel was very different from that of the Vatican. No pictures could be taken and talking was kept to a minimum. However, being able to see the amazing artwork of Michelangelo up close and in person was unbelievable. Funny how I used to think I was the best artist in the world when I would give it my all to color in the lines and my mom would hang my picture up on the fridge for friends and family to see. Another thing that I found remarkable was the number of different people from different cultures around the world that the Sistine Chapel attracts. This was evident when a recording over the intercom reminding visitors to keep talking to a minimum was played in over ten different languages. Last, we toured St. Peter's Basilica, which simply put is huge! I was most amazed by the tomb of St. Peter, which is over 400 ft. high.
After our tour, we were given free time to either relax at the hotel or do some shopping. It was no surprise that everyone elected to shop. Being from Michigan, the shopping plaza in Rome reminded me of the downtown shopping areas of small cities in northern Michigan, such as Mackinaw City. The narrow streets littered with local shops, restaurants, and brand name department stores, large crowds of people, tourists on four-seater bikes, music, and the almost tangible energy was truly an amazing site. After shopping we walked back to the hotel and rested before dinner. Dinner was very good. Various types of meats, chicken covered in tomatoes, mushrooms, and other vegetables, and of course pasta! And to top that all off was a delicious dessert of tiramisu.
This was our last night in Rome and it was a great experience. From the ruins of ancient Rome, to the beauty of Vatican, to the small town feel of the shopping plaza, we have enjoyed everything. We will be traveling to Florence on Wednesday and also playing our second game. We are looking forward to touring Florence and expect to have as many great experiences there as well.
We appreciate all the support,