We all know Rome wasn’t built in a day ... apparently it was not built on just seven hills either. In Rome we learned much about the competing families and fraternities and the cloak and dagger politics during ancient times while touring the Palatino hill ... site of the world’s first “palace”. Yes, it was interesting times in ancient Rome. Apparently, Nero’s successor built the colosseum as a place for entertainment for the common man. No charge for you and your family to come on in for some wholesome entertainment ... maybe forget about the harshness of your life, or the burden of your tax bill ... here a slave smeared with the scent of game trying his luck against a hungry lioness ... there there a gladiator going down in a puddle of blood with the thumb of the emperor. Great sport! Bring granny next time. Apparently they had a giant retractable roof on the place that was opened several times a day ... not to guard against inclement weather but to let out the stench of death that overwhelmed even the most fanatical fans of blood sport.
After all this time wallowing in the history of human debasement, we needed our spirits uplifted and our souls cleansed with samples of greatness in human achievement and classical wonderment's ... we walk right past the basilica for the gelato stands and fine shoe shops of downtown Rome.
Just kidding (sort of).
We actually spent pretty much the whole day in St. Peter’s square and the basilica ... walking miles and soaking in the history and splendor created by the obviously very powerful and wealthy Catholic church. As Mitchell, said ... these guys (the Pope) must wake up every day and say “it’s good to be me.” I’m not so sure ... I keep hearing my first year micro economics prof. going on about cost benefit and return on investment ... maybe I need to read the good book and get straightened out. In the meantime, I’ve got to get back to my church count ... determined to compare churches per square kilometer in Rome with pubs per square kilometer in Dublin ... a worthy study if I’ve ever heard of one!
No comments:
Post a Comment