Being in Rome on Easter weekend was a little overwhelming in terms of all the long lines and tourists, but so special. I saw everything from the Pope's 14 Stations of the Cross to the ancient Colosseum, and ate everything from pizza to pasta to gelato in sight! Ah! The Italian people are generally very welcoming, the police very corrupt (constantly checking my friend and I out...gross), the buses are free (illegally everyone gets on without paying but its completely socially accepted), and the streets and sites ancient.
Below this is me inside the Colosseum. The forum was used between 70 AD to mid 500s AD, and the bottom platform that used to exist was made out of wood--this is where the gladiators fought, rare animals were displayed, fights occurred, etc. People watched from the seats that used to exist, and had permanent seats...sort of like season tickets to games in the States!
Inside St. Giovanni, the Cathedral I went to for Easter Sunday. 
Me at the Vatican in my Easter dress on Easter Sunday! Though it felt so holy to be there on Easter, I really missed my family and my annual Easter basket! 
This is where the Pope spoke, right in front of the Colossuem. Impossible to photo it in the dark, but the cross is in the middle, and there were 14 candles lighting it. Each time a station was completed (the mass was in five languages so it took awhile but the experience of it was nothing short of incredible), a candle would blow out. The Pope was underneath the red tent speaking. I was with friends, but we were surrounded by monks and nuns and priests of every language and country.
What was funny/scary, was the rumble Amanda and I kept feeling underneath our feet while watching the Pope. Since the earthquake had just hit outside of Rome only days before, we thought it might be the aftershocks! Thankfully, a Priest saw our fear and told us it was only the metro beneath us that created the rumble.
This is Amanda and I at Trevi fountain. We are about to throw in our coins, because apparently if you throw money in- it is certain that you will get married! Let's hope!
The most beautiful fountain I'd ever seen. Trevi Fountain in the middle of the day with literally thousands of people surrounding it every which way.
Piazza Popolo from atop the stairs...a nice place to rest and relax and only a short walk to the Spanish Steps and past another Medici house overlooking it. 
Part of Piazza Popolo from the ground view. 
On the way to the Sistene Chapel, inside the Vatican museum, this is the "Hall of Maps" where the ENTIRE ceiling is covered with maps. Interesting both for how detailed it is, and also to see how the world was viewed back then because obviously the maps looked different then!
Me outside of the Vatican museum at one of the more recent structures, a modern globe. 
This is inside the Vatican. It's called St. Peter's Basilica because the tomb of Peter is beneath this altar piece in the center of the Cathedral. 
This is the Pieta, or in Spanish "Piedad"...meaning a sculpture of Christ with the Madonna. This is Michealangelo's Pieta, and literally took my breath away. Mary is represented actually younger than Christ, symbolically representing her untainted virginity and innocence as she holds the body of Christ. Supposedly this statue used to be outside of the glass, but a crazy person hammered away at the sculpture years ago and many fingers were lost from the statute. Apparently the Vatican had to make a public plea for the fingers of the statue to be returned from tourists who had taken them. 
Outside St. Peter's Basilica. I was there on the Friday before Easter, and even though I got there before it opened there was still a line! The newest construction of the Vatican was done by Bernini, who made the Vatican and the circle like plaza in the middle in the shape of a more open cross, representing the church's welcome of people to the center. 
My sorority sister, Amanda, and I took a four hour walk the first night we got there. It was actually probably my favorite part! We happened to just find everything without a map, only a hunch of direction! We passed the Colosseum at night with the full moon, and hung out around some Italians that enjoy drinking near it at night, haha.
This is the ancient "Bridge" right near the Colosseum, I think called Ponte Alexander? I'm not quite sure. To piece together the whole area, the Colosseum was behind me, the bridge to my left when watching the 14 stations of the cross delivered by the Pope on the Friday night before Easter. 
Vittorio Emmanuel. This is the Roman version of the tomb of the unknown soldier, and a large museum exists there as well. My friend Amanda and I had a late night gelato here just watching all the cars around the main traffic circle right in front of this and taking in the full moon over the amazing monument! 
This is the Cathedral atop the Spanish Steps. Amanda and I walked into the Cathedral about 11 pm, and happened upon nuns praying in the dark on the floor of the center of the church. It was a truly holy experience to be in the dark of this Cathedral on the Thursday before Easter (the day Christ died) in the presence of the nuns. 
My friend Susanna and I took the four hour long slow train from Florence to Rome. Though it was quite sketchy, and some old Italian ladies yelled at me for having my feet on the seat, and a little hot (we had to have the windows open as you can see!) to see the Italian countryside was precious. Through the mountains and the coast, and the flowers and the olive groves, I fell in love with Italy!
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