Last day in Roma!

At least until the study abroad program brings us back here for a weekend, and I come back at the end of June for St. Peters Day and fly home. I walked what must be about 15 miles in the past 2 days - no exaggeration. I started yesterday from the convent, up to Circo Massimo, and finally figured out all the mass transportation. It's actually really easy - I'm shocked that this was the first time I've used public transportation - it's the 5th time I've been to Rome! I got off at Cavor and hiked up to the St. Peter in Chains Church, then took more wrong turns then I care to think about up to the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. It was breathtaking - from there I decided to just keep walking and made it far east to the Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano, which was also ridiculously amazing. It always shocks me to think that people come to mass in such a spectacular setting. Then I walked back past the Forum and Colosseum to the Basilica San Clemente in Laterano, which is actually a church bulit atop an older church built atop a pagan worship temple - really interesting. I had lunch at an Enoteca on Cavor - some wonderful house white wine and what I best estimate to be 9 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 slices of bread with an antipasto of mushrooms, roman artichokes, eggplant wrapped around sundried tomatoes and some wonderful pickled whole red onions. I took the Metro up to the Spanish Steps and walked over to the Ara Pacis - which was impressive but potentially the least interesting museum I have ever been to. Literally, it is the only thing in the museum, and the building is made of glass so you do not really need to pay an admission to see the monument. I walked up to the Piazza del Popolo, which was getting ready for a big event - tents and chairs were set up so it was not nearly as romantic and wonderful as it usually is. Then I got back on the Metro and then walked blindly past the Capuchin Crypt on Via Veneto. Once I found it I was in and out quite quickly - 4000+ skulls arranged in a macabe manner is more of the Marquis de Sade's thing (he was one of the first visitors and - shocker - loved it). Then walked over to the Trevi Fountain - which was its usual mob scene - this year, the vendors seem to be pushing umbrellas with gusto - even when its not raining. Stopped to have a glass of vino della casa and people watch, then walked back over to the Spanish Steps to Enotec'Antica - a 200 year old enoteca that serves simple bruschetta (olive, tomato, plain and artichoke) and a nice house red.
I planned on taking in easy today after yesterday, but for some reason I am incapable of doing that. I hate those tourists who try and cram a whole city in a few days, and that was certainly not my intent - Rome is so magical and beautiful it is really hard for me to not want to explore every inch (millimeter?) of it.
Today I saw the Vatican gardens (and got to skip the 2 hour line thanks to a very nice Italian guard who let me slip in - much to the dismay of the Germans behind me who had been waiting so long. He yelled at them for objecting to his letting me cut. Ha!) - and then after had a nice lunch at L'Isola della Pizza - a few short blocks from St. Peters. Signore Rick Steves tells me that the boar that went into the boar ragu was hand caught by one of the owners of the place - I'm not so sure I believe that, but it was delicious, especially over the handmade tagliatelle. I also had a side of grilled treviso which was very simply but perfectly prepared with olive oil and sea salt. From there, I went back to the Castle, which has more stairs then I would have liked for one supposed to be "taking it easy", but I was rewarded by a fantastic panoramic view of the whole city. I figured out the buses, stopped to buy more shoes, and now I'm back at the convent. A domani I head off to Tropea, via Termini train station with a change at Lamezia. It should take me about 7 hours...hopefully I'll be able to make up for the sleep I haven't been getting due to this terrible jet lag.
I don't even feel bad about the jug of olive oil and 20 loaves of bread I've consumed - I'm sure this obscene amount of walking will certainly wear it off. However, my feet are in such pain I am hobbling as though someone shot me in the foot.
Ah well. Nothing a few days at the beach won't cure.