italy pt 2

		What a day!  It started with several hours of blah-blah-blah corporate encouraging blah.  It was somewhat decent, in that it talked about having an emotional IQ and how to deal with people.  Hmph.  Whatever.  The fun part came around 2 pm when me and Forrest and his wife Jennifer went on an adventure into the city.  Walking, walking, walking.  Still amazed by the textures and layers of this city.  Ancient, graffiti, modern, all in the same place.  Imagine if you will, one of the homes from the Ranching Heritage Center (you know a "real old one" from 1780) and put it in Texas Tech, then put the bus station with all it's graffiti and low income peoples surrounding it in the mix.  But then you also have to have the ultra modern, so you throw in a McDonalds and the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for Arts and Design.  (These images will only be relevant to you if you live in Lubbock, obviously.) Ok, so.......then we walked.  And we saw the Trevi Fountain, and we saw the Pantheon and we saw Dianna's Temple, and a war memorial and a ton of stuff.  And I walked for 5 hours.  And I'm tired. All I can say is this is incredible.  Ginormous buildings. I feel like I'm having an out of body experience.  Like I'm dreaming.  So incredibly surreal. When I went to Mount Rushmore years ago I felt like my education had been worthwhile.  That's not how I feel now.  It's more like my education has failed me to a certain extent.  When was the Pantheon built?  I don't know.  What's it's exact purpose?  Hmmm...to worship many gods? At the same time though, it is not lackluster.  It's tremendous.  I've never seen things this big and this ornate.  It's kind of the antithesis of Time Square.  While TS is big it's modern and it overwhelms your senses.  This is just dumbfounding and awe inspiring.  And.....and....and....idk. Tomorrow, the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's basilica and the Coliseum.