Rome is like a giant treasure chest, the coins piled one on top of the other in a disorganized heap. Take a handful of thin, gold disks off of the top and inspect them closely for a short time. Or discard the first handful for the layer below or the layer below that. In time, you would realize that there is more treasure than one person can scoop up in handfuls, more to the heap than is possible to catalog or appreciate.
My hostel is located on Via Cavour, which is one of the main streets near Termini Roma; the end of the line for any trains travelling in the direction of Rome. I went in search for coffee on my first morning here and, seeing a staircase, decided to climb the steps. Stairs are always worth taking, offering at the very least a new perspective. At the top of this particular staircase was a church named Basilica di San Pietri in Vincoli or The Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains. Inside this church were the first sculptures by Michelangelo Bounarroti that I have ever seen in person.
Moses sits aloof, looking off to the left, holding the tablets under his right arm as he plays with the tangles of his beard between his fingers. His hair is a loose bed of unkempt curls with two odd protrusions peeking out of the crown like horns; his face that of a young man. His beard is an impressive series of silken ropes beginning just above his jaw-line which are easily of a length to be tucked into his waistband. He seems confident, patient, and sure yet tired somehow. You really must come and see him for yourself.
albaniacalling 