Rome Is A Rainy MESS - Visiting Vatican City & Finally Seeing Sistine Chapel / St Peters Basilica
Rainy Rome In Nov 2025
Transcript
0:02
Today's adventure begins as the
0:02
recording of this [clears throat]
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Monday, November 24th, 2025 with a latte
0:08
macchiato over here in a Rome cafe. It's
0:12
going to be a very rainy day, 54°
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currently with a precipitation chance of
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70 to 80% and severe weather warning
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throughout the course of the day. Get my
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caffeine on and they're going to start
0:25
the day cafe style. They didn't have a
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to-go cup, so I'm sitting. And I am
0:30
going to start off the day by going
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inside this basilica, which has a
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underground area. Where I was staying at
0:36
the hotel, they said, "Make sure you
0:38
check out the Basilica in the
0:40
neighborhood. There's a really neat
0:42
underground." So, going to start off
0:43
with that and then I'm going to go to
0:45
Vatican City, which is in fact not part
0:48
of Italy. It is in fact its own country.
0:50
the smallest country
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distance-wise,
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size-wise, I mean, and also
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populationwise for what I was reading.
1:00
Does that classify as me going to
1:01
another country? Probably not. I don't
1:03
think you need a passport, but yeah,
1:05
technically. Welcome everyone. Out of
1:07
the Woo here. I got my over- the-sh
1:09
shoulder fanny pack bag securely
1:11
tightened with all my stuff in it
1:13
underneath my hoodie zipped up so no one
1:16
can grab it. A lot of pickpockers here.
1:17
Everyone locally, even the barista, the
1:20
coffee shop said, "Make sure you do not
1:22
have anything open to anyone grabbing,
1:25
cutting anything, reaching in." This is
1:27
the most secure way to do it. I'm going
1:30
to have myself a day in Rome.
1:33
Join me. Little bit of a climate
1:35
weather. I might get a rainstorm. Feels
1:37
good out there. Nice little breeze. Join
1:39
me, shall you? Basilica to San Clemente.
2:09
Yeah, the basilica is free admission,
2:09
but to get down into the little catacomb
2:11
area, €10
2:14
to get down in here.
2:20
It's really interesting. The artwork
2:20
that's down here between these two
2:22
pillars
2:24
is it's Christ between
2:27
Gabriel and Michael, the angels there.
2:41
Really fascinating. Look at these
2:41
carvings.
3:18
This whole area was used
3:18
as a temple with seating for ritual
3:21
banquetss.
3:23
There was a pagan altar. Here in the
3:25
temple there stands a pagan altar.
4:01
Just
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>> look at the etchings up on the ceiling
4:03
there.
4:05
>> All through there.
4:16
>> That's probably
4:16
ground level.
4:29
This area through here is very humid.
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So much moisture that there are plants.
4:32
Look at the moss and the plants that are
4:34
growing there on the
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the bottom of the ceiling line.
4:49
>> It explains the humidity and the
4:49
moisture. There's a running spring right
4:52
down there.
5:29
right now.
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In 1859, a fresco of Madonna and Child
6:11
was discovered in a niche further down
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the aisle. After a few days, the wall
6:16
fell to reveal
6:19
this
6:22
perfectly, well, semi-perfectly
6:24
preserved in this little
6:26
this little section here.
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>> You can even see some over here that has
6:35
kind of been chipped off over the time.
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It was an archaeological discovery of
6:51
Joseph Uli in 1857.
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>> And the excavation hole that he dug
7:05
through is right there.
7:08
So he would have just dug through there
7:10
and found this whole catacomb area.
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>> Fascinating, right?
7:16
>> The flickering lights kind of add to the
7:18
ambiance also.
7:36
>> Okay, the rain is definitely coming down
7:36
now. I'm going to go ahead and grab a an
7:38
Uber over to the Vatican City.
7:41
Try to do indoor stuff most of the
8:52
right, got dropped off
8:52
trying to say. Oh my gosh, look at that.
8:55
Oh, look at both of us in the rain. I
8:58
have to purchase a good umbrella here
9:00
momentarily or at least at some point. I
9:03
don't think this is stopping all day.
9:05
Trying to stay out of the elements.
9:07
There it is over there.
9:35
Phone's here. Says call home you so
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choose. Also booked a couple different
9:38
tickets to different things that I'm
9:39
going to go see
9:42
inside the Vatican. Got to go to a
9:45
meeting point
9:48
to go into the cathedral first.
10:01
>> All right. Over
10:02
little gift shop here. They got an
10:03
umbrella. Buy this one.
10:18
My camera got a little messed up from
10:18
the downpour of rain. Oh, yep. It's
10:20
being weird. It's being uh it's being
10:23
wacky. Hopefully it dries out. Got got
10:27
seriously rained on
10:33
it thaw.
10:33
Some water got up inside of it. Oh, yep.
10:36
Not good. Not good. So, ticket I bought.
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First ticket is for St. Peter's
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Basilica.
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I'm just hoping that this camera thaws
10:43
out. I did bring an extra camera with me
10:47
that that I haven't opened yet, but I
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really hope I don't have to tap into
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that. But it's looking like that might
10:53
be the case. Meeting here at this
10:55
cafeteria
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to get my ticket to the basilica.
11:17
Just a few people
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>> group I'm with
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getting me in is the lady with the flag
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right there. The green flag.
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My group's kind of somewhere wedged in
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here.
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right, that was a little time consuming.
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Almost like going through TSA at an
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airport. Got to take everything off,
11:51
take it through the rolling tray, etc.
11:55
Quite a bit of security out here.
11:59
Heading in.
12:27
in St. Peter's Basilica now.
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>> Well, not quite yet, but close. It's a
12:30
whole process.
12:32
All right, met up with the group at
12:33
1:30. Actually met up at 1:15,
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half hour before or 15 minutes before
12:39
1:30 to make sure we walked over at
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1:30. It's already almost 2:15. We
12:43
haven't even gotten in yet. I booked
12:45
another tour for the Sistine Chapel to
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meet up at 3:00, which is supposed to
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meet up with that group at 2:45.
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Thinking I have enough time from 1:30
12:55
till 3, but the way it's looking is I
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think by the time I get in St. Peter's
13:00
Cathedral. I'm going to have to just get
13:02
a quick glance, leave, meet up with the
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other group for the Sistine Chapel cuz
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it's definitely taking a little longer
13:08
than I anticipated to get in here. So,
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if you ever do this, keep that in mind.
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Should have spaced the chores out much
13:17
more dramatically, but I thought an hour
13:18
and a half would be enough time, but I'm
13:20
not even in yet.
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>> All right. I just walked a bunch of
13:55
steps.
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A lot of steps up here.
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>> Thought we were going to the basilica,
14:00
but nope. Climbing stairs. All right,
14:03
I'm seeing the basilica from
14:06
a ledge here.
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Be pretty rushed to try to get over to
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the next group to be honest,
14:15
but I think I might make it.
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Maybe.
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So there were stairs all the way up to
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this point.
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That's the basilica down there. Wow. The
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floor of the Basilica,
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St. Peter's Basilica, which evidently
14:35
there's a heavy rumor that St. Peter is
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buried underneath the structure.
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That's what some say.
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All right. Now, I'm taking these stairs
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down to the basilica. I guess if I don't
14:50
make the group for the Sistine Chapel, I
14:52
could probably book another one for a
14:54
later time.
15:24
Good news is the camera seems to start
15:24
working again. So, heck yeah. That is a
15:27
positive positive thing. I was a little
15:29
worried about that.
15:55
Oh yeah, that's where I was just at.
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Right up there.
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>> Walking at a very brisk pace,
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get over to the spot, which means
16:22
probably have to go back through
16:25
security again to get back in. Not sure.
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Should be able to make over there and
16:29
meet up with the group. Just a couple
16:31
minutes to spare, hopefully.
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phones and cameras.
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>> Three security checks to get back in
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where belts. You can keep them with you.
16:49
Okay. Only phones and um uh how it
16:52
cameras. Okay.
17:23
>> right, I'm being told I can't take my
17:23
large umbrella in, so got to check it
17:25
right here. All right, now inside the
17:28
Vatican walls. No longer in Rome.
17:37
technically in this in Vatican City.
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Got to go through got to wait to go
17:39
through here, scan ticket again, and
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then go in.
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At least I made it up. Thankful for
17:46
that. And I'm thankful the camera's
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working
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and very grateful I got an umbrella. So
17:52
evidently the small umb umbrellas that
17:55
everyone has, they're letting in. But if
17:56
you have the larger umbrella like I got,
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you have to check it in almost like a
18:00
coat check. Well, you can bring coats
18:02
in, just not big umbrellas.
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>> All right, made it in. It's raining
18:20
outside pretty good.
18:38
Hey, making my way over to the world
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famous Cistine Chapel.
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Definitely a thing that's been on my
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bucket list to see for a long time.
19:26
This is the fragment of a lid of a lid
19:26
of a sarcophagus.
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The upper portion
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priest that
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created it, devoted it to the lion
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goddess.
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You will
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think
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with the portion that seals it up right
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up there standing up.
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This one's dated to thousand
20:50
BC.
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These are little letters that are
22:03
inscribed on rock. Little etchings.
22:07
You kind of go down here. This is a
22:11
It says letter and legal document made
22:13
out of clay 2,000
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years BC. Look at that.
23:21
guests of the realized at the beginning
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of the season.
23:53
Not sure where it going, but I think
23:53
it's in here. All right. This is just
23:55
wild. Look at these sculptures. This
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goats,
24:02
lions.
24:08
Oh, wow. What's going on with that? A
24:08
pig.
24:10
Amazing.
24:12
Wow. That is a conquering feline right
24:17
Unbelievable. These are amazing.
24:27
That might be a crocodile or an
24:27
alligator right there
24:30
on top of that grave or that
24:33
corrosophagus.
24:35
Hope I'm pronouncing that right. Looks
24:36
like a gator.
24:52
There's a boar.
24:52
A pelican over there. Some birds. Some
24:54
fowl. A turtle. No, a turkey on the end.
24:59
All right. Very interesting.
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Man, the centurion right here. Just
25:21
got the dagger. Look at this
25:23
bloodthirsty [music]
25:24
dog. That dog's just like, "Give me a
25:26
little lick of that. Give me a little
25:28
Just give me a little lick of that,
25:30
man." Bloodthirsty.
25:32
That snake going after Look at the snake
25:33
right there is bloodthirsty also.
25:36
They're just like going right up towards
25:38
it.
25:39
very happy with his conquest of the
25:42
rabbit.
25:49
This is the halfh human, half horse.
25:49
There's a name for that, but I cannot
25:50
recall what the name is.
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Just think of the time and effort and
26:34
patience. It took scaffolding up here on
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all this
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little inner dome ceiling
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almost to to the spot.
27:15
Why it's called the body? Because we
27:15
don't have enough historical evidence.
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The only information we have is that the
27:20
first of Christ.
28:01
Still, one more flight of stairs to go
28:01
up.
28:04
The chapel of the cistine.
30:00
Got to make sure no flash photography
30:00
because the images of the light bursting
30:03
on artwork like this is not good for
30:06
them.
30:42
Massive tapestries here.
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>> Massive.
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Oh my gosh, look at this hallway.
31:28
Look at this cord or something. Why?
31:31
Wow.
31:40
This is like something out of a dream.
31:40
Really is.
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Look at this artwork on the side of this
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wall.
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Seems as I can squeeze in
33:27
All this artwork on the ceilings just
33:27
must be so arduous how many years that
33:30
took to do all of these.
34:01
This is like a maze. This is like a
34:01
maze.
34:21
There it is. Magnificent
34:21
parking lot.
34:31
Not this painting by Michelangelo.
34:31
like that little ledge out there, that
34:32
walkway. Pretty much like an extended
34:34
queue almost to get to that painting
34:37
everybody wants to see.
34:43
Dumps back in this room.
34:43
I mean, this every inch
34:46
of this room is covered in magnificent
34:49
paintings.
35:02
The reality is when you start following
35:02
the signs, you really pass through about
35:04
30 to 40 rooms, big rooms full of
35:07
artwork, and then you continue down
35:10
staircases upstairs
35:13
just kind of winding around. You don't
35:15
just immediately walk in and go to the
35:17
Sistine Chapel. Got to work for it. Got
35:20
to want it.
36:04
All right, I have successfully seen the
36:04
cyine chapel. Of course, the most famous
36:07
section of it from Michelangelo is Adam
36:10
touching God's finger there. But the
36:13
entire roof is just covered. So, picture
36:16
this, but way bigger. you know, probably
36:20
five times the size of this room and
36:22
it's just all artwork that Michelangelo
36:26
was not allowed to film in there. Very,
36:28
very, very, very strict. If you were
36:29
walking around making sure no one was
36:30
filming, you can look up pretty much any
36:33
photo online and see what it looks like.
36:35
But got myself, well, I'm going to get
36:37
myself a little souvenir here to
36:40
remember the occasion. Stooding there
36:41
for probably 10 minutes kind of staring
36:43
at the roof and uh enjoying it. God, I
36:46
got to see it with my own eyes. So cool.
36:48
I think I'm actually going to get both
36:49
of them. I mean, not only the artwork is
36:52
or the entire, you know,
36:55
entire pieces
36:57
very iconic, but so also the the hand of
37:00
man, touching the hand of God has begun
37:03
kind of its own its own thing as well.
37:26
>> Also believe this artwork here is from
37:26
Raphaela which yesterday saw his grave
37:29
inside the Pantheon.
37:42
Oh, this is interesting. Okay, so this
37:42
is exactly what it looks like inside.
37:45
Not sure why they don't want you taking
37:47
photos. Maybe it's just so many people
37:48
that they don't want everyone holding. I
37:50
mean, the entire floor was full of
37:51
people.
37:53
Maybe they just wanted to expedite
37:55
everyone entering and exiting. And there
37:58
was chairs, not chairs, but there was
37:59
benches on the side that were all full
38:01
of people as well. But you could see the
38:03
famous, most famous of all of them. He
38:05
did that entire roof is right kind of up
38:08
in that section right there.
38:21
>> Just to kind of estimate how long it
38:21
took to walk from the entrance, the
38:23
first sign I saw over to the Sistine
38:26
Chapel, I'm going to guess probably at
38:28
least an hour. An hour walk look going
38:31
through a lot of the other amazing
38:33
artwork. So again, if you show up here,
38:35
don't think you're just going to
38:36
immediately walk in and see it, unless
38:39
there's a different route that I didn't
38:40
take. Also, a fun memory that I remember
38:42
from being a kid, first went to Epcot in
38:45
' 82, 83. Epcot opened in ' 82. I was
38:48
born in 74, so I've been eight or nine
38:50
years old and going on Spaceship Earth
38:53
the first time. There's that scene past
38:55
the se the Rome section. and you look up
38:58
and there's Michelangelo painting the
39:00
Sistine Chapel hand of Adam touching the
39:03
hand of God and I always thought where
39:06
is that even at a young age that was the
39:08
first memory I ever had of spaceship
39:11
earth and it kind of stuck with me till
39:12
years later now I have lots of memories
39:14
on spaceship earth and all the different
39:15
scenes but that was the first thing that
39:18
resonated with me on spaceship earth
39:23
and I always wondered where it was and
39:24
wanted to see it in person and now I
39:27
So, it's kind of fun. Kind of a cool
39:29
little core memory accomplished
39:32
>> or bucket list, I should say.
40:00
All right, this is the bag check and the
40:00
umbrella check
40:02
over there. So many umbrellas. Look at
40:05
this.
40:07
Umbrella overload. I got to pick mine
40:08
up. All right, just like that. Got the
40:10
umbrella back. Currently don't need it,
40:13
but
40:16
that's where I entered in earlier.
40:20
Going to go find a place to grab,
40:23
have a bite to eat, wind down the night.
40:27
All right, ordered an Uber.
40:31
Going to head over to a spot I was at
40:32
yesterday during the day, which should
40:34
look pretty cool all lit up at night.
40:36
We're near some kind of iconic
40:38
fountains.
40:40
See if there's a little little food
40:41
place I can grab a bite to eat.
41:15
All right, nice little quick little
41:15
commute over this way to the piaza.
41:18
Looks beautiful lit up at night.
41:21
Lots of different restaurants as even a
41:24
little spot over here. Restaurante
41:27
got the even though it is a nice little
41:30
cool crisp night.
41:33
Got some fire over there to keep
41:35
everyone warm.
41:50
The name of this place is Neona. This is
41:50
the menu here. And this is kind of an
41:52
interesting old photo of the little
41:54
plaza area back in the day.
41:58
I think I might get spaghetti and
41:59
meatballs. I had fashi alfredo last
42:03
night, but spaghetti meatballs maybe
42:04
tonight. Tonight going with the
42:06
spaghetti and meatballs here. I also
42:09
went with a salad. Very look uh very
42:11
good looking salad right there.
42:14
sitting right next to an open flame. I
42:18
got the It's actually a little warm with
42:20
the fire right next to it though, but
42:24
little warmth. Yeah. Spaghetti and
42:26
meatballs.
42:28
See the steam coming off of it there.
42:32
So close to the fountains.
42:39
Yeah. I don't know what it is, but
42:39
everything I've eaten here so far in
42:42
Rome has been really good. These
42:43
meatballs
42:45
tasty.
42:58
>> I got this Capri salad. I've had Capri
42:58
salad before, but something about this
43:00
one is like a little better than usual.
43:02
The mozzarella and the tomatoes.
43:05
Tomatoes are very fresh. This is like
43:07
the best combo when you like take your
43:09
fork in there. Like first you cut it in
43:12
half and then you take a bite of both of
43:13
them together. It's like the perfect
43:15
combo of different flavors. But that is
43:17
that is a that's good.
43:19
I would definitely get this again in
43:21
Rome. Have to try it elsewhere too and
43:23
see what it's like in the States. But
43:24
this is this is really good. All right.
43:26
That was really good.
43:28
Really great view here of the courtyard,
43:32
the fountains, etc.
43:45
Second meal in Rome and both of them
43:46
have been really good. Seeing this
43:48
fountain kind of makes me want to go
43:49
back by the Trevy Fountain, which was so
43:52
busy yesterday. I couldn't even get up
43:53
close to it. But I think the inclement
43:55
weather and the stormy weather has made
43:58
this area seem less crowded than it was
44:01
when I passed by yesterday. So, I'm
44:02
thinking maybe the Trevy Fountain, which
44:04
is walking distance from here, might be
44:05
a little more mellow. Might head over
44:07
that direction.
44:25
I picked up a couple magnets and a
44:25
t-shirt
44:28
Roma souvenir. Also, I went with some
44:32
pistachio flavored gelati
44:35
right here.
44:38
Figure win in Rome. It's a Roman
44:39
dessert.
44:41
Looks good. Pistachio
44:44
gel. Gelato. Not gelati. Gelato. That's
44:48
what I said.
45:33
You do not want anybody sitting on the
45:33
wall. They will whistle at you. If
45:36
you're sitting on the wall, they'll
45:37
whistle. They have like a coach's
45:39
whistle.
45:42
Sure, people are probably taking tumbles
45:44
in the fountain. So, if you try to sit
45:46
and get a photo,
45:48
>> they will blow their whistle. They've
45:49
blown the whistle a lot since I've been
45:51
out here.
45:59
Evidently, the only major rule is do not
45:59
sit on this.
46:11
I think this is the one that they have
46:11
recreated in Vegas,
46:23
but this one is much much larger.
46:23
Pretty sure this is the one that they
46:25
did a exact recreation of making sure
46:53
It's an old myth, an old legend, a
46:53
tradition that if you bring a coin and
46:56
you throw it over your shoulder into the
46:58
water, it means you will return. Has to
47:01
be at this fountain. You will eventually
47:03
one day return to Rome.
47:40
Starting to rain again. They're trying
47:40
to get a little sprinkles through here.
47:44
There goes one on the camera.
47:47
Got the flag up there.
48:08
Rain is coming down. Start heading back
48:08
to the hotel now.
48:15
Walking through the alleys of Rome in
48:15
the rain.
49:02
That's going to do it for today
49:02
from a wet
49:05
Rainy Rome. It has subsided with just
49:08
enough time for me to walk back to my
49:10
hotel.
49:12
Coliseum just teasing me. At some point
49:14
I will get in here on this trip. Not
49:17
yet.
49:19
I'll get in there.
49:21
Thanks for watching. I'll see you in the
49:22
next video. The vlog