Italian Travelogue Part 1: Rome

Best vacation ever. The official results are not in yet, but I think we have a new winner. The first three days in Italy are spent in Rome, where the sense of history (or better yet, History) suffuses everything. I am traveling with my best friend from graduate school, Brant, who is himself a self prescribed history buff. On the train from the airport to the city he shows me his Rome itinerary. It is four pages, typed, and organized according to location, time needed to appreciate, and admission fee. My planning for the entire trip consisted of renewing my passport and getting plane tickets. I left it pretty open from there, so once we check into our hotel we are officially on The Itinerary.
We see the Piazza Della Republicca, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, and then do lunch. That is approximately 3% of the day's itinerary, but jet lag catches up to me in a big way so I send him on and I go back for a nap. After dinner (soon to become the best part of the day) we head over to the piazza of St. Peter's, my favorite place in Rome. Pope Benedict XVI had been inaugurated earlier in the day, and the square was still full of the faithful. We tried to get an audience with the Pontiff but was told he was home watching Arrested Development.
Monday we keep successfully to The Itinerary. The day is spent exploring the Coliseum and the Roman ruins. I take a nap in the Circus Maximus. Where there used to be chariot races and mass killing for entertainment is now a peaceful park. If each vacation day can consist of at least one nap I am a happy camper.
Tuesday it is back to St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum. The Vatican was way too crowded. They should only let 20 people at a time into the Sistine Chapel, enforce a no-talking policy with the threat of violence, and let you linger as long as you want. You simply cannot take it all in crowded shoulder to shoulder. It is simply too beautiful and overwhelming. It demands silence and reflection, and unfortunately there were way too many tourists for that.
Tuesday's nap is back in the hotel. Our Rome hotel is very basic, having only 3 requirements: Air conditioning, two separate beds, and a bathroom not shared with every other hotel guest. Here that's pretty much a given. Over there, not so much.
Already a pattern has emerged that will carry us through the rest of the trip: Sightseeing during the day, afternoon siesta, and then dinner. God bless Brant. He shares with me a characteristic to let the budget go out the window when eating out. Restaurants in Italy generally do not open for dinner until 7:30 or 8:00. Then we would have a good old-fashioned two course Italian dinner (plus appetizer and dessert). That lasted about 2 or 3 hours, leaving just enough time for gelato before collapsing into a food coma. I'm pretty sure gluttony is one of those don't-apply-in-the-21st-century sins. I hope so. I have not eaten that well in like, ever. If we hadn't had to walk everywhere I'd be about 250 lbs by now.
Brant was happy. The Itinerary was satisfied. I was happy. I was getting my naptime and stuffing my face. Life is good.