Although we’re now back home, we’re still reflecting on and writing about our trip.
Our hotel in Rome was in an excellent location — right next to a castle called Castel Sant’Angelo, and extremely close to the Vatican. On our first day, Natalia and I went out to see the castle. Along the way, we saw people dressed as Roman soldiers, and someone sitting on a stick being held by another person, hoping to make money. We saw similar things in other parts of Rome. There were also book stands; unfortunately all the books were in Italian. At the back of the castle we found a large park with many teenagers running around in it. The castle had an enormous back door, with a reasonably-sized one cut into the middle of it. We went around to the front, only to learn that the castle was closed on Mondays.
The amazing thing about Rome is that many parts of the city seemed like they had been there for centuries, and the ancient ruins did not entirely seem out of place. 
The next day we went to the Colosseum, the world’s largest amphitheater, built in the years 72-80 CE, during the Imperial period. The line to get into the Colosseum was giant, about the size of one you would find at Disneyland. Ironically, the Colosseum was built so that hoards of people could rush in on all sides. Unfortunately, now the arches are blocked off, so you have to wait in a long line. While waiting, we saw a tourist get robbed. Two thieves ran on either side of him and grabbed his bags, knocking him down. After about an hour we finally got in.
The Colosseum was ginormous — built large enough to hold a crowd of 50,000-80,000. Originally, people went there to see all sorts of events: games, hunts, re-enacted battles, fights with wild animals. The stone and concrete structure had three levels, plus an underground, where caged animals had been kept. The gladiators used to fight in the middle. When we visited, one half of it was covered by a wood platform, but in the other half you could see a maze, underneath the stage, where the gladiators prepared. On the next floor there was a small museum on the inside, along with an art exhibit. On the outside you got an excellent view of the arena from above. 
After leaving the Colosseum, we continued on to the Roman Forum, the social and political center of the ancient city. People first began meeting there around 500 BCE, at the time of the Roman Republic, and through the years it contained temples, plazas, markets, and the Senate. The first thing we saw was a giant palace. Above that, we wandered through a big series of gardens, with a great view of the city. In some ways it was more impressive than the Colosseum. Then we walked through the rest of the Roman Forum, seeing many ancient sites, including the amazing Temple of Mars.
The next day we got together with people from PICO (People Improving Communities Through Organizing), Daddy’s organization. They were in town to help the Vatican staff prepare for the Pope’s upcoming visit to Philadelphia. They wanted the Pope to understand the issues of mass incarceration, police brutality, racism, deportation of immigrants, low wages, and income inequality that people face in the USA.
On Wednesday, we met the PICO people in St. Peter’s Square, to attend the General Audience of Pope Francis. We took seats in the back, but then realized that our tickets let us go up front and sit on the steps. The Pope went in a car (the “popemobile”) through the audience, blessing babies. Then he welcomed people and groups attending, using different languages. This took a long time. People in the audience were chanting that they loved Pope Francis. He gave a homily in Italian, and then it was translated into many different languages. He spoke about the importance of family members caring with compassion for their sick relatives, and how that teaches children to be sensitive to others’ suffering.
After the crowd dispersed, we made our way to the Vatican Museum, where we walked through the rooms filled with incredible art work. At the end we finally reached the famous Sistine Chapel, where in the early 1500s Michelangelo had painted biblical scenes on the ceiling, including the creation story from Genesis.
Toward the end of our stay in Rome, Daddy and I walked around the city. My favorite building was the Pantheon, with its incredible architecture. Natalia and Mommy took a bus to the National Museum of the 21st Century Arts, MAXXI. They saw a multi-part exhibit about food, “From the Spoon to the World.” In one part of it, an artist had photographed re-creations of meals made famous in classic books. Another part of the exhibit dealt with world issues like malnutrition, and contemporary solutions like sustainable agriculture.
But by far, the best part of Rome was the ice cream. The gelato shops were full of creative and delicious flavors. We made sure to go every day.
-Isaiah
Hi Isaiah: This was a great post. Thanks for the great and informative update. I learned some things from you through your posts. And the photos were wonderful. Thanks for sharing your journey with all of the rest of us!