Rainy Rome

It was another rainy beginning of the day followed by a clear, warmish afternoon. Today is an early day for me because I will rise early tomorrow to catch the train to Milan. I won't have the opportunity to post again until

Saturday but I promise some wonderful, albeit wet, photos of Milan and Venice. I was able to wear my flea market inexpensive rain boots today and am pleased to report that my feet remained dry - no wet toes or soggy socks. I am sure they will be my main attire for the next few days as the weather forecast calls for a relatively dry day in Milan followed by two wet days in Venice.

I am looking forward to seeing my brother tomorrow morning, hopefully at the train station when I arrive at 9:30 after a 3 hour train journey. Check back Saturday for an update of this little side journey of my trip to Italy.

Wandering aimlessly around Trastevere has become my favorite pastime here. It is such a lovely, old part of Rome. It has become touristy, but is still so authentic a neighborhood that it feels like home. Doesn't the term "wander aimlessly" sound so much better than "being lost"? I don't have to worry exactly where I am because I'm on vacation, right?

Sunday is flea market day at Porta Portese, which is just a couple of tram stops from me. You can, quite literally, walk for 2 hours and not come to the end of it. Clothes, shoes, household goods, antiques, etc., etc. The photos I took are from the sidelines because you can see nothing if you actually get in the thick of it.

My favorite part is this: there are tables here and there with piles of clothes for 1€. That's about $1.50. Too fun. The next time I come I will bring only one change of clothes and hit the market for all the things I will need for my stay. Seriously! It's too fun. Crazy, but fun. Some things are new and some are used. You can get heavy coats for 3€ or 5€. I got a really cool pair of dress shoes (used) for 3€. I am going to have to be really creative when I pack to return home because, though I have plenty of room, my luggage was close to the weight limit when I came. Hmmmm. My carryon backpack is going to be mighty heavy.

I got cussed out in italian for the first time today. I'm not exactly sure what he said, but it was clearly dramatic. I was walking between two tables and knocked over 2 shoe boxes. I was picking them up and this older gentleman came screaming at me and motioning for me to just leave. Now, I was totally boxed in and would have been happy to leave, but couldn't get past people. I just smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I don't speak italian. I don't understand what you're saying." He was not happy. I also got to briefly (pun intended) meet my upstairs neighbor when I knocked on her door to return her panties that had fallen from her clothesline onto my porch. She was sweet.... just laughed and said thank you, thank you.

Look at this picture of one of the many, many pastry shops I have to walk past every day. It's just not fair. Everything looks so good and, trust me, it tastes even better. Between pizza, gelato, and pastry every block, I may have to be one of those fliers that has to purchase an extra seat due to the fact that I won't fit in just one. Goodness.

As I was walking tonight I happened upon this cool group of kids playing in a piazza. There is always someone painting, playing accordian, singing, playing guitar, etc., on various spots in exchange for coins. There are also beggers at every church, on the trains, some busses, etc. This group was very good....... talented, colorful, energetic. Their instrument case was filling up quite rapidly as there was always a crowd around watching them. I enjoyed them. When I walked back toward home about one and a half hours later they were still going at it. Dancing, clapping, singing, and playing. I loved it.

Exploring Rome

The morning began warm, sunny, and clear. It was a nice change. I actually had to go back into my apartment and get my sunglasses because I hadn't expected the sun to pop his head out today. I have gotten into the habit of checking the weather forecast each day, so I was prepared when the thunderstorm began late morning. I walked along on my way to St. Peter's once again because I wanted to take the "tour" I have on podcast with Rick Steves. As I walked along, I


took a couple of photos. The first one is castle S. Angelo, which I plan to learn more about and see inside one of these days. When Julie was here she joked that, because it was round, if she didn't get a chance to see the colosseum, she would just tell everyone that was it. Thankfully, she was able to get photos of the real thing.


I took a picture of St. Peter's from quite a ways down the street and, across from where I was standing, I saw a church, S. Maria Del Carmelo. I ventured inside and was, as always, amazed by the beautiful artwork inside. I enjoy just sitting in these churches and taking it all in. It quiets my soul. Just sitting there amidst all the beauty and, though my personal beliefs are somewhat different from those that are presented here, it is still the same Lord and I am always curious about different ways people approach Him. I have been told that only a small percentage of Roman's attend church regularly. I don't know if that is accurate. Unfortunately, I think like all things in life, when we are surrounded by something we tend to overlook it day to day.

Here are guards standing in front of the entrance to the pope's residence. I didn't think they would let me in - besides the pope isn't home right now. They are quite solemn and seem to stand without moving for long periods of time. Not even a nose scratch. Hmmm, with my allergies, it certainly wouldn't be the job for me.

The last photo is of a rainy street. I actually took this specific picture so I could find a shoe store again because I found a pair of boots I wanted to buy and had to go home for money, but wasn't sure I could find the place again. You will be happy to know that I was successful and can now cross one thing off of my "to-do" list. I bought a pair of italian boots. Very difficult because most stores carry sizes that begin with 36 and, just like in the states, I wear a smaller size than they carry. I did find a discount store that had the boots I like in 35. Yea! The good thing about my small feet is that I cannot find too may pairs that I could buy even if I had unlimited resources to do so.

Tomorrow is back on the train headed to Spoleto, which is about one and a half hours by train. Friday I am planning to finally go to Naples. All of this is pending on checking the weather each day. Check back later to see if I actually make it.

Appia Antica

The Appian Way was built in 312 B.C. and connected Rome with Capua (near Naples). It eventually stretched 430 miles. Due to the fact that it was unlawful to bury people within the city gates of Rome, this road became a popular burial place for Christians. There are more than 60 catacombs; 5 of which are open to the public. Today the road and landscape around it are preserved as a cultural park. It was pretty cool to walk along such an historical road. The main part of the

road is closed to motorized traffic on Sundays, so that was a bonus. There were many ruins and tombs along the way. The weather was gorgeous, so that made everything just that much more beautiful. The photograph below is of a roadside shrine that I noticed as I walked along and

took the time to snap a photo of it. I visited the Catacombs of San Callisto and took a tour of the catacombs. It was pretty fascinating to walk underground and hear the accounts those who were originally buried there. There was no photography allowed, sorry. In these particular catacombs, there were over 500,000 people buried - that's pretty amazing. Although San Callisto are arguably the largest catacombs, remember that there are over 60 of them! The burial sites were small and crowded together. There were simply too many of them that were so small that it was apparent they belonged to children or infants. The Christians also met underground here to worship during times when it was unlawful to do so in public.

As I was waiting for the bus after my visit to the Appian Way, I noticed this colorful water fountain and couldn't resist taking a snapshot and sharing it with you.

The day when rapidly downhill from there as I once again got lost while trying to get home and ended up walking about one and a half hours home..... about 45 minutes of that in the rain without protection. I knew we had a chance of showers tonight, but didn't expect it to take me more than 2 hours to get home, so I didn't have an umbrella or even a coat. I arrived home wet, cold, and hungry. However, my apartment is dry and cozy and I've just finished some pasta with chicken. I may even "force" myself to head a couple of blocks away for gelato -- if my feet stop hurting a little.

Gionicolo

Today was an introspective day, so bear with me while I ruminate. I began the day by climbing many steps to reach Gionicolo hill, which is a spectacular hill within comfortable walking distance from my apartment. The hill overlooks Trastevere and ancient Rome with breathtaking views. The hill is green and lush with a variety of parks, walkways, and benches. As I stood there pondering the beauty of Rome many thoughts came into mind. You may not realize it, but, based on our Florida/fantasy world standards, Rome is quite dirty. There is litter around and graffiti everywhere. The city is old and you can always find scaffolding beside buildings. I realize that this is what I love about Rome - what Rome teaches me about myself and about God. I touched on this in an August blog post about why I feel drawn to Rome. It sort of expanded today. I had thought that there was value in finding beauty amidst the ruins and that it paralleled God's ability to find beauty in the ruins we sometimes create. That God looks beyond the ruin and sees beauty. I think that was wrong. I now feel that the ruins ARE the beauty. That, when one (be it person or city) lives - truly lives - there is ruin, messiness, and constant need for repair. When you open your arms to life.... to people.... you will most certainly get gritty and make mistakes. It's similar to gray hair or lines on the face as we age. Why try and erase the past? One doesn't tear down the past, one must work within the history to reinforce it. The history is what makes it beautiful.

What do you think? Do I make any sense at all? To me, Rome is real... it is so alive that it makes me feel more alive. Someone recently asked me if I get lonely here. Sure, I do. But I get lonely at home, too. Being alone has its challenges just like sharing your life does. I refuse to stop living because I must do it alone.

After I had my fill of Gionicolo, I listened to another podcast and took a walk through the Jewish Ghetto. I so enjoy these little walks that I downloaded from Rick Steve's website. They are informative, interesting, and encourage me to explore areas that I would otherwise overlook. The history of the jewish people in Rome is a testament to the tenacity of these people. Amazing and beautiful. This photo below is of the main synagogue in this area. I didn't realize that the synagogue has a square dome rather than a round one to differentiate it from a church. I thoroughly enjoyed my time listening to the podcast while walking through this area of Rome.

One of my silly favorite things in Rome are the water fountains. They flow freely all of the time and the water is refreshing and fine for drinking. Okay, here's the trick. Look closely at the picture below and notice that the spout looks sort of like a big nose. Right? Well how does one drink from it without kneeling down? If you stick your finger across the bottom where the water is coming out, it stops the water flow and forces the water out of a hole where the "nose" bends and you get a stream of water shooting up and out like our water fountains. If you look real closely, you can see the hole. I always make a mess, but love drinking this way.

So, that's it for today. There is a 20% chance of rain tomorrow and it goes up to 40% or 60% for the few days after that. Tomorrow I will stay in Rome, but then I plan to spend a few days chasing the sun by taking some day trips. I hope to see Naples and/or Capri (where the weather is supposed to reach the high 70's... uggghh) as well as just hopping the train and heading south and getting off where it looks interesting. Ciao!

Rome in 7 Hours

There were not very many pictures to choose from today. I had an unexpected surprise last night and found out that a friend would be in Rome today for one day. Julie and her friend Jennifer arrived from the states this morning and have to leave first thing tomorrow morning to catch a train to Florence. They didn't want to rest, but decided to see as much of Rome as they could in one day. That's a pretty big task. I served as their guide -- which is pretty scary as we all know how lost I get. My motto...... I'm lost, but I'm in Rome, so what's the problem? So, fasten your seatbelts and come along for a whirlwind.
We met up sometime between 11 and 11:30 at St. Peter's Basillica. As far as I could tell it was the closest main attraction to their hotel. We were all excited to actually be able to find eachother in the crowds. We decided to see the Basillica since we were there and skip the Vatican because the line there was, as usual, very long.


I just love the church. It is huge inside and there is beauty all around. It doesn't seem to matter how many people crowd in, it doesn't feel claustrophobic to me. I took the first picture of the outside of the church while waiting for the girls. We all entered together and spent time oohing and aahing over everything. Jennifer was thrilled to see things she have only studied and dreamed about before. This picture is the center area and, of course, the crowds of people.

After exploring St. Peter's we headed into the center of town. We stopped for gelato and to buy a bus ticket for each of them. We found a majorly -- I mean majorly -- crowded bus to take us closer to the town center. I'm going to tattle here. When you buy a bus ticket, it's good for any time. You validate it by sticking it in a machine that's located on the bus. The first bus we got on was soooo crowded that there was no way to get near the machine or even pass the ticket through the crowd to allow someone else to do it. SO..... they stole a bus ride. I have a month pass, so mine didn't need validated. I didn't steal, just they did. I'm joking. There truly was no way to validate their ticket. No one checked for tickets, so it wasn't a problem. Although they DID check for tickets on our next bus ride.
On with the day. As we headed toward Trevi Fountain (thanks to a beautiful elderly italian woman who walked with us and explained the directions to me until she was sure we couldn't get lost) we decided to stop for lunch. We shared our own little buffet at a very nice restaurant with helpful waiters. We shared bruchetta, pizza, and proscuitto with melon. Yum! It was difficult to get up and keep moving. But, we had to keep going. We went to the Trevi and took pictures of both ladies tossing their coins to ensure their return. I was frustrated when I couldn't find those pictures tonight, then remembered I took them on Julie's camera. You'll have to trust me. Then we headed to the Pantheon, whose outside is being restored. We went in and looked around for a bit. And,

because I am such a good photographer, this last photo is of a bread shop across the piazza from the Pantheon. I forgot to take a picture of the actual building! Then we headed over to the Piazza Navona, which I made them do since we were so close. They enjoyed it and were glad I encouraged them to experience it. I stopped taking pictures here because there was too much to keep up with.

After Navona, we hopped a bus and headed to the Roman Forum and Colosseum (they're across the street from one another). We basically waved as we went past -- actually got out of the bus so they could photograph them -- then headed off to the main terminal so they could buy their train tickets form tomorrow's trip to Florence. They bought the tickets and we made sure we understood where they had to be in the morning. Then we took the metropolitana (subway). It was my first time on the metro. We got off at the Piazza Barberini where they were to meet the shuttle for the hotel. 6pm was the last shuttle for the night and we got there about 10 minutes until 6. We saw the shuttle pull in, we all ran across the street (not as easy in Rome as it sounds), gave quick hugs, and they were gone. How's that for a full day???

Campo De Fiori by day, Lost by night

This first picture is of my street. Trastevere is a bit like a maze because it consists of narrow streets with tall buildings on either side. It can be difficult to get your bearings.

I headed out this morning to shop for produce. Here are a couple of pictures of the stands at Campo de Fiori. It was very nice and not too busy. After getting some yummy, colorful produce, I found a supermarket and got milk, eggs, jam, and bread. Of course, I could have gotten the produce at the supermarket, but it's too fun to find outdoor markets.

I headed home to put away my purchases and picked up my mp3 player and a map of trastevere and took a guided tour (via podcast I downloaded at home) through the streets of Trastevere. It worked very well and was easy to follow. I learned lots of information about the history of many things I would normally just walk past. I stopped off to pick up a Donar Kabob to go for lunch at home. I discovered Donar Kabobs on my last visit and they are beyond good. Hard to describe, though, because I don't know what type of meat it is. It's roasted on a big spinning skewer (like our Gyro meat, but not the same type meat) and served with lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, tomato, onion, some white sauce and a little hot sauce. You can get it on foccacia bread, on a plate, or wrap. I saved half the meat (they are huge) and am eating it now at 10pm while I post this.

So... that brings us to tonight. I was planning on heading across the river to central Rome and grab a few night pictures of popular sites -- maybe Trevi Fountain, Coloseum, etc. Well, I decided to walk in the opposite direction for awhile (this began about 5:30) because it was just about fully dark and I wanted very dark. As I walked, things became unfamiliar and sparse. I kept thinking there would be crowded streets and shops just around the corner. I ended up totally lost for 2 hours. Like really lost. Not one shop or restaurant in sight. There was lots of traffic, but nothing to tell me where I was. I ended up on some highway with exit ramps and everything. Not on my map at all. I was beyond relieved when I saw a bus that said "Termini" (the main terminal in central Rome). I hopped on and, even though termini is the opposite direction from home, I knew I could find my way from there. I got on the bus about 7:45. It took until 9:30 to get home. Needless to say, no pictures for you tonight. We'll try it again another night.
Tomorrow I meet at Campo de Fiori with Franco for my italian lesson and his english lesson. I want him to explain what some of the produce I was unfamiliar with. According to the weather forecast, the next 4 or 5 days are to be sunny and warm. Should get some nice pictures with clear weather. I will head off to Orvieto by train probably Thursday.

Rainy day 1 Rome 2010

I arrived safely in Rome on a rainy day. It is about 7:30pm and it has been raining since I arrived 12 hours ago. I was able to find the right bus from the airport to Trastevere and then very easily found Federica and Franco's apartment. They are the owners of the apartment that I have rented. I dropped my luggage with them and explored the rainy streets of Trastevere for a couple of hours until my apartment was ready.

The apartment is lovely. It is quite clean and has everything I will need for my stay. I posted a couple of pictures to give you just an idea of what it's like. The bed is unmade, but you get the idea. I took a 30 minute nap before venturing out.

I walked to Santa Maria di Trastevere where there was a church service going on. Today is All Saints Day. I am only guessing that that's why there was service on Monday. There were also many beggers, umbrella salesmen, and tourists. As is true of most churches I've visited in Rome, it was ornate from floor to ceiling. Between services (which is when I took some inside photos) there was a children's choir singing. Their voices were very beautiful.

It began getting dark today at about 4:30 and was completely dark before 6pm. Their time changed just a couple of days ago, but it feels strange to be dark so early. It will be fine with me, though, because it has been a long 2 days of travel and orientation, so I'm happy for an excuse to turn in early.

Tomorrow I plan to go to Campo di Fiori where there is an outdoor market each weekday to stock up on some fresh fruits and vegetables. Because today is a holiday, the markets were closed so I've had one day of only airplane food and one day of italian "fast food" which mainly consists of pizza and panini. I'm looking forward to fruit for breakfast and salad for lunch.

In case you didn't know, the characters on an italian keyboard are organized differently than ours, so you would be amazed at how much I've had to backspace to fix my many mistakes.
I feel like I'm just learning to type.

I'll fill you in on what I find tomorrow. Hopefully there will be some sun - things look so much prettier in the sun, don't they?

Rome

Rome - the eternal city. I've been wondering what makes it so special. Rome began small, and through wise decisions and careful planning, began to grow and soon became powerful. Before long she turned prideful and controlling and, all too soon, fell. The once staggering empire was destroyed and downtrodden. Her gilded churches and magnificant works of art were frequently stripped of their valuables.

A city with many scars and regrets, she is still beautiful. She is real and gritty, not at all pretentious. Her ruins speak of struggles, determination, and hope. Her artistic creations speak of beauty and appreciation. Walking through the city, one is able to visualize the personality of Rome. A city that allows past regrets to lead her to present successes.

Perhaps that is why I am drawn to this city. In many ways, I am Rome.

Italy Day 12 - Vatican

Good evening, everyone. It's another beautiful day here in Italy and my trip to Rome was beautiful, as well. I first went to St. Peter's Basilica. Wow. Magnificant. As has been the case with so much of my stay here, there was too much to take in.

There were many different areas in the basilica. Each area more interesting than the last. The church is open and easy to manuever. I was free to browse and move around as I desired. It wasn't too crowded and everyone had plenty of space to focus on their area of interest.

The courtyard was huge and had fountains, statues, and interesting architecture to experience.

These last two photographs are in the Sistine Chapel - the end of the museum tour of the Vatican. I'm sorry to say that I found the Vatican to be too much sensory overload for my taste and way too crowded. Perhaps I went at a poor time. There is room after room of statues, tapestry, frescoes, paintings, etc. I had an audio guide and found it very helpful. I heard many interesting tidbits and facts about the origin and meaning to each room. It took a couple of hours just to walk through all of the rooms at the Vatican museum. After an hour or so, I started to feel guilty for walking past so much without being able to process it all. How can you look at everything in a room that has over 100 statues? Or notice all of the tapestry when each one is the size of a room? Or keep looking up at all of the ceiling paintings when the walls and floors are each artistic, as well? I think it might be nice to have about 2 days to walk through alone and really focus on some of the items. Everything, the ceiling, floor, and walls is fabulously done.

This is an idea of how crowded it was during my tour of the Vatican. This, as I stated earlier, is the Sistine Chapel. By the time I got here I was having an anxiety attack and could only think about getting out and having fresh air in my face. Isn't that sad?

After my time at the Basilica and Vatican, I walked for a couple of hours through the city once again. I am pleased to say that I no longer feel overwhelmed in Rome. I am comfortable with the drive into the outskirts of the city and using the bus system to get around. With the help of a detailed map, I can pretty much find where I want to go -- even though most of the streets do not have signs!

Tomorrow I plan to head west to the coast to explore that part of the country. I'll let you know how it goes.

Italy Day 6 - Rome

Welcome back to Rome. Are you enjoying your visit with me thus far? I hope you are getting a feeling of the wonder that is Italy.

I finally made it to the Colesium today! It was bittersweet to experience it without my brother, Mike because he so wanted the opportunity to get inside. There simply isn't enough time to see all that there is to see here. I rented an audio guide for the tour of the Colesium and it was very informative. I was surprised by the size of the arena as well as the underground rooms that have been uncovered for viewing. Both the audio guide and the written information agreed that, although Christians were against the brutal competitions held here, they were not the victims of wild animals as a general rule. I don't know if history is being rewritten to be more politically correct or if I have been misled in the past. Either way, this fabulous structure is worth visiting.

One of the main roads in Rome, Via dei Fori Imperilai, is closed to traffic on Sundays so people are free to wander up and down the road without watching for vehicles. It lent itself to a more relaxed setting than when I ventured this way yesterday. There were many street performers lining the street today and this gentleman struck me with his truly heartfelt guitar playing. He was clearly playing from the heart and I was pleased to stop and listen to his music.

This is the street as it was today without traffic.

I posted these pictures as an example of how easy it is to miss beautiful artwork as you walk past. These statues are high above regular viewing on the side of this building. This type of thing lines the streets of Rome and made me realize how possible it is to walk the same street day after day and still discover new beauty.

It is 7:15pm here and I just returned from a taxing hike up Via Capena to have dinner only to be told that they begin serving at 8pm. Oh well, I will be ready to eat after all the exercise. I'm entering my blog now to use up the time before I can begin again on my trek for food.

Today was a blustery day here in Italy. It drizzled a little during my time in Rome, but not enough to keep people inside. On my drive home, the wind was blowing the autumn leaves across the road in front of me and I found the sight energizing. I love winter time because the days are unique. Each day brings a new climate --- sometimes cold, driving rain, sometimes a chilling wind, other times a sunny brisk day. Living in Florida makes me long for days that are not the same as the one before.

Dinner - I had to come back and share dinner with you. I went to a closer restaurant than I had walked to earlier, though, of course, it was uphill, also. L'Anatra Grassa (The Fat Duck) is a lovely restaurant about a 5 minute walk from my apartment. I wish I had taken my camera to show you, not only the beautiful, arched ceiling in this little place, but also the presentation of the food. Goodness! They sure know that one eats with one's eyes as well as the palate.

I allowed the server to help me choose my selections. For an appetizer, I chose scallops with truffle. This was served in a large shell resting on a curved glass rectangular plate. I've never had truffles before, but if this is any indication, I will definitely have it again. Following this, I had lobster and pasta - a half lobster in the shell served with thick spaghetti tossed in a very light creamy tomato sauce. The lobster was sweet and tender. I finished with creme brulee. This was a thin layer of creamy custard which allowed for more crispy, toasted sugary topping. I had to gently tap the top to break through in order to eat it. It was amazing! Yum! The dessert cup was sitting on a larger glass plate which had been ever so lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar and decorated with a thin squiggly line of chocolate sauce.

I was grateful that the walk home was downhill! I'm wondering, does food taste better here because it IS better, or because on vacation we just enjoy things more? Perhaps a combination of the two? Whatever the reason, I'm certainly enjoying it.

Italy Day 5 - Rome

Today was Mike's last day here in Italy and we spent it in Rome. The day began rainy and cold, but by the time we made it into Rome, it was sunny and warm. This first picture is of the Trevi Fountain. It was very crowded, but we were able to get a good view of the sculptures and take a picture of each of us throwing a coin over our shoulder to ensure our return to Rome one day.

We spent a good part of the day at the Roman Forum. It is the central area around which the ancient Rome civilization developed and is under constant archeological discovery. The remains of many ancient structures are in this area. It is difficult to take in all of the intricate craftsmanship here. At one point I thought, "This looks like the location of an ancient movie set in Roman times." and it occured to me, "Duh!! This is what movie sets strive to replicate. This is the original, silly!"

For this photograph, we were standing on one of the higher elevations at the Forum and I took a shot of the city with the Forum in the foreground.

The Forum is across the street from the Colesium, but I still didn't make it inside. I have a ticket to explore it tomorrow, so I'll head back to Rome..... alone this time, as my brother will have flown away to Miami by then.

We ended our night by seeing Swan Lake at an opulant, old theatre in central Rome. I wish I had brought my camera in the Opera House to take pictures of the curtained boxes in which one sits to view the ballet, the painted domed ceiling, the carvings on the columns, and the grandeur surrounding us. Originally, our seats weren't together, but we weren't comfortable with the view, so Mike found us better seats. Thanks, Mike. I stood for most of the performance, but it was fine because I was able to see the complete set and all of the beautiful dancing. The full orchestra added so much to the performances. We were both surprised to find that the ballet was 3 hours long...... it seemed to go by much quicker than that. It was the perfect ending to another busy but fulfilling day here in Italy.

Tomorrow I'll walk to the market and get some fresh bread and fruit, make breakfast, drive the 30 minutes into Rome, take a bus the remaining 40 minutes to the center of the city, and head to the Colesium. The rest of the day will fill itself, no doubt.

Italy Day 2

Day 2 in Italy. Still can't get the pictures where I want them, but we'll deal with it. This is Piazza Navona. Beautiful plaza where there are no cars!! So peaceful.

This is the outside of the Pantheon. Took tons of pictures inside and it simply isn't possible to get the feeling of how amazing the marble and the statues and paintings are. And it's a functioning church. Cool, huh?

The restaurant my brother Mike and I ate at in the Piazza Navona. (Mike's sitting at the center table with a cap on.) We returned here in the evening after visiting the Pantheon. During dinner, I suddenly realized, we're sitting in an outdoor restaurant, eating dinner together in Rome, Italy. Who'd'a thunk?

The Coliseum at night. Beautiful. We haven't toured it yet, but we plan to maybe Saturday.

Okay, so here's the day in a nutshell. My brother Mike's been in Rome since Sunday. Today was our day to meet up. I began my drive into Rome and got stuck in a horrendous traffic jam. 40 minutes going 0-10 kph AND you have to visualize Italian driving --- 3 lanes mean 5 cars fit side by side and motorcycles go between cars - both beside cars and in front of cars. If they can almost fit, they're there. So, after 40 minutes I turned around and returned to Capena. About an hour later I started off again figuring the traffic would be fixed. No problems getting into Rome, but it's unbelievably crowded and frustrating to drive in the city. I was stuck at a light with cars forcing their way in and became frustrated. I looked to my left and saw a lovely elderly lady probably in her 80's looking cool and collected in her little Smart car. I lifted my chin and thought, "If she can do it, so can I." I motored on and found a place to park. Literally cheered when I saw a little blue sign with a big P on it and an arrow. (Signs are few and far between in Italy.) I parked and suddenly realized I had no idea where I was. Started thinking...... "If I get on a bus, how will I ever get back here?" I sat down and cried for a minute, called Mike and told him Rome won, I couldn't do it. I was frustrated again. He said he'd call me back, checked the bus schedule, found a way to the Olympic Stadium (I walked around until I realized I was near there) and told me he'd come rescue me!!! Yea!!! I changed my attitude and enjoyed browsing around while waiting for him to find me. My hero!! We had originally planned to meet at around 9am and finally hooked up around 2pm.

The rest of the day was a blast! Mike walks fast and doesn't let any thing slow him down -- including my stopping to take pictures. He showed me some beautiful places. Words truly can't describe the churches and other areas. So much to see.... it's sort of like visual overload. Too much to take in. Mike had researched lots of things and was my guide through Rome. He knew the "back stories" of many places we saw. Too much to share, too many photos to post here.

So............... we found the car, had a blissfully uneventful drive back here to Capena, he's staying with me and we're off to find Cortona tomorrow.

All in all, a wonderful day, in spite of a rough beginning. Perserverance and a little attitude change work wonders. AND Mike got tickets to the ballet for us for Saturday night. Sounds fun, right?