No lecture this morning and we were on the bus at nine this morning. Our first stop was at the top of the Spanish Steps. There is a French Church at the top and the steps were built by the French to connect the street below with the Church. The fountain [...]]]> Saturday, May 19, 2012

No lecture this morning and we were on the bus at nine this morning. Our first stop was at the top of the Spanish Steps. There is a French Church at the top and the steps were built by the French to connect the street below with the Church. The fountain at the bottom was already in place when the steps were built. So why the Spanish Steps? The Spanish Consulate is at the bottom of the steps and the common name for the meeting place stuck.

More wandering the back streets and more stories and our next stop was the Pantheon. This is the oldest and best preserved building from ancient Rome. While I was exploring one of the tombs inside, a guard pulled me aside to allow a procession to approach the tomb. Three very official looking gentlemen stood at attention at the tomb while several more officials saluted them and then headed to another of the tombs and did the same thing. Apparently on the third Saturday of each month these guards hold a vigil at the tombs.

We walked a little further and, since we were a bit early for our lunch reservation we spent a bit of time across the street at Largo di Torre Argentina. They uncovered four ancient temples when they were constructing the road. Just behind these temples is the spot where Julius Caesar was murdered. I know you’re saying, but what about the Forum? According to our guide the Forum was under renovation at the time and the Senate was meeting here instead. The things the history books don’t tell you!

We had a wonderful lunch and then a bit of free time to explore this end of the City. Pat and I wandered over to the Tiber River and then through the Jewish ghetto on our way back to our meeting spot.

We were exhausted by the end of the tour and, rather than stop in the gift shop we found a shady spot and relaxed until the bus picked us up and brought us home.

We’re all packed up as we have to have our bags ready for transport by 7AM. We are free until lunch at noon and then free again until we leave for the train station at 2 PM – we’re off to Florence next.

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We started our day with a lecture on some of the art that we would be seeing at the Vatican. The main focus of the lecture was on the three Raphael paintings we would see, as well as his frescoes. The lecturer also gave us some background on the art on [...]]]> Friday, May 18, 2012

We started our day with a lecture on some of the art that we would be seeing at the Vatican. The main focus of the lecture was on the three Raphael paintings we would see, as well as his frescoes. The lecturer also gave us some background on the art on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. After the lecture we boarded the bus for a short ride to Vatican Coty. I felt very safe in the bus as we were high above the street and the rest of the traffic. Our big bus still had to maneuver through the narrow streets, parked cars, cars, scooters and pedestrians – not an enviable task.

The first stop in the Vatican museum was the art gallery. We saw a lot of great work, but the highlights were the Raphael paintings. The colours were so vibrant they might have been painted yesterday rather than early 1500s.

We also saw an unfinished Leonardo da Vinci that had been used as the back of a chair before its significance was known!

We went through a number of rooms in the museum after lunch. The crowds were very large and at times you were forced to stop and at others you were unable to stop. Some of the photos I took were of the floors and ceilings as they were as much art as the tapestries and statues they contained.

The Gallery of Maps was interesting. The ceiling was covered in frescoes that depicted the various regions of Rome, and the walls showed maps of those territories.

Finally we got to the Raphael rooms where the frescoes were breathtaking. These frescoes were covered in our morning lecture so we knew what to look for.

Next up was St. Peter’s Basilica, where the Pope celebrates mass on Christmas Eve. The size of the structure was staggering. Each of the letters in the photo below is 6 feet high, and that is just a small border around the altar.

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We started early this morning and were in the classroom at 8:30. The lecture we had described the various ages that Rome has survived and how it got the name The Eternal City. The lecturer covered the history of the city and all its areas as well as the various building [...]]]> Thursday, May 17, 2012

We started early this morning and were in the classroom at 8:30. The lecture we had described the various ages that Rome has survived and how it got the name The Eternal City. The lecturer covered the history of the city and all its areas as well as the various building supplies that were used. Although it was a lecture our guide, who has a PhD in archeology, was very funny and kept us interested.

From the lecture we walked about 20 minutes to The Church of Saint Peter in Chains which contains a statue of Moses done by Michelangelo. It took him 40 years to complete the sculpture and it was made to cover the tomb of Pope Julius II. The Church gets its name from a set of chains that supposedly were used to bind Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. When the chains were sent to Rome and compared to the chains of Peter’s final imprisonment the two sets magically joined together. These chains can be seen at the altar.

The last church was the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest church built to honor the mother of Christ. Although we couldn’t see it due to restorations, it has straw from the manger where Christ was laid. This building was probably the least “churchy” feeling but it was the only one so far where services were being conducted while we were inside. There were at least three altars with simultaneous services being conducted.

After the tour we headed back for a bit of a rest (if downloading photos and recharging batteries is a rest) and then up to the rooftop for dinner.

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Although the rest of our tour group arrived at various times this morning, we were on our own until lunch. We toured a number of churches and wandered the streets some more.

Our first stop was was a church (Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri) which is the entrance to [...]]]> Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Although the rest of our tour group arrived at various times this morning, we were on our own until lunch. We toured a number of churches and wandered the streets some more.

Our first stop was was a church (Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri) which is the entrance to the Baths of Diocletian which were built between the years 298 AD and 306 AD. The dome was designed by Michelangelo and, as you would expect, the art work was spectacular. And we saw a bit of the Meridian Line that you may remember from the Dan Brown book (The Da Vinci Code). There was a lovely garden passage out back with a huge statue of Galileo.

We met our tour group for lunch but then had most of the afternoon free. We did some more wandering and ended up at the Piazza Vittorio which is a public park and seemed to be well used by the locals. These are the remains of an ancient fountain.

We met our group back at the hotel late in the afternoon for a guided tour of the Palazzo Massimo, one of the buildings of the National Museum of Rome. Our tour guide was wonderful and although we could have spent hours looking we had only one hour and had to trust that we were seeing the highlights.

Remember I mentioned dinner last night wasn’t that great? We noticed today that our dinner a few days from now will be in that same place. I wonder if the food will be better now that we know the restaurant is part of those ancient baths we saw earlier today.

I couldn’t keep my eyes open once I sat down to read so joined Pat in having a nap. We had set an alarm because we didn’t want to sleep too long. When we decided to go for dinner we looked at the restaurant at the hotel but [...]]]> Tuesday Night, May 15th about 10 PM

I couldn’t keep my eyes open once I sat down to read so joined Pat in having a nap. We had set an alarm because we didn’t want to sleep too long. When we decided to go for dinner we looked at the restaurant at the hotel but decided we would just wander a bit and find something. We found a rooftop restaurant just around the corner. The food was okay but we’ll refer to our guide books when we are next left to eat on our own!

After dinner we wandered around a few streets. Pat said I was very brave to be out wandering the streets of Italy without a map or knowing the district. I wasn’t worried as I made Pat promise he wouldn’t lose me and we eventually found our way back. And after all, how exciting to be walking the streets of Rome!

Why is it that the last two-hour flight felt like it took longer than the first 8 hour flight? We had regular economy seats so there wasn’t much wiggle room and all three seats were filled. We were able to see a bit of the Italian [...]]]> Monday, May 15, 2012 – 4:45 PM in Rome

Why is it that the last two-hour flight felt like it took longer than the first 8 hour flight? We had regular economy seats so there wasn’t much wiggle room and all three seats were filled. We were able to see a bit of the Italian countryside from the air after the clouds over the Swiss Alps cleared.

All of Pat’s research paid off and we had no trouble getting the train tickets, validating them and finding the train. It was a quiet, short ride from the airport to Roma Termini. A short walk after we got off the train and we were checking into our hotel. I really know how to pick my traveling companion!

We passed some very very old towers on the hillsides. No doubt they were watch towers from a time when Rome wasn’t as big as it is now – they were probably outside the city walls at one time. We passed under some of the Roman aqueducts that date back to ancient times. And every now and again a wall would appear that clearly was part of a very old structure. The colors of the buildings are lovely – if they aren’t brick they are that yellow sandstone color with red roofs. Just like all the pictures we’ve looked at.

The walk from the train to the hotel was an adventure. We used crosswalks but were only slightly better protected than if we had J-walked! The streets are very narrow and they are used by cars, motorbikes and train cars. In one spot there was a car parked basically in the middle of the intersection – only his front tires were anywhere near the curb. We heard a cacophony of horns from drivers trying to get around cars that were double parked. I think we were smart in deciding not to rent a car.

I can’t believe I am not fallen down tired. We will probably go to bed early tonight, but I don’t feel any worse for having so little sleep. Margaret is probably right when she says she never felt jet lagged because she was so excited. Pat is going to nap for a bit now as he slept very little on the trip. I don’t wake up very well so I think I will settle for a quiet time.

Surprisingly the long flight was quite manageable. I wasn’t able to settle to sleep and I wasn’t enjoying the “entertainment center” so listened to some music. About [...]]]> What time is it for me? The first leg of our trip is done and we are waiting at the gate for the final flight to Rome.

Surprisingly the long flight was quite manageable. I wasn’t able to settle to sleep and I wasn’t enjoying the “entertainment center” so listened to some music. About four hours out of Amsterdam I got very nauseous and light-headed. I managed to find my gravol and take one. I felt like I would faint if I headed to the washroom so we found ‘the bag’ and Pat called the flight attendant for some cold towels. She said maybe my blood sugar was low so also brought me a Mars bar. After about half an hour I was feeling better and slept for a couple of hours.

I was wide awake and feeling pretty good when we landed, but while at the washroom I could have sworn the walls were moving. Again now, sitting here at the gate I feel movement.

The airport was very easy to find our way around in and English is everywhere. Even security didn’t frighten me (I was brave Christy, very brave). We have our first stamp in our passports. Pat spied a Starbucks so all is right with the world!

Pat and I lucked out on the seating. We booked seats across the aisle from each other but after the doors had closed the middle and window seat of Pat’s row were empty. He slid over to the window and I slid [...]]]> Monday, May 14, 2!012 – 6 PM Saskatchewan time; 3 AM Amsterdam time

Pat and I lucked out on the seating. We booked seats across the aisle from each other but after the doors had closed the middle and window seat of Pat’s row were empty. He slid over to the window and I slid across the aisle. We’re happy and so are the couple in the row I was sitting in.

Only seven more hours to go! So far there has been no time to be bored – snack and drink, then a hot towel, supper has just finished (a very good meal). it looks like more drinks are on their way now!

I started to watch a movie but they had to reboot the entertainment system so I gave up. The plane is noisy so I think I’ll put on my noise canceling headphones and read or listen to my music on my iPad.

With all this food so early in the flight I think they want to put us to bed early. Oddly enough I think I’ll be able to sleep.

We have checked in and passed through security so I think we’re good to go. We had a great weekend with Christy and Rick. I loved spending time with Taylor and Dylan. Saturday morning we watched Taylor at her last dance class and then the kids, Christy and I headed off [...]]]> Monday, April 14, 2012

We have checked in and passed through security so I think we’re good to go. We had a great weekend with Christy and Rick. I loved spending time with Taylor and Dylan. Saturday morning we watched Taylor at her last dance class and then the kids, Christy and I headed off for the May Day Parade. Not much has changed in the parade but we all had fun.

Trust me, I had a lovely family photo to add in here but sadly I deleted it and can’t get it back.

In just under an hour we will be boarding our flight. I’m plugged in to a socket now and I have my fingers crossed that my iPad battery will last until we get to Rome.

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