ROME

I woke this morning lamenting the fact that the riding was done but that was soon tempered by a soaking rain that made it so much easier to board the bus for Rome.

The courtyard at our last hotel in Tuscany


...and the gardens

Waiting for the bus

Wet Tuscan morning



 After a 2 1/2 hour ride, we arrived in Rome and clear blue skies. After settling into our newest hotel it was off on a whirlwind tour of the highlights of the city.

Our first stop was at one of my bucket list items, The Vatican. On the walk there we quickly became aware that we had left the simple tranquility of our Tuscan visit. Rome is a big, busy bustling city with a lot of people. Because we only had the afternoon to explore, we did not get any tickets for tours but rather did a highlight tour. So, our Vatican visit was really only St. Peters Square. It was none the less an amazing experience to be there.

In the center of St. Peter's Square. The Egyptian obelisk here is 4000 years old and was placed here in 1568

Swiss Guards at St. Peters Square. The Swiss Government has provided these Guards to the Vatican since 1506

In St Peter's Square. The center balcony on the upper floor of the Papal Palace is where the Pope appears to give his blessings to the crowds that gather in the square. The Pope doesn't actually live in the palace though. Previous popes have lived in the Papal apartments to the left but the current Pope prefers to live in the much simpler Vatican guesthouse.

 

Caffe latte at St. Peters Café

 

After St. Peter's, we walked to The ruins of The Forum and the Colosseum. It is amazing throughout Rome to realize that so much of what you encounter is still here after over 2200 years and there is a lot of it.

The Colosseum was completed in 80 a.d. and is currently undergoing a bit of repair. Imagine that those walls have been there for 1934 years! It could hold up to 50,000 people. 

Later, we visited The Pantheon. Originally built in 27 BC as a temple to all of the Roman Gods, It was alter acquired by The Vatican and is a Catholic Church Of Saint Mary and The Martyrs today. Inside the Pantheon you can find the tombs of the Renaissance painters Carracci and Raphael as well as The Composer Corelli and the Architect Perussi. and Kings Vittorio an Umberto.

                                                                    The Pantheon

 

                               Inside The Pantheon is beautiful and is much as it was in 27BC!

On our tour we also visited St Agnes Cathedral, Piazza Nuvona and several other sites while on a Rome Illuminated Tour arranged by VBT.

The Piazza Nuvona has as it's center the Fountain Of The four Rivers by Bernini and ahs several other significant works of art as throughout.

We ended our day with another delicious dinner at a small local restaurant on a side street, one last gelato and one more time getting lost. Sunday afternoon we flew out of Rome for New York and then a late night arival in Syracuse.

As I reflect on this great trip, I realize how little prepared I was for what I experienced here. I didn't realize the beauty I would encounter in Tuscany, or what the tour meant by "advanced" (can you say Climbing BIG hills) or the spectacle that is the history of not only the Midieval towns of Tuscany but especially Florence and Rome. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience and one that I will cherish.

ARRIVIDERCCI ITALIA!!!!! (for now)

 

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