Day 9 & 10

Caitlin and her steel steed in the airport.

Day 9, Thursday 21 June, 07

This is our day in Rome, so we are up early, quick breakfast, and it is on to Roma and City Vaticana. Our Vatican guide is Adriana, and she uses one of those radio systems to talk with us, which is good, because the crowds are enormous. I estimate at least 2.73 million people, plus or minus a million were in the Vatican. I much prefer to be there in the spring. Even at Easter it is not this full of tourists.

We tried to beat the crowds by going to the Vatican first. They called ahead, but the pope was too busy to see us. It is a wonderful tour, with more art than any one place has any business having. The popes were great spenders during the classical and renaissance periods. We saw the Sistene Chapel, and St Peter's, but the art hanging in and painted on the corridors between them was breath-taking. Everyone should go, even if they are not Catholic or particularly religious.

we had a little time off for lunch, and while most folks stayed in the giftshop cafeteria, a couple of us managed to fine a nearby place to eat that was much more interesting, and had nuns and priests in it. Always good to go poking around off the beaten path.

After lunch, we wlked through the colluseum (Man, was it hot!), threw our coins in the Trevi Fountain (we will all be back in Rome again, soon), walked to the Pantheon (a really neat building that was built for the worship of all the gods during the roman time. It is now a christian chapel). from there we walked to the Piazza Navona for a little free time. I went to find an internet cafe, and then a beer, and others went shopping, or say at the SW cafes and watched the tourists and natives. I found one on a little side street that was not too expensive, and I was the only person there. Wonderful way to experience Rome.

From there, we went to our bus then on to our dinner, my group's last dinner in Rome, Europe, and on the trip. It was also our first official Pizza nite! It was definately not American Pizza, but it was good, and came with a good salad as well. The place was, as usual, packed with EF groups, then a bunch of Koreans came in as well. truly cosmopolitan.

Oh, well, it is time to go back to the Hotel and pack. 6 of us are leaving on fri for the States, and the rest are going on to Pompeii and points south. We will miss you... But, the evening of excitement is not over yet. Caitlin was trying to retrieve her shorts that had fallen off her balcony onto the lower roof, when she climbed down, and fell onto the roof, and sprained her ankle. Now she has to get thru miles of airports..Bummer. But the hotel folks were very helpful with ice for her and cardboard for me.

I cannot say enough about how nice these hotel folks were. I could only find 2 of them who spoke English, but they were very helpful. When I asked if they had wireless internet, they took me to their own computer! They were very busy, since this much have been the best restaurant in the area, since it was full of locals every night, but they still had time to help us. If you head for Rome, stay at the Monte Artesimus. You will be happy there!

Day 10, Friday 22 June, 07

We had to get up at 6:00 to catch our van into the Rome Airport (Leonardo Di Vinci Airport). Once there we had to get thru security, then toss Caitlin on a baggage cart for the long run to the departure gate. Unfortunately, the brace that she had borrowed for her ankle had metal in it, so she had to take it off each time we hit a security checkpoint in a new airport, and we went thru 4 airports: Rome, Frankfurt, Philadelphia, then RDU Poor girl! We finally stole a wheelchair to tote her with, and that got her some first class service once we got back in the states!

we flew into RDU mostly on time, but with lost luggage. Most of it was in Philadelphia. Luckily we had carried some on. Interestingly enough, of my 2 pieces, one made it on the plane, and one did not, and unluckily the one that did not is the one with the broken bottle on wine in it! Drat!

Well, except for the wine, I had a great triop, and I hope everyone else did as well. there will be photos on my next post. Thanks for reading this!

Howard