Rome

Monday, May 27th

Made great time flying. We Arrived at Heathrow Airport a few minutes shy of being right on time to catch connecting flight to Rome. I was disappointed with Heathrow Airport arrivals area. Very run-down, old, and a little confusing as where to where to go to catch the connection.

At last, we arrived in Rome at 4 pm local time. Both of us exhausted. We arrange for a coach to take us to the Hotel Atlantico. We were told the next coach would be leaving at 6 pm. There were a few others on the coach waiting to be dropped off at different hotels. We were the last to get off.

The last room we visited at the Vatican was the Sistine Chapel. I made a pit stop while Dave went in. When I came in, he met me outside and led me by the hand to the middle of the room. He said, look at the paintings on the wall. Beautiful masterpieces by painters like Botticelli. Once you have looked at these, let your eyes slowly move to the ceiling.I have seen many pictures of Michelangelo’s depiction of Creation, but nothing could do this justice. The figures looked as though they were coming right off the ceiling. Feet and arms seem to hang suspended in the air. This alone was worth the trip.

St. Peter’s Basilica-
This chapel is big. Named after the martyr, St. Peter of Rome. There are many beautiful Mosaics, elaborate tombs, marble floors and benches. Another piece by Michelangelo rests here, the Pieta’. Dave and I stood outside in the area where we have watched the Pope speak on TV. They were setting up chairs. The Pope would canonize Padre Pio on 14 June 2002. The celebration would begin before this date. We walked across the street to watch a demonstration of Mosaic making. I stopped at a stand to get a Coke. A small bottle of Coke cost €4! We walked around the store which sold Vatican souvenirs and Mosaics. Dave and I stopped in at a little cafeteria for a "quick" bite.

As we made our way back to the bus, we were on a moving sidewalk underneath the Vatican. A young man was pushing his way through the crowd. He had a cast on his arm. From behind us, Dave and I heard a voice saying "If he keeps that up, he’ll need another cast for the other arm." We turned to find a priest standing behind us. He was from Texas. He was living at the Vatican, but looking forward to returning to the States to begin his career as a Navy Chaplain.

'Roman' Rome - After a short bus ride, we were dropped off outside the Coliseum. We waked across the street to the Roman Forum and then over to the Colosseum.. The Forum was the main marketplace and business center, where the ancient Romans went to do their banking, trading, shopping, and marketing. It was also a place for public speaking.
Outside the Colosseum, there were men dressed up as Gladiators by the gates. You could have your picture taken with them for € 1. All the marble that was once there has been stripped off and used at the Vatican. The Colosseum is over 160 ft high with eighty entrances. It could hold upwards of 50,000 spectators. Public events such as gladiator fights, mock naval battles and wild animal hunts were held there. During the staged fights as many as 10,000 people were killed. Fighters were slaves, prisoners or volunteers. Legend says that spectators saw persecuted Christians killed by lions, although there is no evidence of this.. Standing here, you find yourself wishing these walls could talk. What a story they must have. Our visit wasn’t long enough. In fact Dave and I were one of the last to leave. Maria was on our heels to hurry up and get back on the bus. Next, back to the hotel.

Have I mentioned the crazy drivers in Rome? Scooters whip in and out the traffic, not to mention the people who drive the little Smart cars. I am glad we had Umberto, our coach driver, to do the driving! He never seemed to get upset. Just took it all in stride. Just another day...

Once we got to the hotel, Dave and I decided to head out and see a little of Rome on our own. Our only obligation for the rest of the day was to meet Kathy back at the hotel for a mini-orientation at 6 PM. With a couple of hours to burn we headed out to explore. Due to the rushed packing job prior to leaving home, I needed to pick up conditioner for my hair. I proudly found a sign saying "Farmacia" but quickly learned that pharmacies in Italy aren’t like home. At home, CVS carries everything. Pharmacies in Italy carry drugs. It was also fun trying to read labels in Italian (Do I need balsamo? What kind of capelli do I have?). I was able to locate a bottle after a little searching. I also got a backpack purse for €10 from a street vendor. This made carrying the daily accessories we needed easier. We stopped in at a little café, where Dave and I got a slice of pizza. His had ham on it, nothing else. I ran across the street and got my first taste of strawberries in Italy from a vegetable cart. They were truly wonderful. I think these may be better than any strawberries I have ever eaten.