Rome, Italy

While I'm sure that I will have many great memories from my trip around the world, I'm sure that this leg will hold a special place in my mind (and heart). I get to spend the next 2 weeks with my beautiful niece, Kinsey, in Italy and France, oh yea and my older sister (just kidding Kimberly). Actually I owe quite a bit of gratitude to Kimberly for planning this entire leg. While I was off traveling and having fun she was planning this at the same time she was re-settling back into her place in So Cal after living in Spain for the last 3 1/2 years, and while looking for a new job.

Kinsey had just graduated (with honors) from high school and so this was her gift from my sister and I. We both love traveling and wanted to give her an oppurtunity to take her first international trip before she started her first semester of college (she will study nursing). When we had told both our nieces this years ago, Kinsey immediately chose Italy and never changed her mind. So while I was making my way from Brazil the 2 of them were making their way from CA.

Since we were an odd number it was difficult to find affordable places. Kimberly found a website called HomeAway and located an apartment in Rome for us. It was a bit outside of the main city center but very easy to reach with the local buses. The apartment was quite spacious, way better than what we would have got with an hotel. There was a good size bedroom, a pull out couch, full kitchen, and a bathroom with consistenly running hot water. After 3 1/2 months in South America it was nice to know that everytime I took a shower I didn't have to keep my fingers crossed that there would be hot water. The contact for the apratment had done a wonderful job of providing information about how to get around Rome and about the neighborhood. There was an entire binder full of information, from restaurants, to laundry places, to train and bus schedules, she even had a temperature conversion chart and the owners manuals for the applicances in the kitchen. Again way more information then what we would have gotten at an hotel.

Here are some of the highlights from our time spent in Rome:

Beach Day - We took the train out to the little town of Sperlonga which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It ended up rainign towards the end of the day but we still had a good time.

Roman Forum and Colosseum - Kimberly and I had visited Italy and France after I had graduated college but our budgets were a little tighter back then so we did not do a lot of paid tours. This time we did and I felt like it was my first time seeing everything. We had a small group ( 9 plus the guide) and a great guide named Sandra. It was a very casual informative tour. I don't know about anyone else but I learned quite a bit on the tour. I was appalled to learn that concerts had been held in the Colosseum and that the vibrations had done some damage. No amount of money is worth damaging something so priceless.

Trevi Fountain - We each took turns throwing coins into the fountain

Vatican City - We took a tour of the Vatican City and we had the same guide as we did for the morning tour from the day before as well as having the same family of 4 that had joined us for both tours the day before. So it was nice that we all kind of knew each other already. Last time we visited like most people we made a beeline to the Sistine Chapel barely taking in all the other works in the museum, which there are quite a bit (we were told if you spent 1 minute in front of each piece it would take 12 years to get through the entire museum). This time Sandra took us on a very extensive tour and with plenty of details on several of the pieces.

Finally we had reached the Sistine Chapel and once again I was shocked by people's complete disregard for the rules of not taking any photos or vidoes, as this damages the paint over time. Why people think they should be allowed to take photos when no one else can always surprises me. What really surprises me is that considering the damage that taking of photos can do to the paintings that the museum staff does not take more action to prohibit this behavior. I think they should confiscate all cameras and video recorders of the offenders and not return them, but maybe that's just me.

There is no way to describe the Sistine Chapel and to do it justice. A couple of interesting things that I learned was that Michelangelo was 2 when the Sistine Chapel was started and that the original ceiling was painted to cover up mold and that Michelangelo painted over this.

After our tour of the Museum we decided to walk to the top of the dome of St. Pete's Basilica. This involved taking a quick elevator ride and then walking up 200+ steps, but the view from the top was worth every step on my aching feet.