Day 3 - today - (Dec 30)
breakfast at hotel. then visit to Vatican Museum -- another day tour combined
with lunch and a tour of Ancient rome.
The line to get into the city walls of the Vatican was about 2 hours. This is
during the wintertime, in low tourist season. Hate to think of how it would be
during the summer! (Perry/John/Ron?)
I said earlier that the works of art in Galeria Borghese were some of the best
I had seen UNTIL TODAY. The ones in the Vatican are even better! Just because
they're a lot larger in size, and have so many bright, vibrant colors! There
was one ceiling in one of the rooms which looked like it had sculptures all
across the ceiling, but they're actually just paintings that APPEAR
3-dimensional! fantastic!
The Sistine Chapel was in the end .... after many many rooms of paintings and
sculptures, almost all of them too large to photograph on my camera..
The chapel ceiling was restored completely from 1979-1992. It looks AMAZING
today! So many individual scenes by Michelangelo on the ceiling.... then all
along both the walls.... scenes from the life of Moses and Jesus.... and every
painting restored to how it must have looked when it was first painted!
Piazza San Pietro next.. then lunch in another very expensive ristorante
where...... unlike all other tour-lunches or dinners so far, on this one the
vino was included with the meal, but water, soft drinks etc had to be bought
separately! Anyway, I think I had 2 more glasses of vino... or 3. I think.
Maybe 4.
(We asked for another bottle at our table after the first one was finished, and
we finished the second bottle too... There were 3 of us at that table, so you
can guess the amount of wine).
After that very heavy lunch was a tour of ancient rome. This was the only thing
so far that was somewhat dissapointing! We had spent a lot of time in the
Vatican (in the line to enter and then the museum, and then also Piazza San
Pietro) and another about 2 hours at the restaurant... so by the time this
second tour started, it was already starting to get dark.
First stop was the Coloseum and Foro Romano. We didn't spend too much time at
either place. Did not enter the coloseum. I want to go back there tomorrow
morning.
Second and final stop was Basilica of Saint Paul. It was already dark by now.
So not a lot to see....
Now I'm back to this same internet cafe near Termini railway station. And I
just now realized I've been here for almost 2 hours and haven't had dinner yet.
I got a good recommendation earlier from someone during lunch - going there
tonight.
(Raj: No, it's not McDonalds)
I also found out where to go for the new year tomorrow night -- there are two
separate events (at least) -- one in Piazza Navona and fireworks in Piazza
Popolo. Also might meet some people from yesterday's Pompeii tour in Piazza
Popolo tomorrow night... if we can actually see each other in the crowds!
Anyway, I doubt I'll be checking email again tomorrow, and this place will
probably be closed on Jan 1st, so wishing everyone a happy new year!!!
(ready?)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
FELIZ ANO NUEVO!!
ciao,
-me.
(p.s. sorry for the really long email - so much has happened in the last few
days! also met some very interesting people from Portugal, Australia, Sicily,
Boston - might be meeting all of the above again tomorrow - and also from
Atlanta, and South San Jose and Walnut Creek, CA.)
(p.p.s. In reply to one of your emails - you know who - Yes, I'm coming back in
one piece. Not two.)
Vatican Museums: No photographs were allowed inside the Sistine Chapel, and I'm glad -- no photographs would do it justice either -- you have to go there to see it!
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St Peters Square: "Piazza San Pietro" -- This part was a little rushed in the tour, so I came back a few days later...
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Ancient Rome Tour, Coloseum area: The first three pictures are of the Arch of Constantine (inspiration for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris). This was left untouched since it was built because Constantine was the first Christian Roman emperor. All other monuments were "recycled" during the Middle Ages -- stripped of stone, marble, etc to build churches. The fourth picture is the Arch of Hadrian inside the Forum.
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Ancient Rome Tour, Other pictures: Vittorio Emanuel II Monument, Piazza Verita, and St Pauls Cathedral
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Table of Contents
December 31 Part I: Rome (Coloseo, Foro Romano, Capitaloni)