It's the last full day in Rome, and it has been one heck of a trip. Here's the daily play-by-play:
27 May Thursday
We arrived in Rome at 17.00 and got to our hotel at around 19.00. Mom and I walked down the road (without a sidewalk) and eventually found St. Peter's Square. On the way, I could only see one of the little domes of the basilica and declared, "That's IT?" A few seconds later I saw the big dome. Then I was impressed. Glad to be here. We had dessert in the square and then took the bus home. "I love the bus."
28 May Friday
Had a big sightseeing day today. We started again at the Vatican since it is on the way into the city. "I love the bus." St. Peter's basilica was impressively huge. Today we went inside. Found out you need to explore a little bit. We ventured down into the much less-travelled crypt under the basilica floor. Then it was free day at the Castel Sant'Angelo, so we climbed to the top. Excellent panoramic views of Rome. Next we walked to Piazza Venezia and the Forum. By the Colosseum, and then we caught a bus, had some dinner, and headed for home. Dad and I took an evening stroll later and went to the Fountain of Trevi. Cool at night.
29 May Saturday
You would think mom and dad would start to get pooped out after all the walking we've been doing, but it seems they have more energy than I do. We went to Trevi again today, this time in the daylight. Next was the Pantheon. Why is there a hole in the ceiling? What happens when it rains? We found out that it is "culture week," which is why everything has been free, so we went to the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine hill. Lots of old rocks. Our day always seems to end when I get hungry.
30 May Sunday
Today we "tried" to get up early. Rumor had it that the Vatican museums we free on the last Sunday of the month, and as it is usually 12€ to get in, it was worth it. The line was easily the longest I have ever waited in. It was over 1 km long, but it only took about 90 minutes to get in. We were ushered through like cattle, and weren't able to enjoy many of the galleries. The endpoint: the Sistine Chapel. Yeah, it just needs to be seen. Mom and dad got to see it for the second time, this time "after the cleaning." The last time mom saw it, she was 24. We browsed around a few of the other galleries more leisurely afterwards, and then headed home for the day. We were exhausted.
31 May Monday
Today we headed a bit out of the city to visit one of the catacombs on the old Appian Way, the ancient road out of Rome. We went around lunch time, but we weren't able to get in until 14.30. I wish we were able to spend some more time in the catacombs themselves, but we had to keep with the guided tour. It was eerie, but extremely interesting. Afterwards, we took a walk down the Appian Way and then went back into Rome to try and find some music stores so dad could shop for a squeezebox. No dice.
01 June Tuesday
I think that we are all getting tired of doing the touristy stuff, and today we took our time and just walked around the city a bit. We started out going to the Spanish Steps and then did a bit of shopping. Next, we headed to the smallest country in the world to pay a visit. Not the Vatican, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It is also located in Rome, and the nice man at the tourist office told us how to find it. It is only a single building, and you can't even go in. You can, however, spy through the keyhole, which gives you a tree-lined view across Rome and to the beautifully framed Vatican dome. Worth a look, and there was almost no one around. It felt like finding a treasure. After SMOM, we visited the Mouth of Truth, an ancient manhole cover which is said to close on the hand of any perjurer. I guess I am innocent. We ended the day with some more shopping.
02 June Wednesday
It's our last full day, and I think we've run out of things to see. We got a later start, and went to Piazza Navona to start some shopping. We worked our way through the city and ended up in Piazza del Popolo. We took a train home early, and then dad and I came out again for an evening walk. We helped some Russian women find their way, and then headed back to the hotel.
Flown by mariposa at 08:58 PM on June 02, 2004
