Rome Is Hot...Day 3...Part 1

So today we had a lot  on our agenda....first, was going back to The Vatican and going underground to where the ground use to be...Rome is layer and layer...underground we were going to the tomb of St Peter.

It is believed when some excavation was going on that they found the bones of Peter.

This is a hard ticket to get. You have to request it through The Vatican. They only allow 120 people per day and in a group of 12.

There isn't a lot of information about this tour in your guide books. I happened to stumble on a discussion regarding this when I was doing research for the trip. It sounded really cool and the fact to be so close to a part of Peter to me was amazing.

I was at first denied tickets for the first date requested but I kept going and was able to secure tickets the morning of our last day in Rome. I was so excited that I can't even put it in words.

Sorry, I have no pictures of this part of our trip...no cameras allowed...it's considered sacred ground.

So...we get there and go through security and wait for The Vatican guide to take us in.

We go in....she stops and talks and then we move forward through this tiny door that is card key coded...we walk in, the door shuts and Lonnie goes...oh no... I can't do this.

We are now in a tomb area with dark rock walls and the halls very small....Lonnie goes, I'm claustrophobic. Someone tells her to take deep breaths and the guide telsl her if she feels the need to leave to let her know that there are exits she can guide her through along the way.

Lonnie gets better and seems to be okay....it's hot...there is no air flow...it's 99% humidity in the caves cause they keep it the way it was from the beginning. There are popes that are buried in this place.

This tour is about 45 minutes long....our group is 16 people  and not 12 and there is a group in front of us and did I mention it's hot.

I remembered I had papers in my purse, I get them out and we use them to fan ourselves...I pull my hair up not carrying how it looks any longer...I have a shaw wrapped around my shoulders cause it's a holy place and women can't show there shoulders...did I mention it's hot.

So we're nearing the end and I'm feeling extra hot and warm and a lack of oxygen...I'm feeling a little off and a little nauseas as well but trying to hold it together cause I want to see Peter. We get in this one area and I know we are close because they are showing us things about Peter. I step back away from people hoping I can catch my breath....Lonnie looks at me and says are you okay...I'm like I don't think so, I think I'm gonna pass out...my body just didn't feel right....the guide is talking to the group and all of a sudden I go....

Excuse me....I hate to interrupt but I need the exit I think I'm gonna pass out with no air....seriously...I'm gonna pass out.

She takes me down a couple steps and in this room next door that has air conditioning and there is an altar that is built to St Peter...she tells me to sit and rest and then if I need to leave she will let me out.

I am starting to feel better...I'm drinking some water and there is air.

The group joins us in the room...she's talking and I ask...so where is St Peter...and she says right here...the next corner on the side of the alter behind glass are some bones that are believed to be his...you could make out fingers...it was so amazing and to think I had made it so far and almost missed what I came to see.

Now I would of preferred to of missed all the beginning and gone straight to Peter's tomb...

Also I would of liked to of known that there was no air where I was going and that the possibility of your own death was possible.

I thought I was gonna join Peter that day.

Anyway, it wasn't what I expected because of  the heat and no air ...so not sure I could recommend this tour ....It is a travel at your own risk kinda deal and not for the faint of heart...I thought I was a pretty tough cookie but...guess not.

And there you have our morning...I was never so happy to be on ground level and in a air conditioned building.

Afterwards we left and walked around the area...we walked and saw the Tiber River....a name I know from the Bible which in itself was very cool.

In the picture below you can see over to The Vatican...a beautiful sight.

 A castle

 Another shot of the Tiber River

 and straight ahead a portion of the city wall around Rome

We then headed back to the hotel and took a little rest before our next tour...my body was tired and needed to recoup from the heat toll it took.

Next tour...Ancient Rome

The Roman Forum

 I was fascinated by the ruins....I would of loved to of seen it in it's prime.

It's a shame it wasn't preserved all these years.

 When new places in Rome were built and parts of The Vatican people came and took pieces from the area of The Roman Forum to build....if only they knew the history they were messing with....still something to be in awe about.

 I wish I could remember all the things we were told about what we were seeing but at this moment I can't so just enjoy it's beauty in the rubble.

But the Roman Forum was a place where people gathered and came to find out news and such.

 And what a beautiful sight to behold as your walking out of The Roman Forum area there is The Colosseo...Beautiful...I loved that building.

 Inside the Colosseo was amazing...but again it was a hot day...Rome was extremely hot this day and after my morning ordeal heat was the last thing I wanted to deal with....our guide kept asking..Robin, are you okay...yes, I'm okay, just hot.

 the picture below shows where the Emperor sat during the Gladiator games and if their were any diplomats they would sit on either side of the Emperor

 below shows what it was like underneath and you can see in the back a layer of flooring, in it's day the floor was completely covered and that is where the games were held and the area below was kinda a holding area of Gladiators and animals.

This truly is the first football stadium...I know now where the plans for a stadium came from.

 and a view looking out from the Colosseo....

Our Ancient tour was about 3 hours...we saw a lot and learned a lot and got a sun tan in the mean time...but loved every minute of it...we then went back to our hotel where we napped and cleaned up to get ready for our Rome by Night tour.

Tomorrow I will post part 2 of Day 3...as you can see today's post was rather long.

Until tomorrow...

Roman Holiday...Day 2...Part 2

So after our sightseeing in Rome we headed to

The Roman Countryside.

Along the drive we had great conversation while looking at all the sights along the road.

Parts of the drive around the lake were winding and small and nothing to keep you from falling if that was to happen. It reminded me of the drive from Reno to Lake Tahoe.

We stopped at a look out point to take in the view and to take some pictures as well.

It was neat that in these little pull over sections off the road there were food trailers and they had tables and chairs and umbrellas so you could stop and eat if you wanted.

We stopped in a small village called Nemi ....it was so cute....you could stand on a look out point and see the lake...see churches and the streets were so cute.

We stopped here to taste some meats and cheese and a little wine tasting.

Below is the shop we got our goodies from...it was a very interesting meat market.

 All types and sizes of meat were hanging from the ceilings and the walls...at times you had to duck and dodge meat to get from on spot in the store to the other. Some meat even still had hair on it...that was mostly the buffalo meat.

In the picture below...the white looking stuff hanging is buffalo balls...the picture does not do them justice...they are huge...and this became a topic of conversation throughout our lunch time.

These meats are good to hang this way for 2 years...

Not sure I could buy my meat hanging from the wall for even a month in an open air store and all kinds of flies and such crawling on it...though we did do a taste tasting and we're still here.

 After our tasting we walked the streets to take in the feel of the town and then we headed to our lunch destination.

 Not sure why I forgot to take a picture of the outside of this restaurant but by some of the pictures I'm sharing you can get the feel at how wonderful this place is.

I could of sat here all day drinking wine and just looking out over Lake Albano.

Before sitting at our table we were given a tour of the wine cellar...so many different areas below.

There are more than 35,000 bottles in the cellar that is in an ancient volcano.

Some bottles have been there so long that the dust is so thick you can't even see the bottle.

I was very nervous in the section that housed wines that cost over $25,000.

The name of the restaurant is "Pagnanelli" and for me was the highlight of the day....and this is where the wine glass pictures throughout our trip were born.

"Salute"

Our guide Marco ....not sure he knew what to expect from us but I do think he had a good time and I think he wished he could of joined us in the wine drinking.

We tried to talk him into it but he said he was working and couldn't ...though we sat for so long the wine would of been out of his system by then....but you had to respect him....but no worries...we had his share.

Below is myself with Marco.

So...during the lunch process I decided to take out a page from the way my friend Fonda travels when she goes some place new....she lets the waiter order for her...something I "DON'T" do cause I like to know what I'm eating.

But my thougth was...I'm in Rome...let's do as the Romans do...let's make this vacation a memorable one in all aspects.

So we allowed Marco to order for us...we asked him, what would you order ...but we also let him know we liked our stuff cooked and nothing crazy and that we weren't eating any balls either (which we had many conversations about)...after all we had just seen them at the market but we didn't wanna eat them.

So...he suggested a platter of samplings...so we ordered 2 different ones.

Now during all this time we were having wine from our wine tasting...nice size glasses too...we never had an empty glass....I didn't care too much for the red but loved all the whites.

So these are the 2 platters that came out...cute presentation but we immediately started to wonder if we made the right choice in allowing Marco to order for us...I was like...okay...I see cantaloupe...that's safe...But I will admit it was basically good and he told us what everything was and we tried it all except for the baby octopus which is in the second picture, bottom left.

In the same picture, top right was the tuna...it's cooked but not like how we cook it and had some type of flavoring on it that was purple....I tried it and told Marco I like my tuna in a can...it wasn't bad but it wasn't great...taste was weird...but I tried it, Go Robin!

We talked so much about the food and made jokes and had a good time...what we had was good though different but was just the right amount...though I'm not sure I will let someone else choose my meal again...it's like been there, done that, I'm done.

 After a wonderful time at lunch it was time to go...here we are with Marco and one of the waiters in front of the resturant.

 So before heading back to Rome we made a stop in the small medieval village of Castel Gandolfo

where the Pope resides during the summer when he is in Rome.

The entrance with The Swiss Guards....a sign the Pope is in residence.

 The top balcony is where the Pope stands when he talks and hold his sermon.

 It's sad...Our time in the countryside has come to an end...we had a full day...9 hours...and I think we showed Marco a really good time as he did with us.

Marco dropped us off at our hotel where we cleaned up and had dinner on the roof top terrace of our hotel. Below is the view from our table.

It's a small terrace but apparently very popular and reservations are a must.

There was not a huge menu and I must say a very pricey one at that...we finally decided on our meal and it was one we shared, as that is the way we did most of our meals...

It was funny cause Lonnie was asking questions about the menu and she was like....is it cooked, we like our stuff cooked and not talking back to us...it was so funny cause at first I was unsure if the waiter got our sense of humor....but he did...and our meal was good...as was the wine.

Day 2 was another success...now it's time to rest up for Day 3 and our last day in Rome.

Roman Holiday....Day 2...Part 1

Day 2 started early....we were greeted at our hotel by our driver and tour guide Marco.

Our first stop was a beautiful neighborhood with convents, housing and parks and this building which held a private garden behind it's doors.

It's also special cause there is a key hole you can look through and you can see the city in a different view with the dome of St Peter's Basilica front and center.

Now I did try to take pictures through the key hole but they didn't come out very good....you can't really tell what your looking at.

 This is walking through an area of the park and when you get to the edge you can see all of Rome....if you click on this picture you can see it better in bigger form.

The view was amazing.

 We then were taken to a water fountain...many in Rome...where we were taught how to drink from it the way the Romans do...sorry...not sharing those pictures...LOL...

Below an ancient ruin ...the land in front of it is where they once use to race their chariots.

 Then we stopped for a picture kodak moment of

Vittorio Emanuel ll Monument

also known as The Wedding Cake

it was a beautiful building with a round a bout in front of it

 Then we did another stop for a picture moment...a view of The Roman Forum from Capitoline Hill

Capitoline Hill is where the mayor of Rome resides.

 Then a quick stop by The Pantheon....this church was saved and preserved after becoming a Christian church....the artist Raphael is also buried here.

There is a hole in the ceiling and the floor is made where the water drains out from the middle.

 picture below taken inside the Pantheon

 We then stopped by another church....a name I can not remember...but if you look at the ceilings it looks as though there is a dome ceiling....

wrong...

it's painted and makes it looks like that...it is a flat ceiling....it is this way through out the church...

Awesome

 Then it was time to stop and get a cappuccino and then head to the Trevi Fountain

 where you had to make your wish to find love, get married and return to Rome...

2 out of 3 to wish for ain't bad....LOL

 Next stop...Pizza di Spangna also know as

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Embassy is here ...that is how it got it's name The Spanish Steps....

we were dropped off at the top and walked down where Marco our guide met us.

 Below is just one of the many pictures I took of flowers on someones balcony

I loved it!

 Then we drove The Appian Way....a stretch of ancient road..past catacombs where many are buried...we then came to this part of road that was in it's day the road.

Your not suppose to drive on it (though we did see a car that did...but your not suppose too).

It was so amazing to stand and wonder who may of walked on this road before or who's chariot and horse may of driven on it...I felt myself go back some 2000 years.

Our morning was filled with many sites and wonders and quick trips to see amazing buildings and fountains and ruins....it was nice to cover so much ground and all done by car....something we could of never been able to of done so quickly on our own. Most of these places do not require a lot of time to see.

Now it was time to head out into the countryside...about 30 minutes away where we would have the most wonderful rest of our day.

As not to make this post any longer I will stop here and will be back tomorrow with Part 2 of Day 2.

See you then,



Italian Vacation.....The Road Leads To Rome

Are you excited to start hearing about and seeing pictures of my vacation?

I'm excited to relive it....let's see how well I remember it.

On July 4th I left Houston and met up with my cousin in Washington DC....we had a small layover so we spent our time in The United Club before it was time for our plane to take us to a vacation of a life time.

 We went first class which was wonderful on such a long flight...9 hours....but not even an hour into the flight the couple across from us with their toddler son, threw up all over himself....it had that rank smell (poor baby) but the crew was quick to get it all cleaned up and make it smell free...and then we had a drunk couple on the flight that caused a little drama...thankfully they finally went to sleep...the crew had said if they knew they were that bad they would of kicked them off the flight before we took off...I'm surprised they didn't notice cause while we were waiting to board I saw her swaying all over the place....what was goin' on in first class...anyway, our seats layed down like a bed....it was wonderful... After we were treated to drinks and a nice meal we made ourselves go to sleep...we didn't want jet-lag ...we were set to arrive in Rome at 8:30 am so we wanted to make the most of our day and not spend it in bed recovering from our flight. It was a good choice.

Welcome To Rome

 When we arrived in Rome we were greeted by our driver to take us to our hotel....when arriving... in our room the above picture was our view...The Colosseum...though it's not all there any longer I must say it is a most beautiful sight....I loved it! and loved looking at it ever time we were in the room....I was in awe.

Below is the full view from our room....what you see first is the ruins from what was where the Gladiators trained before tunneling over to the Colosseum for battle....there is no longer the tunnel due to the concrete modern day road.

 After unpacking and relaxing for a short period our guide for our Vatican visit met us at the hotel and away we went...Here is a replica of Mary holding Jesus after His crucifixion....we did see the original statue inside St Peters Basilica but it is behind a bullet proof glass....apparently a few years back someone tried to destroy it with a hammer so now it is protected.

 Outside The Vatican with St Peter's dome in the background

 Inside The Vatican

 the above and below picture go together

 Paintings and statues and tapestry's were just beautiful....it's amazing the beauty of the art from so long ago....the picture below looks as though it has a 3D effect and it's not...it amazes that back in that time period some couple hundred years AD they had down the 3D effect.

 The picture below was taken in St Peter's Basilica....most of my pictures taken inside here came out blurry due to the lighting....my cousins may of came out better but I haven't received her copies yet and didn't want to wait any longer to start posting...after all I have 2 weeks of vacation to share.

 Vatican Square....myself with our guide Antonia...she was nice and full of history...she was the perfect guide for this type of tour..I'm not a tour person but felt we would just miss something if we didn't have someone to show us and guide us...I didn't want to roam aimlessly....it was a good choice.

 The Vatican....did you know it is it's own city...separate from Rome.

 After our Vatican tour we went to a shop close by and shopped....I got my Vatican ornament...ornaments are something I like to collect from all the places and cities I visit.

After that we headed back to our hotel and freshened up and headed out for dinner....

We went to Papa Joe's that was recommended by our hotel...I just love sitting outside...it was a nice place...didn't get crowded which was nice....and this is where the wine drinking began...

Above my cousin Lonnie and myself.

Lonnie went out to the street to take my picture..cheers...the Vino is very very good.

After dinner we walked around and ended up at The Colesso (Colosseum)...just as beautiful at night as in the day....the way the lights shine on it makes it look like the glow from a fire....just breath taking.... then we stopped for our first gelato and then headed back to the hotel and decided to head to the terrace for a night cap.

Cheers to Day One...It was a VERY good day!