Rome Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th

Friday

Checked into our new Hotel late morning after an early morning run. - the Grand Hotel Palatino (due to Vicki's great planning only 200m from our previous accommodation) After meeting our new tour guide - Marco and finding out he is a rugby nut (coaches a kids team & following the RWC) went to Villa Borghese and through the Gallerie with the tickets we had bought on Tuesday (now booked out until next week!) Interesting Caravaggio paintings and Bernini sculptures. Hard to describe this art gallery/museum described in Lonely Planet as the one to see if you have limited time.It needs to be seen to be believed (hence the heavy bookings to get in).

After our Gallerie visit we walked through the Borghese park and hired a Segway for 30 minutes - interesting to ride and difficult to understand how it works.All controlled by body weight (I seem to have no shortage of that after 3 weeks travelling) and much easier to control than I thought. Walked back to our new Hotel to have a drink & introductions for our new 9 day tour. Mainly Americans with a smattering of Australians. Out to local sidewalk restaurant for another enjoyable meal.

Saturday:

First day of our new tour - the Vatican. Hard to describe - really needs to be seen.The highlights were St Peters Basilica, the Galleries with the paintings and Flemish tapestries - whats-his-name who painted the ceilings and Bernini seemed to be well represented and were obviously pretty busy in Rome in the early 16th century. After being taken through the Vatican with a guide who had a good handle on the situation (at one stage describing the RCs as "this evil empire" and telling us to hang onto our tickets as they had a lucky number - 1st prize a weekend with the Pope....2nd prize 3 weekends) - however a very knowledgeable historian who could rattle of the names and dates for the Popes we saw preserved in glass sophageous' (is that correct?) - (didn't look too well to me) as well as important markers in the Vatican's history.

Onto the Colloseum after another sidewalk cafe lunch, we were informed and entertained by our guide who painted some great word pictures of gladiatoral exploits, naval battles, executions and emporial activites in this amazing building built by slave labour- in no doubt appalling conditions prior to the birth of Christ (where was Amnesty International then?) Quite a large part was destroyed by a major earthquake in the 14th Century. However the majority that remains is impressive.

Back to our hotel for a rest then out walking and riding a city tour open topped bus. Another pleasant al fresco meal with very drinkable Italian red and forgettable street musicians holding out their hats after each number.

Sunday:

An early morning run around the Colosseum and the Roman Forum followed by another open topped bus which we got off at the closest stop to the Pantheon. This is a highlight and has to be visited when in Rome- an engineering feat which apparantely is still a mystery for today's engineers trying to calculate how it was built. It has a 9m diameter hole in the top of the dome and a sloping marble floor with a small drain to handle rain water. The Kings of Italy - Vittorio Emmanuel 11 and Umberto are entombed here along with Raphael (for some reason the pope of the 19th C - 300 years after his death - had him exhumed to check he was there and then reinterred- probably hoping for a miracle). He probably died of exhaustion judging by the number of his works around Rome - even in death he was disturbed! After this we walked to the Piazza Novona which whilst having 3 spectacular fountains was a bit spoiled by tents which had been erected to promote an upcoming literary event. Onto (by foot) the Gesu Church which Vicki had researched but unfortunately was closed! Back to the hotel via an enjoyable lunch with drinks aiding an afternoon nap. At around 5pm we walked back to the Gesu Church and admired the ceiling paintings, the side altars and the main knave. The "piece de resistance" which we lucked on was the spectacular choral music and light display illuminating parts of the church, paintings, ceilings and altars (complete with a "miraculous" huge painting slowly sliding into the floor to reveal a huge statue of JC in gold and silver). Back to the hotel for our first tour dinner with our mainly American group. As our guide Marco said "In vino veritas" (in wine speaks the truth) -so we saw these Americans in their true colours - rowdy but funnny.

Tomorrow Florence via Assisi