Good evening everyone including the Six Bells crew! First off Jane you are still in your late 30s as my uncle Roger would say and i think Street dance is right up your street. Im eagerly awaiting your first performance and want to be front row! Well well well ill get to the Grimaldi incident later but now ill chat about the fabulous city of Rome.

It boils down to the fact that we have all fell in love with the old city and dont really want to leave. Yesterday begun with a trip to the spanish steps to get our juices flowing. Fabulous place but absolutly teeming with tourists litterally i think every tourist in Italy were on the Spanish steps at 11.00. Next we wondered along to the Fontana di trevi and is by far the best ive ever seen (concidering the fountains in Barca were not on) we grabbed an extremly over priced bit of pizza, why i hear you cry, what possesed them? But i figured when in Rome (although pizza was invented in New York but you catch my drift.

After that wonders of the trevi fountain we walked through the Pizza Navona and pver the bridge to the castle of saint angelo. exceedingly old and very picturesque. With time to spare before heading back to the hostel we went up to the Vatican and decided to join the longest queue in the world for entrance to St Peters Basilica. Inside its amazing and i never thought i would appreciate and be interested in something that is so religious but i was converted (well figuratively speaking). Finally we walked back to the hostel and discussed the fact that the American are getting everywhere. They seem to be on every corner in every shop and every bar. The problem weve found is that the majority not all, i hasten to add, have an especially whinny accent.

Anyway our moaning over we headed back and then out for dinner. we found an amazingly cheap and nice restaurant in the old part of town. With a lovely local red wine (7 euros for a litre) and spend the evening telling amusing stories and enjoying our surroundings.

Now over to anna.

So today we first headed up to the Vatican again to do the museum and the Sistine Chapel which we didnt get time to do yesterday. The museum was MASSIVE!!! it took us 3 hours to get round (and that was with pretty much running the last bit throught the moden art to get to the sistine chapel!). In the museum we really liked the Ancient Egyptian part as it was really interesting, Gallary of Maps which was awesome with maps covering the walls showing the east and west of italy years and years ago. The Etruscun part was also intesting as it had lots of really nice pottery. Also Rapheal's frescos are also amazing.

We finaly made it to the Sistine Chapel after all that and we were not disappointed! Even though it was much smaller than we all imagined the paintings on the wall and ceiling more than made up for that. The famous Creation of Adam on the ceiling and the last judgement on the alter wall were incredible!! You can see why it took Michaelangello (appologise for the spelling yet again from us maths geeks) 10 years to paint it all.

We had lunch and headed for the Colosseum. Steve was furious as they wouldnt let us use our student passes to get a reduction and as he didnt have his drivers licence with him he had to pay the full price to get it - not a happy bunny! Anyway we all thought it was amazing, even steven after he had calmed down . The ruins of the underground tunnels for the animals and prisoners were incredible and have no idea how people didnt get lost down there, it looked like a crazy maze! We were pretty shattered after all the walking after this we took a gentle stroll round the Forum and the Palantine Hill and then heading back home.

Having dinner in this eve, going to see the colosseum at night and out to a few bars to celebrate the end of a few brilliant days in Rome.

Sorry but not enough time to tell you the Grimaldi Ferries story as it is already half 8 and gotta go home for din dins but we will update before ladies meet in the pub next thursday to stop the speculation!

Hope your all well

Ciao for now from STA