Picture This...

It feels good to sleep in. All I know is that my head hit the pillow around one a.m. after I finished typing my days thoughts for the blog and I did not wake up again (and according to Cathy she doesn’t think I even moved) until Dainela, our hostess’s mother woke us up with a little rat-a-tap-tap around 9 a.m. with our breakfast. Of course breakfast was incredible, even though we had to get used to espresso instead of coffee, lots of bread, and orange juice seems to be different around the world here they use blood oranges, so it is red but very tasty.

After stuffing ourselves with various breads, pastries and other delectable items, we all got dressed and headed to Termini (across the street) to be real tourists and
catch the double decker bus. We are able to do this becuase it appears as if the meetings Dale had scheduled have now been cancelled which gives us a chance to work on jet lag and tour the city. On our first bus tour of the day (which was sightseeing Roma-the red line) we saw several Piazzas (Plazas), the Colosseo (Coliseum) fountains, St. Peter’s Square in front of the Vatican and palaces. After our third or fourth site it started to rain and the soft cover was mechanically put in place to keep us dry. That was the idea at least. As those of us who were seated in a “window seat” found out when the bus stops water collects on the roof and when we start again it comes right off the sides and splashes the people in those seats. Dale, Cathy and I were all soaked (with very cold rain water) on one side of our bodies. After that tour finished we headed back and changed our clothes to be more comfortable.

Which brings me back to our elevator saga… After climbing steps yesterday we have all, once again, braved the elevator. Dale and I rode in it a couple of times today and only got nervous once when it creaked a little too loudly. Carolyn and I were in the elevator and she closed her eyes very tightly and kept repeating let’s shift, let’s shift. Cathy said she did the same thing with her so we are thinking that this is Carolyn's new mantra. So although the four of us will NEVER get back in the elevator together at one time, we don’t seem to have a problem doing it in pairs. This is probably what we should have done in the first place. So much for that scientific hypothesis.

After changing we headed back for the bus again. Our purpose this time to get off at St. Peters Square and look around before boarding the blue line bus for Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain). The biggest crowds we have seen yet were there. As people tossed money into this tremendous fountain. Although we have pictures they hardly do this magnificent sculpture and water works justice. We needed a little breather after that so we sat down at a nearby café for refreshment (coke light for me) and periodically got up to check out some shops. Rome is known for its Venetian glass, leather and fashion items. After we each made a couple of small purchases (because we don’t want to have to lug a bunch of stuff on the train Tuesday) we headed off again.

This time we were on foot in search of Piazza di Spagna, the Spanish Plaza, because
that is where the Spanish Steps are. The steps are immense and in the 17th century the Spain claimed the square as part of their country so if you unwittingly stepped into it you were grabbed and drafted into their army. Since then it has become one of the busiest squares, where people sit and hang out enjoying the high end retail shops in the area.

We walked a little ways past the steps to find a fine little restaurant and we all enjoyed handmade pastas with different sauces. I enjoyed caprese (tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil) and Dale ventured for the veal fungi (that’s right veal with mushrooms). We walked, slowly back to the metro and back to our B&B. Our hostess has informed me that we do not have internet hook up but I can use her computer tomorrow which will allow me to upload the blog comments (which I am typing in word and saving to a stick) and hopefully a few photos. If I have trouble with the photos we should be able to be back up on the internet by Tuesday when we get to the conference. So if you don’t see links please check back then when I will be able to upload them and insert them in the text.

Tomorrow we are headed to the Vatican. Did you know that it is actually a state within a state? The Pope is a political and religious leader. We also saw one of the secret passages that have been used in the past to safely move the Pope from the Vatican to a fortress, during times of crisis several blocks away. The Vatican really is its own state. They have their own radio station and newspaper. There is a railroad that is only used for freight now, and a post office. They have their own museums, libraries and archives. Not to mention one of the greatest art collections in the world, which include works from Raphael, Michelangelo, and Botticelli, to name a few. There is a dress code, from the knees up needs to be covered and that includes shoulders, or you can’t go in. Don’t think that will be a big deal for any of us. I am not sure which of the tours we will be on tomorrow (they range from 90 minutes to 5 hours) but it is sure to by eye opening. We will keep you up to date on all of our adventures.