October 28,

The last two days have been full of adventure indeed...allowing me to live up to my new title.  We started yesterday with a visit to the colleseum where we took a tour which was well worth the money as it allowed us to skip an incredible line to get in.  We spent a full two hours there looking at the ruins and also at the exhibit that was on display.  What a neat experience...to visit artifacts in the colleseum in what was essentially an outdoor environment.  I saw a remarkable statue of Trajan...one of my favorite emperors...

After two hours in the colleseum, it was off to the Palentine Hill for a complementary completion of the tour on the Palentine Hill.  The tour guide painted a picture of life as it was and brought the place to life for us...

After this tour we were free to roam about...and we ended up in the forum where we saw many remarkable things, including the remains of the temple of Jupiter and the temple of the vestal virigins...


Then we were off again to find the Trevi Fountain...on a Saturday night...when the rest of Rome seemed to also be out and about.  It was so busy and the cast on my foot made it impossible to get to the fountain (sorry to all those who asked me to throw a coin for them)...we wandered a bit more and found a place for a meal.  Then we jumped on a bus hoping to find the Pantheon...after completing a full circuit, a friendly tourist helped us out and we finally made it to the square, but the Pantheon was closed...so we had an ice cream and jumped on the bus headed back....but it stopped service part way through the trip and we ended up stranded in a part of town unknown to us...so we flagged down a cab (thank goodness) and made it back to the B & B by midnight...exhausted we fell into bed...

October 29

Our plan was to go to St. Peters Bassillica and the Vatican Museum today...it being the only free Sunday of the month (by free I mean no admission charge)...after an early rise we grabbed a taxi (the bus experience of the previous day had already made me leary of public transportation) and arrived to find that not surprisingly, many others knew of this free day and the lineups were huge....oh my poor foot...
However, we found that we could get into the Basillica fairly easily if we attended mass...and so we did...and it was beautiful...the choir was magnificent, the music magical and the surroundings...indescribable...by the time the mass was finished...the lines were shorter and we made it into the museums just before they closed....

How beautiful are the artifacts in the museum...from sculputer to frescos to marble floors...words can not really do them justice.  We were headed for the Sistine Chaple, with about 3,000 of our closest friends...and knowing that the place closed at around 2:00 we could not spend time looking at all the artifcats along the way...but when we got to the chapel it was all worth it...what a spectical!  The paintings are all beautiful and have been expertly restored...we were both awe struck by the whole experience...


Then it was off to have a very late lunch, all in the vicinity of Piazza Navona...the home of incredible fountains...

In any case...I have not been able to upload any pictures...so will add these once I find a way to do so..

The adventure continues....

October 26....Well here we are in beautiful Roma. We had very long trip getting here almost 12 hours. The good news is we survived!

The plan ounfolded perfectly.  We took a bus to apply for that close to the bed and breakfast Paul had chosen. And found our way to a very good point bed and breakfast in an old building complete with an old fashioned cage elevator. We took a nap to help recover and then went out for a stroll. We discovered a castle within moments of the B&B and explored it.  Paul experimented with an Italian water fountain.

We have taken advantage of the incredible cafes and are enjoying incredible coffee and carb filled pastries.

I am eternally grateful for the "love notes" scarf I was given when I retired...so far today it has been a pillow, a blanket, a rain coat and a decoration...

The only down side has been my foot which continues to cause trouble...and mow with a cast is slowing me down (although I confess that I am getting some advantages from the sympathy factor-like getting through customs quickly today)

Well...here I am, over 50 (some would say well over 50) years of age and trying to master the art of blogging...not just on the computer but also by using my smart phone. This is proving to be a challenge for me...but here goes.

It is October 25th, 2012 and I am off to Rome. I am going in true adventurer style as I have a foot which is out of commission, so I am in a cast. This makes for some complications...but am hoping that it will speed me through the security and boarding lines for the plane.

I am travelling with Paul, my husband and we are looking forward to five days in Rome followed by 2 weeks on a trans-Atlantic cruise with my parents. We are meeting them on October 31st on the ship just outside of Rome on the Italian Coast.

This is not our first trip this year, but it is the most "exotic" so far. Paul retired almost 3 years ago and I retired 5 months ago today...so we are experimenting with travel options which will help define the next phase of our life together...

Am hoping that the foot does not slow me down too much...but if it does am planning for long rests in quaint bistro's under ancient statues....we shall certainly see...