November 3

Our adventure has continued apace since my last post.  We have had considerable difficulty finding a way to get to a computer to add to the blog...this is something I had not anticipated as we both have smart phones and I thought that their ability to get onto the internet through wifi would be enough...but not so...they either do not ¨see¨ the available wifi or they are too small to make posting possible for these old eyes to see...in any case...here is what has been happening.

After our experience at St. Peter´s we felt that we would have to return when it was NOT Sunday and when the Pope was not there to get in our way...so we decided to go back...what a great experience...there were many parts that we had not seen including Bernini´s last sculpture

and of course the Pieta...which was breathtaking...

 In keeping with Paul´s desire to stay out of basements...we spent only a little time in the crypts (the most striking part-the crypt of St. Peter himself) and found our way to the top.  As my leg was inconveniently in a cast, the guards led us to an elevator and let us in for free...what a great bonus...although I would rather be able to walk up....

We got up to the dome of the church and it was spectacular....really there are no words to describe it...

We could see for many miles and the city stretched out before us on a beautiful sunny day...

This though, was not high enough...so we made the climb to the cupola.  This you can see behind us in the picture above below the golden globe...

It was difficult to climb...with 1,000 of our best friends pressing behind...especially with my gimpness slowing everyone down...but eventually we made it...

The view was even more spectacular from this higher vantage...with the snow covered mountains off in the distance...and the square below...

We had already seen the Sistine Chapel on the free Sunday before, so we did not take time to go there again...

We decided instead to visit the bizzare church where the museum of the purgatory is located.  This includes a small collection of items which supposedly have signals from the dead who are trapped in purgatory awaiting masses and prayers from the living.  Subtle reminders like burnt books, handprints on cloth and actual apartitions which are described by the living...bizzare indeed.  No one made any special suplications whilst we were there, so they will have to stay in Purgatory a bit longer I guess.

In the last few nights that we were in Rome we searched out small restaurants in Trastevere and saw more beautiful churches and (gasp) statues and fountains.

In truth...it got to the point where we had to go to a cafe to escape the beauty of all the things to see in the city.

Before we knew it...it was time to arivedercci Roma and the B & B we had been staying in....

We made our way to the train station where we were pretty well confused by most everything...fortunately there were ¨wanderers¨about who wanted to do nothing but help us...for a fee of course.  The rain was pelting down and we were happy to give a couple of euros to find the right train...once there and figuring out where to sit (not where we had booked of course) we were off...an uneventful trip got us to the coast where the train left us on a soaking wet platform in a torential downpour.  We were soaked within minutes...and no taxi´s were to be found...after 10 panic filled minutes (where Paul tried to ask passers by to drive us to the ship) a taxi arrived and ignored all the others who wanted to use his service to take us...at a premium of course to the ship.

We arrived...more wet than dry...after wading through 6 inch deep water to get to the terminal...and got to the ship where Mom and Dad were waiting for us...my Dad was quite worried thinking that we were too late...

Ah...so...the next leg of our journey started damply, both physically and in spirit...

We arrived two very rough sea-days later in Alcaliente Spain...a quaint, small village nestled into hills.  It was hot and sunny and we wandered through streets which were really stairways straight up...I was reminded of many movies we have seen over the years.  We enjoyed the sunshine at a small cafe on the steps and drank in the local colour (mostly blues and whites to my delight)...the woman who owned the cafe came to our table unbidden at one point and dropped a bowl of soup on the table...on the house (we think)...a delightful lentel concoction...great fun and lovely to be away from the ship for a few hours.

The ship is older and small...not as many amenities as we are used to...but as old as the ship is...the other guests are even older.  There are as many walkers, canes and scooters as there were statues in Rome.  Makes me feel very young indeed.

Today we are in Malaga...and found an internet station where we could catch up on e-mails and add to the blog...tomorrow it is off to Cadiz, and we will be passing ( not to running into) the Rock of Gibraltar at some time in the night...so are hoping to see it as it is lit up apparently...

Then we will be in Lisbon, where we plan to go to Sintra to see a castle there...

Unfortnately the bridge instruction and duplicate games on board suck the big one...so we will be looking for other things to pass our time for the seven days we are at sea...

Will post another update at the earliest opportunity.