We're figuring out more of the rhythms here. We were eating around 7:00, after sunset, and most places seemed to be closing up then. So we went earlier, before sunset. The same problem; we were the only ones eating. We asked the hotel owners who told us most Mexicans eat their big meal around 3:00.....so that's what we did yesterday. But we were hungry by 8:00pm, and went out to hunt for food. We found a great place by the lagoon, filled with Europeans eating....we had a snack there in a beautiful setting.... Yesterday we went down to beach and sat just above the surf, to watch the sun set. There were many people on the beach, and everyone was turned towards the horizon....as the sun disappeared, clapping broke out.... The waves are a bit smaller ... read more

We tried to fall asleep last night with crashing surf just yards away... the waves were about three seconds apart, and sounded like a freight train....and continued to shake our third story room....But one can get used to almost anything, and now they are just a soothing background sound! Last night, we could hear couples on the beach, music from a bar, and dogs barking, but only in 3 second bursts between the waves! Everything but the surf quieted down by 11:00pm or so...and we slept well.... I got up and jogged a few miles on the beach around 8:30 this morning..and now have blisters on two toes from running barefoot on the sand! I had to turn around when a soldier came out and told me I was on the Navy base...! We ate here ... read more

Day 36 Tivoli We took a metro/bus combo out to Tivoli today, to visit the Villa D'Este. It was the playground of a Cardinal in the 1500s....he loved the arts and fountains...and diverted a river to run his hundreds of water features! The state has renovated many of the fountains and has them running again...most are working with just the original water pressure! It was such a calm, beautiful spot...and the weather cooperated one last time for us...sunny and warm all day. You could see nearly to Rome (about 20 kilometers), or you could if the air was clean.... We would really recommend both a trip to Ostia Atica and to Tivoli if you come to Rome. They are so easy to get to without a car, and provide a nice break from the intensity of ... read more

Day 32- Day 33 Roma Other than having to change hotels a few times (but they have all been in the same block), our first two days in Rome have been wonderful...the weather continues to be sunny and mild, getting cool at night... We spent Saturday fist "doing" the Roman sights...the Colosseum, the forums, and a great information center on the area, with some new digs right nearby...we finished the day on the top of the Victorio Emmanuelle monument, watching the sun set over Rome... On Sunday, we took the subway to St Peter's and then walked to for the rest of the day, visiting sights along the way and ending up back at our hotel around 5:00 pm....My favorites today were the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain.... Rome seems like another country...so many tourists and so ... read more

Day 26 Modica Yesterday we took the bus into Noto, about and hour from here, and walked around the baroque city for a few hours...everything here closes down from 1:00 pm to 3:00pm...so it's hard to plan a trip of any distance, since we end up arriving just before closing time at 1:00! We managed to see the cathedrals and the Theater after they reopened, and before our bus (the last of the day...since it was Sunday) left at 3:55.... Today we took the train past Noto to another baroque town: Modica. This city is located in a gorge carved by the river in prehistoric times. It was an important city in Greek times, and then passed through Romans, Normans, Spaniards, and now Italy....it was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that also leveled Noto and Siracuse... ... read more