BethElgert's Guestbook

Loved your blog!
Accidentally ran into this and loved loved loved your account of the cruise. You all were such a fun group to travel with and your mom will always be a model to me of how to do 80! Thanks for the kind words! Hope to see you all in exotic places in the future!

Spanish Steps
OK, since you have limited international data- I looked it up for you :) 7 Facts about the Spanish Steps: 1- The Spanish steps were built in 1723-1725 by a design of the rather little known architect Francesco de Sanctis and were financed by French diplomat Étienne Gueffier’s bequeathed. It was built in order to link the the Trinità dei Monti church that was under the patronage of the king of France, with the Spanish square below. 2- The Spanish steps unique design and elegance has made it a popular place for artists, painters and poets who were attracted to the place which inspired them in return. The artist’s presence attracted many beautiful women to the area, hoping to taken as models. This in turn, attracted rich Romans and travelers. After a short time, the steps were crowded with people of all kinds of backgrounds. This tradition, of the Spanish Steps as a meeting place, has lived on ever since. 3-At the lower end of the stairs you can find an early baroque fountain called Fontana della Barcaccia, or “Fountain of the Old Boat”. It is credited Pietro Bernini; a member of the renowned artist family Bernini and father of famous Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. 4- On the 13th June, 2007, a drunken young man attempted to drive a Toyota Celica down the Spanish Steps. Luckily no one was hurt, but several of the 200-year-old steps were chipped and scuffed. The driver was arrested. (Maybe started off at the same wine bar as you, and just took a wrong turn? :) ) 5- At the corner on the right as one begins to climb the steps, is the house where English poet John Keats lived and died in 1821; it is now a museum dedicated to his memory, full of memorabilia of the English Romantic generation. 6- On the 20th March, 1986, the first McDonalds restaurant in Italy was opened near the Spanish Steps. Protests there against fast food led to Carlo Petrini founding the international Slow Food movement three years later. (If you're really, REALLY lucky, they'll have unsweetened ice tea- but don't get your hopes up!) 7- eh, the last one is a sales plug from the blog that I took this info from word for word. If you want to read the full thing, go to: http://romeonsegway.com/7-facts-about-the-spanish-steps/

RE: Cliffs of Insanity
So glad you made it to the "Cliffs of Insanity"- "I promise on the soul of my father" that I SHALL follow behind you to Ireland at some point :) And I could have TOLD Mark to hold onto the parking ticket- not you! I've always wanted to taste mead- now I'm doubly jealous!