A Day in Roma!!!

Thursday 2nd July...

Up at 6.30am!!!! to get packed and ready to drop luggage at the bus at 7.30am. Got up and found that Jamie had had a big night the night before, she is in the cabin opposite, she had been sick on her steps, our steps and everywhere in between.... yuk!

Had brekky and we were then on our way to Orvieto!!! We catch the cable tram ( like in Wellington) up the steep hill and then walk through the narrow streets of Orvieto to the Cathedral. It is MASSIVE! We are virtually in the middle of nowhere and there is the 3rd largest church (not sure if it is 3rd largest in Italy or the world cause it is BIG!). Anyway it has painted frescoes on the outside and looks fabulous, went inside and had a good look around in there too. Apparently the roof construction is an engineering marvel too - I donàt know the details (am planning to look this up once I get home) but it is something unique apparently.

Spent the next hour wandering the streets and bought some foccaccia for lunch. We are all loaded back on the bus at midday and on the road to Rome.

Arrive in Rome and dropped at Metro stop, the train looks dodgey completely covered in graffitti and there are no announcements over the PA so you need to know which stop you have to get off and when. Our tour guide takes us for a walking tour around Rome and we see the Trevi Fountain (I threw my coin in to make sure I come back!!), the Spanish Steps, La Capuccini (look this one up it's a crypt where the bones of old monks have been used to decorate the walls and rooms - really macabre!! Couldn't take any photos), saw the forums and the Colosseum. All very brief but WOW!! Just great.

Caught the metro back to Camping Roma but not without excitement! We get to the Cordelia stop and walk to the bus stop and the next thing it starts HAILING!!!!!! So we run back to the metro station for cover and our tour guide rings our bus driver to pick us up instead of waiting for the Rome bus system to take us home. There was thunder and lightening - just like being back home on the Gold Coast during a storm!!!

Tonight we dine on Pizza and after all the walking I eat a WHOLE ONE!!!!
About 9 people leave our tour tomorrow :( so we had a drink and said our goodbyes Francisco The Mexican leaves us along with most of the South Koreans.... But tomorrow apparently we gain another 10 more passengers...

Tomorrow is to be an early day - 6.30am BREAKFAST!!!!

3rd July 2009

Joy sleeps through her alarm and I wake us when I come to at 6.20am on hearing people laughing outside our cabin. ACK! But we are dressed and ready to go within 15 minutes so figure it was good we had the extra sleep!!!!

AT 7 we are on the bus and on our way to be dropped at the bus station at Cornelia bus stop. Metro to the Vatican where we meet our guide and get given some dinky electronic radio hookup thing.... The guide speaks and we all hear it in our earpiece - COOL!!! I so need one of these gadgets!!!!

Anyway she takes us through part of the Vatican Museum and gives us a big spiel on the Sistine Chapel which has the famous frescoe ceiling by Michaelangelo... WOW I didnàt realise that Michaelangelo wasnàt even A PAINTER!!!!!!!!!!!!! He had a big argument with the Pope who commissioned him but he was so broke he couldnt refuse the commission in the end - also Michaelangelo was punched in the face by this pope during the 3 hour argument about the commission.

So Michaelangelo learns to paint as he actually paints the fresco!!! Unbelievably when you see what he has done - just incredible his first ones arenàt too flash but he completely masters the painting and it looks 3D. Just fabulous. Along the sides of the chapel someone ( not sure if Michaelangelo painted everything within the chapel) there are painted drapes and they almost look real when you glance at them. Just great... so much here to look at but we leave and walk around to St Peters Cathedral (?) and Basilica. There is a big but fast moving queue but this is to get your bags xrayed. The Pope is here today as well. We go inside and it's MASSIVE!!!!! Everything is so darn BIG and what makes it so impressive is that the art is really lost these days - no one builds or makes or creates the kind of art and decoration within these great buildings. There are MASSIVE paintings but when you get up to it you realise it is MOSAICS!!! Like 10 metres high by 5 metres wide and the tiles are like 1cm square.... just incredible. We also decide to go to the very top of the Basilica. 551 steps - our feet are SO SORE so we pay extra and get a lift for the first 230 steps! This takes us to the inside of the cupola and you look down on the floor in the cathedral and this means you see MORE MOSAICS up close - the colour is exquisite!!!!!

We then climb to the top up a tiny staircase, just as well there is a separate staircase for coming down as it is only wide enough for one person at a time - you wouldnt want to be claustrophobic!! But just GREAT getting to the top and looking down on the open space and all across Rome... more and more photos!!!!

Next up we head to the Colosseum, no guided tour but we just have a walk around and a look see, they have information boards up around the place giving some history and information. We are really tired now and contemplating going back but seeing as it is only 3.30pm we decide to keep walking and go up this long hill to a tiny church. We really want to see the forums and circus maximus but just don't have the motivation to keep going with it being sooooooo hot and our feet sooooooo tired. We head back to camp instead.

Tonight we have Lasagne and Tiramisu for dinner and dessert!!!! We also meet our 10 new passengers and take the time to repack. Tomorrow morning we head for Bari, a long day on the bus and there we catch the overnight ferry to Plataria to catch our sailing boats. We have lessons are split into groups and our sailing around the Greek Islands will begin..!!! I have already filled my backpack and havenàt got my toiletries in yet - DARNIT!!!! Bought a dress today too for slobbing about the boat in :)

We are expected to spend one night at Corfu.

Hope to catch up online and update once in Croatia.

Having a great time here, getting a bit blase about our destinations when we get tired and it's all so rushed - seriously need to come back and check these places out in detail.... (come on LOTTO!!)

I havent thought about work AT ALL but missing you guys!!! I managed to update my fantasy league last night so fingers crossed my players are playing - no update GAZZA!!!! I better head off, i think most people were going to the bar tonight for drinks to welcome our new passengers - I don't know where the pool IS let alone where the pool BAR is... sigh!!!! Hope everyone back home is good!! Send me an email to my hotmail...

Ciao
Katherinexx

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Part of trip: Katherine's Europe & UK Tour 2009

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