This is a special day as we are going behind the scenes at the Vatican Museum and a special visit – one small group – to the Sistine Chapel. But first to get Peggy into good shape! She rested during the morning and John went to San Giovanni in Laterano, the archbasilica for Rome and the home of the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome. It is absolutely huge (though not as big as St Peter’s by a long shot). It was quite moving as it is a very active church with services going on at two different chapels. There were pope’s shields everywhere and a dedication to John The Baptist with a statue of him under the main altar with the tomb of Clement XII. Constantine built the first church on this spot dedicated ... read more

Sadly Peggy took sick this morning after a bad night: sore throat, cough, chest congested. A very handsome Italian doctor came to visit and prescribed rest and various medicines, so no visit to St Peter’s today and we cancelled the visit to San Giovanni on Wednesday. So, while Peggy slept John went on walkabout: first to Piazza Cavour and the impressive Supreme Court building, then on to San Angelo and back across the Tiber to the antique area of central Rome. Picked up lunch (panini and sweets along with water and orange Fanta) and had a picnic in the room. After some rest John went out again to visit Campo dei Fiori and watch the transformation from vegetable/fruit market to restaurants. Sat at a bar and watched the hard work the vendors go through EVERY day. ... read more

As per usual, John was up a little earlier than Peggy and took a long walk around the area (Trevi, Victor Emanuel shrine and Pantheon) before joining up on the hotel’s roof for breakfast. Our plan was to be at the Borghese Museum for the first group to get in, giving us plenty of time to view the many Bernini statues. We called for an Uber and it just couldn’t get to us so we hoofed it to Piazza Venezia only to discover that the Rome Marathon we getting underway and there was not way we were going to get a cab or Uber to the Borghese in time to go in. Sadly we had to cancel and make new arrangements. This was well handled by Peggy as John moped about sad to miss the fabulous ... read more

Our bags are packed. Our basic itinerary is set: only a few places and lots of time to explore new and old friends, museums, churches, architecture … cafes and restaurants. Our Mill Valley home will be lived in and well taken care of with friends coming to stay. We will visit family and friends in Rome, Siena and Florence. We have made a few arrangements for exploring at the Vatican and elsewhere. And we have pored over travel books and online to find the museums and palazzos we want to visit newly. We are ready to go!... read more

Sunday: John took an early morning walk down the hill to the Galata Bridge only to find out halfway that the camera battery was dead. Sad as the light and the views were spectacular. He sat and watched over 40 fishermen with their long poles and fancy lure rigs casting far out into the Golden Horn in hopes of dinner. During the 15 minutes or more not one caught more than a guppy. Maybe it was the camaraderie. After a moderately good breakfast we took the Tunel tram and the trolley to the Blue Mosque for a visit. Inside after a few pictures Peggy had a long and delightful conversation with a mosque gentleman about Islam. The focus was on one of the five pillars or Islam: charity. Interesting that charity is not just about giving ... read more