We are here!

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Geo: 41.8955, 12.4823

Hello all! We are here and for you that have been checking and not finding anything, I am very sorry, we have been very busy as you no doubt have guessed. Everything is going well, except for our feet and backs!! I have no idea how these Italian women walk around in HIGH heels, I am hobbling around in my flat Keens... for a quick rundown (excuse the lack of punctuation and some spelling, different keyboard..) The flight was uneventful except for our transfer at Charles de Gaulle in Paris, we had to run for the gate and they were about to close the entry to the plane but let us on, the reason? we had to sit on the runway and wait for a space to park then had to wait for people to bring the stairs then a bus to take us to the terminal because we were out in the back parking lot! ;-) Anyway we originally only had 50 minutes for the connection but had arrived a little bit early so that was good... Jim's bag was also picked for a little extra scrutiny for some reason, we made it and were very glad we did...

Note to all: throughout this, I will be giving hints to my history students to find out things as we are studying the Renaissance and the Reformation this year. They are "coming with me" and we will be able to discuss some of these things when I get back...

Got into Roma and that first day just found a grocery and walked a bit, the next day we were off to the Vatican and the Scavi under St. Peters then into St. Peters, wonderful, amazing....BIG!
Next day: figured out the bus system, Metro and train to get to Ostia Antica, well worth the trouble, anyone coming here needs to go there, it is a whole Roman city of ruins, it was the old port city.... for a Saturday there really was not much of a crowd and you could wander through the ruins, got to sit in the theatre, kinds of "hands-on" place to go. That night we were wandering through the Piazza del Rotundo (where the Pantheon is) and there was an Opera singer, that gave a fantastic show in the Piazza for us, one of the songs was O Sole Amia?? whatever the name it was wonderful.. have eaten gelato every day but one so far.... yummy.
Sunday we found Rome Baptist Church and visited with a man that is in charge of taking care of the American military cemeteries here, very nice. Then on to Borghese Gallery, wow, Bernini, I am a fan! walked through the Park and past the Medici Villa and on the way back to the apt walked through Piazza di Popolo and went into Santa Maria del Popolo and saw two more Caravaggios, my history kids that are reading this, find out which ones are there if you can ;-) also there was a chapel in there called the Chigi Chapel (find out who designed it).

Monday: Off to the Colosseo, Forum and the Palatine Hill, had to come back today (Tuesday) to finish up the Palatine and then visited the church of San Clemente (kids find out what is so interesting about this)

Tuesday started out at Castel St. Angelo then walked to Circus Maximus, Mouth of Truth, Jewish Ghetto, Theatre of Marcellus, this is not in order...

Got to go it is getting dark and we are on the other side of town and need to find our way back ;-), will try and post more often.

We are missing our kids and family and hope everything is going well with all of you!

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Comments

[wendy2007]

Hi Hi mom, everything is going pretty good over here. We were a little worried when you didn't answer calls and were'nt posting anything. Your history class is doing fine. Love, Joseph