Saturday 20th August – Exploring Rome

---

This morning we caught the oh-so-reliable public transport to the Vatican City (the people who had signed up for it) for a tour. It was a 2 hour tour around most of the city. The Sistine Chapel (did you know there is more then 1 Sistine Chapel in the world... Sistine simply means that it was built by 5/6 men). Before we went into the Chapel our tour guide explained all the paintings which meant they all made a lot more sense when we went in. Michaelangelo was a talented artist and the Pope at the time had quite a good sense of humour! At the very top of the dome shaped ceiling there is a painting of 'God and Adam' where they are reaching out their arms and pointing to each other. From the floor it looks like they are touching fingertips with each other... turns out that they only recently discovered that when you go up to it the fingertips are actually a foot away from each other.
While in the Sistine Chapel I found myself a new job for when I retire... I am going to be a paid... professional... Shusher! Hehe a man stood at the front of the Chapel and every couple of minutes he would very loudly shush us... then 2 seconds later everyone would start talking again!
After the Vatican City Steve, Tim, Carla and I went to the Colosseum (said Colosse-o). It was rather hot... in fact hotter then the weather in Pisa so our walk around the Colosseum turned into a run and duck for shade whenever you can find it! On our bus trip to Rome we watched Gladiator so that was quite cool to see the real thing. We found out that the rich people would sit up the top and the poorer people would sit down the bottom but it wasn't just because it was a better view but it was because the smell of blood from whatever was killed was not so strong from up the top.
We headed back to our campsite at about 3pm then headed to the supermarket then pools.
Today we lost 10 people off our tour and another 4 started... 2 of them Kiwi girls... from Christchurch! We met the new-bees at dinner time and some of the people who were leaving hung around for the night.
That's all folks
Xx
PS It was sooo hot today that we left a load of washing around our tent/cabin and when we returned home tat afternoon our clothes had dried crusty!

---

Photos

Photo 2
Mini model of the Vatican City

Photo 3
A wall hanging where Jesus always watches you wherever you walk

Photo 4
Some of the amazing artwork within the Vatican

Photo 5
Steve and I outside the Vatican

Photo 6
The Colosseum

Photo 7
Gladiator Steve

Photo 8
Sue, Elly, Me and Hannah sheltering in the shade