Last Day in Rome

Okay. This is a quick post and I can't take time to be too careful about spelling. I apologize. It's late and our tour guide LOVES to get going by 7 a.m. Tomorrow we are off to the Catacombs and then to Florence.

So... what else has been happening? Yesterday we spent the morning at the Borghese Gardens and I truly enjoyed all of the Bernini sculptures and paintings, the Raphael paintings and the Caravaggio paintings. I have been introduced to a few new artists, and I am expanding my world! The grounds are huge - similar to Central Park in New York - only with the big museum and a few small, scattered museums. It was a long (but beautiful) walk through the grounds and back into the city streets. It was a very crisp morning with a frosty fog.

The time at the Borghese flew by and then we took off for the Piazza Papopolo. Or something like that. I spent the afternoon with Donna and Patsy. We tromped all over the city, shopping as we explored. Of course we made gelatto stops and an expresso stop. It's crazy to think of where all we walked and what all we saw. Some of the things we saw for the second time, but in a different light -- literally. We re-visited the Pantheon, the Colosseum. We saw the Mouth of Truth, Circus Maximus, Nero's Palace (again), walked through Constantine's Arch, took the metro to somewhere and climbed 9,000 steps to see St Peter's chains and The Moses. Hoofed it back DOWN 9,000 steps and took the metro again to the Spanish Steps. Had dinner at another delightful trattoria (sp?) and then back to the motel.

Patsy was still going strong; Donna and I bailed. Donna was thrilled because her phone service was hooked up finally and she could touch base with home. I called and talked to everyone, so that was nice. I am not homesick -- I just wish everyone was here.

Today we got up early and drove to Naples, the place where pizza was invented. I dedicated the day to my daughter, Ali. We had Margarita pizza. The pizza was named after the queen for whom it was created. We climbed Mt Vesuvius. Oh my goodness. My Aunt Mak lied to me; she said it was an easy walk to the top. The path was flat, but the pitch was very steep. Peggy and I felt like "more than conquerors" as we reached the top.

Our tour guide was a chain smoker and as the ash fell off of his cigarette, the wind blew it right into my mouth. Or I inhaled or something. Anyway, no one ever has to worry about me taking up the habit of smoking, but I thought it was kind of appropriate that I inhaled a bunch of ashes at the top of a volcano that had destroyed Pompeii with its eruption and ash in 79 A.D.

Then we went to Pompeii, and it was so intriguing. Only 3,000 people died (of the 20,000 population), but it was so well preserved. We walked up and down stone streets and saw what an interesting way of life those people had.

So...it's late and I need to dash down the street and try to pack and get to bed as close to midnight as possible. As I write this, it's 4:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday for you all. It costs me 2 euro for an hour at this Internet cafe. Is that a good deal? I have no idea -- it's all Monopoly money.

Again, I apologize for spelling or crazy typing. This keyboard leaves a lot to be desired.

Blessings...

S