November 13th, 2003: Last Day in Rome

So this is it, our last day in Rome and we haven't even come close to covering everything yet. Trust me, we do give it a good try. Again, original journal is in regular text. My comments from today are italicized beneath it:
(click photos to view)

• Woke early to catch taxi to Vatican Museum
• Breakfast at hotel & checked out
• USO dropped off luggage, walked to Vatican Museum
  
  
  Line to Vatican Museum
  
  
  MVSEI VATICANI ->
  
  
  Vatican Museum
  
  
• Spent morning at Vatican City/Museum
  
  
  View of Vatican grounds
  from inside museum
  
  
  Pointing to where parents live in Italy
  
  
• Purchased souvenirs while viewing museum & Sistine Chapel
• Also mailed postcards to hubs/kids/family in USA
  
  
  Random sign in museum
  
  
• Back to USO & dropped off souvenirs
• Met Italian Argentiera ("Silver Smith") at USO to receive hub's anniversary gift
• Walked to lunch near Piazza Del Risorgimento (roasted chicken & bread)
  
• Carabinieri in Piazza w/media after suicide bomber in Iraq (Italian Defense department - Base for Federal Italian forces in Iraq - South)
  
  
  Carabinieri in Piazza
  
  
  Official-looking Italians
  
  
• Walked across street to Piazza Venezia through Piazza Del Campidolglio (Temple of Athena)
  
  
  Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
  
  
  Piazza Venezia, aka "Wedding Cake"
  
  
  Piazza Del Campidolglio (photogenic NOT)
  
  
  Posing by statue in Piazza
  
  
• Walked thru Forum Romano (Forum)
  
  
  Roman Forum
  
  
  Ruins in Forum
  
  
  View from below in Ruins
  
  
  More Ruins
  
  
• Back to USO -> Eurostar - Mannet (?)
• Allen made new friend from Spain - exchanged email address/card
• At Padora, ticket was good for arriving 2 hrs. after our Eurostar arrival (Polizia)
• Took "Express" home - Polizia in cafe "bar" while waiting (lots of people loitering - Yikes!)
• At train station - car wasn't towed like Allen thought it might be
• Home @1:30 - left message on voice mail but had trouble calling back

Tomorrow: Back Home in Italy

November 12th, 2003: Vatican & Rome

As it turned out, this journal entry was written on the day of our 10th wedding anniversary. So there I was in Rome wishing my handsome groom were there with me so that we could celebrate our special day. On the other hand, what better place to find the perfect anniversary gift than Rome? Read on:

Wednesday - 11/12/03

• Woke up early to get ready for "Papal visit"
• Breakfast at Hotel Domus Mariae. No "Cafe Americana" only STRONG Italian coffee.
  Gorgeous... no wait, "exquisite" hotel!
  
• Taxi to USO for escort to St. Peter's Square. Took photos & waited for Pope John Paul II to arrive
  The USO gave us tickets for the Papal Visit, the experience of a lifetime.
  
  
  Traffic in Rome, Italy
  
  
  Waiting for Pope in St. Peter's Square
  
  
• "Papal Car" arrived & toured around audience before driving Pope to stage
  
  
  There goes the Pope Mobile
  
  
  Cruising up to stage
  
  
• Reading after Pope's welcome in which he read from script in Latin. Translations were then read by Cardinals who interpreted in French, English, Spanish & Italian.
  
  
  Pope giving welcome address
  
  
• Each Cardinal presented list of groups who attended to greet the Pope.
  
  
  Pope & Cardinals
  
  
• Pope gave special blessings to those who attended and requested to receive it.
• Shopping in St. Peter's Square (Pope items)
• Lunch at restaurant in Rome (Mom had fruit salad, me soup/bread - BLAND!, Allen steak & egg meal)
• St. Peter's Basilica - toured & took photos (obelisk & St. Peter's Basilica)
  
  
  TEMPLVM VATICANVM
  (on wall inside basilica)
  
  
  Pietà by Michelangelo in St. Peter's
  
  
  Tombs beneath St. Peter's Basilica
  
  
• Back to USO to pick up items
  Left our shopping finds there instead of schlepping them all over Rome.
  
• Shopped at gift shop (gifts for family/friends - rosaries for Jeanne, etc.)
• Trevi Fountain - threw coins & took photos
  
  
  Throwing coins over shoulders
  
  
  Fontana di Trevi - beautiful fountain!
  
  
• Byzantine Tower Obelisk - "Column of Marcus Auraleus" - St. Paul on the top
  
  
  Column of Marcus Aurelius
  
  
• Walked by Parliament - lots of media & security outside. Later learned a suicide bomber blew up the Italian security (?) office in Iraq!
• Saw Pantheon & Mom sat at small restaurant (outside) & waited at table while Allen & I toured & took pictures inside the Pantheon.
  
  
  Pantheon
  
  
  Tomb in Pantheon
  
  
  Madonna & Child
  
  
• Discovered the jewelry shop down street where purchased anniversary gift (needed brand new battery for final delivery, merchant went out to get one - store closed so he agreed to deliver 11/13 with reduced price.)
  The merchant, Bertini & De Matteis, was actually called an "Orafi e Argentieri". His son did all of the legwork in finding a watch battery by running all over Rome. This kind of customer service was shocking to me - they treated my purchase like it was the most important sale of the week!
  
• Walked by the Piazza de Venezia ("Wedding Cake" - white) where we saw the guards outside the "tomb of the unknown soldier"
• Took Metro to McDonald's (dinner)
• Back to hotel - shower/sleep

Tomorrow: Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

November 11th, 2003: Rome

And now my world gets even bigger as we head to none other than ROME, ITALY. Still pinching myself! As before, original journal in text with comments italicized below:
(click photos to view)

Tues, 11/11/03

• Metro train to Verona
• Eurostar to Rome
  
  
  Ready to board Eurostar
  
  
• In Rome, took wrong turn getting off underground metro (like subway)
• Allen (Dad) called USO & we found our way after meandering thru city
  The USO was such an incredible resource for us during our visit. Those people are saints.
  
• Mom & I were annoyed and felt ridiculous but no one noticed (too many tourists)
  We were clueless but grateful not to be the only ones. You can't look "lost" in a sea of tourists.
  
• At hotel - unloaded (I grabbed swch & snacks)
  
  
  Standing on hotel steps - swanky!
  
  
• Walked back to main plaza, people watched & window shopped
• Bus to Piazza Venecia
• Next bus - Colosseum & Forum
• Dinner at "Al Gladiatore" in front of Colosseum (Rocco entertained us!)
  
  Italian wine at Al Gladiatore
  
  
  Rocco, my new Italian host friend
  
  
  Posing w/Italian waitress
  
  
• Walked around side of Colosseum & by Forum
  
  
  Colosseum in darkness
  
  
• Metro back to main plaza
• Returned to hotel & called hubs before crashing for the night

Coming up: Pope John Paul II and St. Peter's Basilica - a definite doozy.