AntiquaRoma Rome

... continues as to who won.

Rome is an amusing background for pop culture, a role it has played for 25 centuries. Spectacles in the Colloseum included wild animals and exotic, though unwilling, people from all parts of Europe and Africa. Mussolini made culture a key part of his political agenda, striking deals to save treasures even as he fled for his life at the end of the war. Berlusconi has managed to balance the most stable ...

... had said that they wanted to do some laundry and so did we, so we agreed to meet in reception and get it organized. We were exhausted and it was already 9:15pm but we knew it would be better to get it done and out of the way.

Witek and I got downstairs first and I found a flyer for a Laundromat and took it to reception to ask for directions. This is when I discovered that not only was there no internet at this place but they had the most unknowledgeable staff I have encountered ...

Civiatecchia (Rome) Italy

Hotel Mediterranean fronted the Mediterranean Sea and we enjoyed beautiful beaches and sunsets before boarding the ship. We met one lady in the café where we stopped for a snack and she asked us to take a wedding gift to her daughter who was on the ship as her husband had fallen in the shower and sprained/broken his ankle and would they would not be joining the cruise, but heading back to Seattle. She was ...

... of writing to do tonight. But its only me and a family up on the mountain so I have tons of time and no excuses. Facebook chat has even let me down, so I cant use that to procrastinate. Just a carrot, a bottle of water, and the thought that my hands are going to be swollen in a few hours... The next morning, Dylan was feeling a little better and it was time to go see the city. On his last voyage to Rome, he had said that he had skipped alot of ...

... headed off to Amelia to begin the cooking course. Wednesday off to see the St. Pietro basillica. Maddi told us that we must climb the domo so we did opting for the cheaper climb and not using the elevator. Wow not only a lot of stairs but they become angled and narrow as you get to the top. Inside the view of the bassilica from the dome is well worth the climb. After seeing the inside we headed up yet more stairs to get the outside ...

... taking a picture of a Roman Gladiator on the sly, and for some reason it ended up being my butt. I made her delete it. Mom and Dad just got back from the audience with the Pope, and they forgot to take a camera. The funny part is how we depend on dad to wake us up. We slept until 11:30 without him. Brandon has covered all kinds of ground here looking for the best exchange rate for his dollars. He finally found one yesterday, and the Euro dropped in value today.

... then the next day we slept late and then headed to the Vatican. We went into St. Peters and climbed to the top and saw a great view. ROme is huge. Then we went to the Colussieum but did not go in because we both had been in there. We sat on top of a hill and took pictures of each other and the sights around. There is where we met Steve, our new American friend for the night! We talked with him for awhile and then went to go have ...

... last bar we were dancing and it was a club. After the club was closing, some of the people on the crawl asked us if we wanted to hang out at their place. Marty and I said sure. We were walking back to their place, and then for no reason, I just decided that they had no idea where they were going (even though they live here). So I broke off from the group and decided to walk on my own (wonderful idea). I am completely lost and have no idea where I am. I cross the Tiber River ...

... as the pictures show I hope. All around the church there are huge stained glass windows which are unbelievably detailed. The church contains one of the nails used to attach Mr Christ to the cross, allegedly!!!! Once a year in september they lower a cross from the ceiling with a certain winch made my Mr Da Vinci himself. Blah, Blah. Anyway, after the Duomo ...

... then you sit on teh bus and think "I wonder how I'll know where to get off". Unlike railway stations, there are no helpful signs to tell you where you are, so you have to try to follow the a street map and glean clues from the surrounding area. So, we sat on the bus to the Vatican and debated what to look out for. Obviously, if you spot the Vatican itself, that's the kind of top ...