Hotel Sirene Tivoli

... Renaissance, Papal collections, Cardinal collections, Family Collections, Modern, Contemporary, Pasta, Archaeological, Catacombs, and Literary. About 40 major museums, not counting …

the Vatican Museums – acquisitions and commissions enabled by indescribable, sustained wealth and power. Nothing else like it, beyond financial measure. 6 square foot Raphael paintings sell for $50 million. He painted something like 6 ...

... too because the vineyard owner was actually there with us. Once the tasting was over we returned to our apartment to get ready for a small social we decided to host for three of the programs out here, CAS, IPN, and HDFS. That was a blast and I realized that I'm pretty good at tying togas for people lol. It was great being able to meet everyone in all the programs that we hang out with out here. I'm pretty sure we will have to do more things like that in the future.

... orienteering help but just vaguely pointed upwards to Podera de Casi. No doubt just keeping an eye on his neighbourhood. After a few tests we are now convinced that their coffee is undrinkable - pours black - looking and tasting like it has been boiling for hours. But their cappuccinos are excellent - so the switch has been easy. The problem with walking all day is that there is little time or energy to explore the towns ...

... Rome felt the pressure to paint or sculpt "like Michelangelo." They feared they would not find work if they could not produce the same type of stuff. Even to the point that they clambered to copy his muscular, manly female forms. They figured, if it's good enough for Michelangelo, it's good enough for us! 4. I want a porphyry bathtub. Do they make them for non-Popes? Actually, I don't think it would fit in our apartment ...

... Earth Mother, another of tufa-pyramids covered in moss. There was a lovely view across several fish ponds, surrounded by pots of yellow tulips and daffodils, towards the high-reaching geysers of the Neptune Fountain. All this was particularly lovely, given our sunny, warm day. The last spot - not really a fountain - had painted bronze birds. Water pushed through a mechanism created whistling bird sounds. Then, when a mechanical owl appears, the whistling stopped. Although the ...

... I took a circuitous route, thinking I'd find something closer to the port, but didn't, finally ending up back on the Rambla. I just went into the first decent looking joint on the strip, paid too much for a crumby room and decided I needed a beer before bed. There was no mini-bar, but the restaurant next door happily provided me a couple of cans off-sale. The next day, having been feeling the effects of all the eating and drinking I'd been enjoying, I was resolved to go for a run ...

... is new and some what exciting here, Rome has had beautiful weather, the first 2 days had a little rain but since then it's been gorgeous and like the title says, my pasty white skin is getting some color, well face and arms anyways. Hey guess what I come home in 28 days, isn't that weird? The time has gone by SO quickly. Oh and Ashley and Amanda is you could email me and tell me what's actually worth seeing and going into, as I have NO idea, mainly the Colosseum I'm asking about, grazie ;). Ciao!

Sunday afternoon, I took the train back to Rome and then barely made my flight to Athens. The train ride back to Rome was very different than the ride there. It was pretty crowded, mostly with younger people, who I presumed lived in Rome but had been visiting their family in Abruzzo for the weekend.

... so i noticed everyone doing it, but I never caught on and didn't pack some food for later. dooohh! We then departed for the Villa of Adriana or Hadrians Villa. I don't know why different countries change the names of certain monuments, it's crazy and confusing at the same time. This monument was the final checklist item off of the Arch History of Italy. it was a cool ...

... eavesdrop on an American guide explaining about the religious stories told in the mosaics for a few minutes. But the mosaics speak for themselves. The floor is tiled in a Muslim style. The bright, detailed mosaics are everywhere, even covering the window arches. The famous bronze Ghiberti doors that hang on the baptistry are not the originals. They are in the Museum. The doors are considered to be the first great works of Renaissance art. Deep relief creates a true three ...