The eternal city!

Trip Start Apr 28, 2012

Trip End Jun 06, 2012

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Flag of Italy Rome, Lazio, Italy
Saturday, May 12, 2012

After leaving Venice, we made our way down through Italy to Rome. It is a city of 5 million people so from the outskirts is nothing more than a really big city. But when you start driving around, that is where the differneces lie. Everywhere you look there are Roman ruins right beside a 4 story apartement. Rome is a very neat place that way. In some cases the new is built on top of or adjacent to something 2000 years old!!
And the drivers and the traffic is as bad as they say. Motor scooters zipping in and out of traffic, and onto sidewalks and cars doing their best to follow them. Yikes.

We started by seeing Vatican city. There are no words for this place. The artifacts, the sculptures, the tapestries just are everywhere and each of them are beautiful and amazing. We then entered the Sistine Chapel

Vatican

Comments!

. Couldn`t take photos inside, but then they wouldn`t give the feeling you have standing under the ceiling.

From there it was onto to St Peter - the largest church in the world. One word, yup. We walked 200 yards into it, and could only get half way as there was a mass going on in the other 2/3 of the church !
The square is huge with the church and the vatican dominating the edges.

After leaving there, we walked to the Colosseum in 30 degree heat. But it was well worth it. A walk to the Forum was next to see more ruins, then off to the Parthenon. This place is 1900 years old, but looks exactly like it was when built. And it is massive!! The dome was something like 40 meters across. We finally made it back to the coach, after taking in the Spanish Steps - hot, dirty and tired. But would not have missed a minute.
Tomorrow is off to Tuscany.

Ken

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