30th October Rome

Today we woke up to the most glorious day in Rome. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. We were all very excited to spend the day futher exploring this ancient city with all its treasures. One of the advantages I have enjoyed from being on the Trafalgar tour is that entry into many of the sights is booked and on more than one occasion we are the very first to visit a site in the morning ahead of many other groups and individual tourists. There are wall to wall tourists here and it has been great to avoid the crush of the crowds. Today I was extremely grateful for this advantage because I really wanted to be able to enjoy the Vatican and Sistine Chapel without wall to wall people. We were walked through the magnificent corridors of the Vatican Museums which are home to some of the most incredible examples of Renaissance works of art. Cynthia took us outside to a couple of boards which had pictures of the Sistine Chapel. She pointed ot what we were going to see before we got in there because explaining it while we were inside it too difficult...then in we went! Wow! Wow! Wow! What an amazing and mammoth piece of work by Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV in 1475 and was designed to be the pope's chapel and the site of papal elections. It is still uses for papal elections today. Michelangelo was working on sculptures for the pope's own tomb when he was asked paint the chapel. He was not happy about this because he insisted that he was a sculptor not a painter and didn't want to paint frescoes. However, as a result of his love of the human body and his skills in sculpting, the depictions of the human bodies in the Sistine chapel are spectacular...even though the females have muscles like the men! My favourite part was definetley the creation of man. How he stood and painted that ceiling is incredible, the strain must have been torture! All I really wanted to do was lay down on the floor and look up! The 'Last Judgement' is a large frescoe on the altar wall and Michelangelo did this work when he was in his 60's. He painted many of the figures in the Sistine Chapel nude, but these were later covered up by another artist at the request of the pope. Restoration work in the Sistine Chapel has now uncovered some of these 'cover ups' so people can see what Michelangelo had intended. Next we walked into St Peter's Basilica. What an awesome moment, to actually be in St Peter's, the home of Pope's throughout the centuries. St Peter's Basilica stands on the traditional site where St Peter was crucified and buried. His tomb is under the main altar and many other pope's are buried in the basilica as well. We were first taken to see Michelangelo's sculpture 'Pieta', it was so beautiful, his love of sculpting is very evident in the beauty of his work. This sculpture depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of is mother Mary after the crucifixion. The interesting thing about the sculture is that the face of Mary is of a young woman, not the face of a woman who is the mother of a 33 year old man. Michelangelo's mother died when he was a young boy, and the face of Mary in this sculpture is said to have been the image of his own mother. We then spent some time walking around and absorbing the atmosphere inside the Basilica. We then walked out into St Peter's square. I could only imagine what it would have been like crowded full of people on the day Mary MacKillop was pronounced a Saint...it gave me goosebumps! The surrounding columns in the square give the impression of welcoming, open arms. All of us, religious or not, felt the specialness of this place. 

Next we stopped for a quick bite for lunch before heading to the Colosseum. Firtst we stopped at the Arch of Constantine to take our group photo. The Arch of Constantine is a large triumphal arch next to the Colosseum. It is religiously significant because it commemorates the battle that led the Emperor Constantine to convert to Christianity. Then we enered the spectacular Colosseum. It was built in the 1st century AD and this great arena could seat 45 000 spectators. It hosted gladiatorial combats, spectacles with wild beasts and probably the execution of early Christians. During the Middle Ages it was believed to have been the place of martyrdom and therefore was considred a sacred place. The enormity of this structure blows your mind. How they constructed these place is unbelievable! I bought a book at a stand outside that shows pictures of what it looks like now and then has an overlay of what it looked liked then...it would have been amazing. 

Tonight we went off to an optional dinner in Rome. It was a great night of entertainment and fun. We drank wine, ate pasta, I chose the fish for a main and had gelato and fruit for dessert. During dinner we were entertained by a singing guitar player and flautist. The real entertainment however was the amorous Italian waiter! Some members of our group received their pasta dish on a special silver plate (I had a normal plate despite my groups efforts at trying to steal my plate), and if you were one of the 'lucky' ones you got a 'kiss' from the waiter...it was much more than just a kiss though...some didn't come up for air for a very long time!!! I still got a kiss from the waiter ;) Then it was time for some singing. Patrick began by singing a Welsh rugby song, then some of the others got up and said jokes, poems, and sang some songs. It was lots of fun! At the end of the night we received a rose each...I got a few more than most ;)...and a few kisses from the waiter...on the cheek of course. One of the other waiters did offer to come home with me though ;)

29th October Sorrento, Isle of Capri & Rome

This morning we were meant to be heading to the Isle of Capri by ferry and then returning to Naples by ferry after our island excursion. It has been raining and the seas were very rough, so rough that they had cancelled all ferry's going to Naples and at 7am in the morning they had also cancelled the ferry from Sorrento, which meant that we were not going to Capri. Patrick got word that the ferry from Sorrento was operating again, so we headed down to the port to attempt to catch the ferry. The seas looked quite rough and some waves even crashed over the dock where we were waiting. Then it started to bucket down rain, so we ran to shelter in a nearby cafe. My 'second' or it could even be my 'third'...I've lost count...umbrella died. I am not having ANY luck with umbrellas...thank God for the Rainbird jacket!!! We finally got the all clear to board the ferry but as we were trying to get to it many people got their feet wet as water from the sea was lapping over the walkways as well as the rain tumbling down from above. We headed upstairs but the seats out the back of the ferry were wet so a group of us headed inside, there were also a group of high school kids in there with us. So off the ferry went across to Capri. The waves were HUGE and the boat rocked and swayed and lurched from side to side, up and down over the waves. Then one of the workers on the boat started handing out plastic bags!!!!! At one point the engine cut out and we were tossed around over the waves like a cork bobbing on the water, many of us were a little worried at that point, we thought we were going to need the life jackets!!! Then the engine started up again and off we went...tossed around again...then the kids started looking VERY green!!! Next thing you know they were all throwing up into their plastic bags...so we got out of there and headed for the fresh air out the back of the boat. It took quite a lot of negotiating just to get out the back of the boat as we were still being tossed around. A few people from our group were also VERY ill and needed the plastic bags and bin!!! I wasn't sick...but boy was I relieved when we got ashore!!!! 

Just like has happened on most of our trip, the rain clears as we arrive for our walk. The Isle of Capri was beautiful and it it quite obvious why many celebrities like to come here. We were supposed to go on an optional 'relaxing' cruise around the island to see the spectacular cliffs and the turquoise coloured waters...no chance were we getting on another boat at that point...we were happy viewing the cliffs and water from the steady ground thank you very much...and there was NOTHING relaxing about the water around Capri today, so all of those cruises were cancelled. We went for a walk up to the Augustus gardens and had the most beautiful view of the cliffs. We then reluctantly boarded the ferry back to Sorrento to meet the bus before heading to Rome. Thankfully the sea was MUCH calmer on the way back and the trip was not nearly as long. We boarded our bus and headed for Rome.

By the time we arrived in Rome the sun was going down. We met our fabulous guide Cynthia...pronounced Chinthia...and began a walking tour through Rome. She took us to see the Spanish steps. This is the widest staircase in Italy and consists of 138 steps linking the Bourbon Spanish Embassy and the Trinita dei Monti church located above to the Holy See in Palazzo Monaldeschi located below. Next stop was the Trevi fountain. You throw your coin/s with your right hand over your left shoulder across your heart. They say you should throw one coin if you want to return to Rome, two coins if you want to marry, three coins if you want a divorce and four coins if you want to get rid of the mother-in-law! There were lots of people making wishes tonight! Next we headed for the spectacular Pantheon. This building was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome and was rebuilt in 126AD by Emperor Hadrian. It is a circular building with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns. Inside, there is a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky which after almost 2000 years, the Pantheons dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Since the 7th century the Pantheon has been used as a Roma Catholic church dedicated to St Mary and the Martyrs. We were taken to Piazza Navona where suggestions were made for dinner. A group of us headed to have Pizza, I shared a seafood pizza accompanied with a lovely Chianti Classico. We were told of a delicious dessert called Tartufo, a chocolate gelato dessert...when in Rome....so we all ordered one...no sharing! It is made of two or more flavours of ice-cream with either fruit syrup of frozen fruit (usually raspberry, strawberry or cherry) in the centre. It is then covered in a shell made of chocolate. You could tell it was delicious because while we were eating, there was silence! On our way back to the bus before heading to the hotel we stopped for a glimpse of St Peter's Basilica which was lit up...breathtaking. I am so looking forward to going there tomorrow.

28th October Pompeii & Sorrento

Today on the bus we watched a documentary about Monte Cassino as we headed towards the Bay of Naples. Patrick has shown us a few DVD's along the way to give us a deeper insight into some of the sights we see. While it gives us new knowledge it's also been great to pass the time on the bus...although many have commented that they haven't seen the end of one documentary yet as we tend to be asleep by the end of it!!! The weather today was gloomy looking as we approached Pompeii, although while it tends to rain while we are on the bus, it usually clears by the time we get out to have a look around and today was no exception. In Pompeii we met our guide who took us through this amazing city at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and revealed to us the unique history of this 'petrified' Roman town. Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, covering Pompeii in a layer of volcanic ash, where it lay undiscovered for centuries. It was not like nearby Herculaneum which was covered in a thick layer of volcanic material which solidified into extremely hard stone. This has meant that the city of Pompeii has remained intact until the present day, not only as far as its buildings are concerned, but also in regard to the contents inside the houses and shops which provide a fascinating picture of daily life. I was outside one of the buildings talking to Margaret and didn't hear what the building was we were lining up to see. When I walked in I saw some pictures above the door so started taking some photos...I got a shock when I zoomed in...and then realised where I was!!!! I was amazed at how much excavation has been done on this site to reveal so much of this buried city. Many of the artefacts and bodies however are now located in a museum in Naples. This afternoon we checked in at our "5 star hotel" in Sorrento, it is VERY beautiful! Then we boarded a couple of smaller buses and drove along the Amalfi coast, taking a few picture stops along the way and then we stopped in Positano for a nice glass of red wine...or gelato, whichever you preferred. Then it was back to the hotel for the night.

27th October Assisi

This morning I heard an alarm sound but I was so tired I ignored it and hoped it wasn't the fire alarm or an invasion!!! Turns out it was an alarm to warn the people of Venice that the water was rising and to expect flooding! Gian Carlos left with the bus and our luggage about 6am and we left about 7:45am by boat. When we boarded the boat, the captain was not sure we were actually going to make it under the bridge and make our way out to the open water. Luckily we did make it...turns out the fact that we have all been eating too much was an advantage today! As we made our way closer to Venice we could see the water was already level with the walkways and high tide was not due to peak until 10am. The water was expected to be so high today that no-one would have been able to visit St Mark's square. Once again, the bad weather seems to arrive AFTER we have, we really have been so lucky!!! 

When we finally got to the Trafalgar bus we travelled south to the beautiful town of Assisi located on the slopes of Mount Subasio. We drove past the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels which is much venerated as the place of St Francis' death on the 3rd October,1226. We then drove up to Assisi and did a walking tour of the town. We had a little free time (not enough) to have a quick look at the shops and buy a gelato, then we headed towards St Francis' Basilica. The bi-level basilica is quite grandiose considering it was built to honour a man who preached and lived a simple life of poverty and abstinence. It is a major place of pilgrimage and a place that both believers and art lovers enjoy. I found it to be an incredibly peaceful place and apparently there is very little crime. Patrick said that on a previous tour one of their group had accidently left their hand luggage by the side of the road and when he went back to get it a couple of hours later it was still there. 

We first took some photos outside the bascilica which has a plain facade and is Romanesque in style. It was incredibly beautiful looking out to the lower areas around Assisi from in front of the Basilica. Inside the upper level church, which is an example of Italian Gothic style, it was light, airy and filled with colour. Giotto painted frescoes of the 'Legend of St Francis', which are based on stories recorded by St Bonaventure. They were beautiful. Next we went down to the lower church which was actually built first. It is dimly lit and also contains frescoes by artists of the early Sienise school and depict St Francis' life in parrallel with the life of Christ. In 1818 the tomb of St Francis was rediscovered beneath the high altar. It had remained hidden for almst 600 years and the amazing thing was that the skeleton of St Francis was completely intact, a rare thing for such a popular saint.  A crypt was then built around the burial place which we were able to see. The region of Umbria was hit by a strong earthquake in September 1997 which damaged several churches in Assisi, the most damaged was actually the basilica and four people were killed. Frescoes by Cimabue were destroyed and Giotti's 'Life of St Francis' frescoes were damaged. The basilica was the first building in Assisi restored after the earthquake, demonstrating the importance of this building to the people of Assisi. We were given the option to stay in Assisi or make our own way back to the hotel...I decided to go back to the hotel because if I had stayed I was worried I'd never leave Assisi!!!!