A YEAR IN MY LIFE ( or 3 ): May 2007

Easter Sunday found me touching down at the Ciampina Airport in Rome. One of the most religious cities in the world and i arrived on probably the busiest day of the year! The double decker shuttle bus was packed, people sitting on the stairs and standing in the isles. The first thing that i noticed while entering town was the amount of graffiti. Every where that one could touch was covered. I thought we were just going through a bad part of the city, ha, i was wrong. Even on the nicest streets in the city. Thank god they do have some respect and don't touch the ancient ruins. It is also a very dirty city but you start to over look that as you are marvelling at everything else.

I knew that the B&B was close to the Colosseum, so after i unpacked my bags, i headed out to find it. I was a bit shocked when i got one block and looked down a side street and there it was. I spent the evening just wandering and being it awe. Found a little tattoria on a cobbled side street and had dinner. Next day found me up bright and early to go to the Colosseum. I new it opened at 9am so got there a little before. I couldn't believe the amount of people already there, well over 6-7 hundred I'd say. But once inside, you didn't notice. I rented an electronic tour guide but half the time i realized i was listening to the wrong thing in the wrong place so gave up on that and just wandered. Next was Palatine Hill. Rome consists of 7 hills and there was usually a villa on each one, owned by the most wealthy families. Underground tunnels every where to get servants places without being seen and more than likely for romantic trysts! Even in the tunnels there were frescoes, carvings and bass relief. Wondering the Roman Forum was next!

Went back to my place to put my feet up for a few hours and then it was off again to see the Piazza di Spagna (spanish steps) and the Fontana di Trevi. It was a beautiful evening but some how i picked up a tag-a-long. I guy stopped me for directions to the spanish steps and before i knew it, he was walking with me and kept me company for an hour. Finally shook him and went on my way! Had to rest up as the next day was SHOPPING!

The Vatican was also on my agenda, so Thursday morn i hopped a bus to get there. I was warned that the line ups were long and to not have bare shoulders or knees or you wouldn't get in! And i thought there were a lot of people at the Colosseum. Thousands and thousands, i que in, scanned, searched and padded down to find out that i wasn't in the line up for the Sistine Chapel or museums! All these people were waiting to to the Pope! I didn't stick around, found the other lineup for what i wanted. Started talking to a couple in the line-up from Australia, so stuck with them and before we knew it we snitched in on a private tour of the Sistine chapel etc...what luck. Now that line-up was over an hour long, over a km long and moving very slow! Glad i had the tour guide as it would have been very mind boggling with out one. what am i saying, it was still mind boggling with one. The Sistine was the last place you entered after about 2 hours of other painting and no pictures allowed inside!!! It was like a can of sardines, you just went with the flow and hoped you got out the other end.

Met up later that night for dinner with the couple that i met at the Vatican. We sat beside an older Italian couple and between no Italian or English but a little bit of french all around and charades, we had a great time. They bought us grappa, they cheered when i downed it in one go. It's very strong stuff! They were trying to set me up with their son and wanting to know why at 40 (?) i was not married. This was said in Italian and i swear the whole restaurant turned around and stared at me! I was so embarrassed!

Had an early bus to catch in the morn for Pompeii! This was a splurge for me and i am so glad that i did it! It was a three hour bus ride to Pompeii with a stop in Naples. Once in Pompeii city, we stopped at an outdoor restaurant for lunch under a wisteria that they say was over a 100 years old. Then it was to a Cameo making studio and finally the ruins. It was a bout a 3 hour guided tour and it was fantastic! Hard to imagine that the frescoes were from the 3rd century BC. They are still vivid in color, almost every room in every villa had them. Went to the House of Ill repute, couldn't imagine being in there long with beds carved out of stone and stone pillows! Frescoes were above each room depicting different scenes, almost like a menu! The bakeries were all grouped together and the old grinding stones mills were still there. It is said that 12 loaves of bread were found in one of the brick ovens during excavation. Back on the bus and back to my B&B at 9pm where the owners greeted my with a bottle of champagne! To tired to drink it, hit the hay and zonked out.

Flew home next morning at 10am.

The Colosseum