Photos: Snapshots of Rome

Italian policeman on the street; in the Colosseum at day's end.

Victor Emmanuel statue/monument; St Paul outside the walls.

Coin toss into Fountain of Trevi; fountain in St Peter's square.

St Peter's Square; Creation of Adam ceiling frescoe, Sistine Chapel.

Putti abound in the Vatican museum; The Holy Spirit alights.

The Wonders of Rome

My first journal entry: "Dianne's birthday!" A toast to my lovely sister en ausencia.

Much like sitting in a theater watching an action-packed movie, Rome registers in my mind as mesmerizing sequences of flickering visuals. Was I watching from the sidelines or really, a participant?

We began our tour at the Vatican museum (organizing the masses? they've got it down pat!) The beauty of the frescoes, the harmony of sculpture - seemingly, every inch of wall, ceiling, door & floor, a canvas palette potential. Stories of the Bible coming alive as we walk, mouth agape. And, what can possibly be said about "The Sistine Chapel" that hasn't already had comment? Grace & Beauty in delicate brushstrokes everywhere you look.

St Peter's is amazing: the expanse, the stained glass, gilded work, marble, opulence & sense of holiness, timeliness is inescapable. We received special permission to go under the Basilica to the Vatican Necropolis, aka "Scavi". Incredible! Secret excavations starting in 1939, gradually revealed that St Peter's bones are actually buried here, which we were able to see!

The next day, a city bus tour gave us a sense of Rome at rapid speed. I was comforted to note Victor Emmanuel (1st king of Italy after unification) is still charging on his steed in front of his "wedding cake" memorial monument. Of course, we tossed coins in The Fountain of Trevi, gawked at the architecturally perfect splendor of the 120 a.d. Pantheon, period columns, ancient rubble & unaffected city life in constant motion. Visiting St Paul outside the Walls was the obvious conclusion to our tour - a beautifully reconstructed version/embellished after fire damaged most of the structure in the early 19th c. Seeing the Colosseum by early evening light was such a visual delight, the golden sunlight emphasizing the splendor of that massive arena.

Our last team meal together -- the team leaves for home early tomorrow am.

Photos: the Ruins of Pompeii

A stone face of Pompeii by Steve; life among the ruins.

Pompeii street scenes - can you hear the archaic whispers?

Photos: Ancient Corinth

Temple of Apollo in Corinth; Steve's pix, a ferry sunset.

Fountain of Peirene; head of Dionysus mosaic, Corinth.

A Cruisin' Birthday!

After a quick stop at ancient, now rubbled, Corinth, our imagination in tow, we boarded the super-fast (ferry) to Bari, Italy. Cabins were sparkly clean, nicely presented & with only a little cabin switcheroo imitation of the proverbial "Chinese fire drill", we headed for a well organized on-board group dinner that was actually pretty darn good. Steve devised a personal delivery of a birthday treat of a yummy chocolate dessert, oh, yes, & milk of course to wash it down. How sweet!

We arrive in Bari the next am, in time to snuggle up to Pompeii columns around noon. I hadn't remembered how the city had encroached upon the walls around the ruins when I was there so many years ago but once inside, the erosion of time brought the town to life. Can you feel the townspeople rush about their daily tasks, long robes swish through the streets as they hasten to buy their goods, kids chase each other, play games, wooden carts clap down the cobbled streets? A different time was 79AD; & same as now too... Maybe I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to hear another rumble from Mt Vesuvius. The first real rain was short lived; sun gleaming on puddles, created a musty smell inside the concrete structures, adding to the atrophy of the ages.

Rome: our final destination tonite.