The Adventure Continues….

Whew! Our trip to Sorrento and Amalfi was a whirlwind three days!
Upon this trip's heels, we headed back to Eternal CIty of Rome to celebrate Thanksgiving with Steve’s wonderful mother, Nickie, who was flying in to meet us. We jumped on two trains (both delayed) to hurry back to Rome to meet Nickie on Wednesday, November 22. However, although we expected her to already be at the hotel when we arrived, we discovered she was instead in Newfoundland, Canada! (Her flight had engine problems over the Atlantic and was diverted to St. John's). Our next 16 hours were partially spent tracking Nickie down and attempting to communicate with her. Eventually, a new plane was delivered to the hinterlands and her flight arrived in Rome about 20 hours late, on Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning. We had much to be grateful for, once Nickie was safely with us:) By the way, we had an excellent Italian dinner and wine for Thanksgiving dinner ( We haven't seen a turkey since we arrived in Europe).

Our nicely located, boutique hotel in Rome was a great referal from our friends Linda and Gordon Powell. (Thank you L & G.) We were within walking distance of St. Peter's Square, Piazza Navona, Campo de Fiori, the Pantheon, Via Coronari, and the Monti and Trastevere neighborhoods. Over the next seven days, the three of us
walked a brisk 40 miles, visiting the aforementioned neighborhoods, as well as the Coloseum, the Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Piazza Barberini, and the Trevi Fountain. Our museum stops included`Palazzo Doria-Panfilllij, the “Underground” Piazza Navona, which featured ruins of a Roman stadium (think Olympic sports) , and also a visit to the church of St. Louis of Francese to see three famous Carvaggio paintings. (Thanks to Mike Judy for the tip!)

However, our highlight was a 3-hour guided tour of the Coloseum, Forum and Palatine hill with Renata from City Wonders Tours. Did you know the word "Palace" comes from Palatine Hill where the Roman emperors built several palaces? This was just one tidbit of many that Renata shared with us. (For example, Julius Caesar was murdered about 3 miles from the Roman Forum, but he was cremated there, and still to this day on the Ides of March (March 15), there is a pagan celebration at the site of his cremation).

Of course, Ancient Rome can be experienced in a myriad of unexpected places and by simply walking down almost any street. (We had a awesome fountain on our street that was made from a recycled Roman sarcophagus (coffin)). In 50 A.D. over 1 million people habitated the city, which is huge for a city of that era. The current city has 4.3 million and consists of fountains, churches and other edifices that were built from “recycled” Roman granite, limestone and marble. It truly is a living city, and has never stopped being one... therefore reverence for the old is a fairly modern invention. How do you honor both the ancient and the living? In Rome, this is a complex question, as the train line is currently being built alongside the Coliseum to serve living Romans.

Probably the most spectacular building in Rome is the Pantheon. A powerful statement of engineering expertise, even today, it never fails to awe. Each and every time the corner is turned, and it comes into view, my breath was taken away.

Our Take: If at all possible, everyone should experience Rome at least once in a lifetime. It is a magical place where history still competes with the living.