Well we did it all...I think...

Beautiful Vase Sistine Chapel one of the things I could get close to

not avery good picture but this gives you a idea



Map room Sistine Chapel



Inside the S. Maria d. Angeli

Church was designed by Micheal Angelo at the age of 86 if you would like to find out more here is the wikipidia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_degli_Angeli_e_dei_Martiri

Ciao from  Rome

Well our great adventure has wound down. Yesterday we took another trip to the Vatican, and the Vatican museum only standing in line for 25 minutes to get in. Then off we went to see the Sistine Chapel ....Oh! you guys there were so many people we were packed like sardines only upright shuffling along in little tiny steps....I wanted to throw up, it was so hot. I kept thinking we sure did our penance ...It was almost impossible to see anything except the persons beside behind in front or back...What a joke Ha! Ha! Ha!  We treated ourselves to a big meal and two glasses of wine each Ha! Today we headed out around 9 am for the St. Maria d. Angeli Church next the Baths of Diocletian's and the National Museum of Rome all in the same area...about a hours walk in 78 degree temps...the Church was cool mmmm! and hardly anyone in it, the Baths...Ha! well they were in ruins :) the Museum was also cool and oh so beautiful, and hardly anyone there...we loved it all. On the way home we stopped at our favorite restaurant and had overpriced tossed salad @ 7.50 euro (you heard me) and we shared a lovely pizza and a bottle of mineral water...then back to our Hotel which was once more staked out by protesters...and would you believe 4 hours later they are still chanting, shouting and in general getting on my nerves....OK here we are back at the Hotel from a walk about...we brought back a lovely Italian Pastry filled with raisins and ???and pine nuts on top...mmmm! and a bottle of nice cold wine would you believe the protesters are still at it...well folks thats about it  over and out for now

Walked miles and miles in these shoes

Beautiful Church's at every turn

Looking at you

Hmmmmm!

We liked this car....tiny

Vatican museum

Go get him Brutus

Rod learned how to like wine

Hey! Kids...Well fro crying out loud our feet are tired our hips are sore, but our tummies are full... Rod says only 8miles maybe 10...feels like 50 ha! Met a lovley young lady who showed us the way to the Sistine Chapel ..Oh! My so amny people filing through honestly you could not even get a good look..should have gone in March :)

Sunday Mass at San Luigi Dei Francesi

We started out this morning thinking of going to the Pantheon, when we spotted San Luigi Dei Francesi, in front were a large group of gentlemen lined up get their Photos done they all had the same suites hats and red sort of cloths hanging down from there waists...Then they all filed into the church along with all the peoplewho were milling about, so Rod said should we go see and I said yes...The Church is beautiful, and we wandered around more people kept coming in and sat down. The group of men started singing, not whole songs but like they were tuning up. We thought lets stay and hear them sing, we sat we waited a while and then it began a Full one and a half hour Mass in French it was fasinating and beautiful at the same time and when they began to sing I cried the sound in that church was unbelievable, I hope you all enjoy this video..The time flew by and soon all the preists and attendents filed out...Fantastic experiance. We then went ot a very  over priced lunch in a resturant in the Piazza Navona would you believe 89.00 euro for water (still) glass of white house wine, Spaghetti and meatsauce, cheeseburger and fries, two Coffee, and two tiramasu ...I kept sayin "In for a penny in for a pound" Ha! Then off we went to find the Pantheon, and a few other places before arriving back at the Hotel around 5pm...hot hot day...but we just had a lovley downpour and thunder storm....We are going to head out for a walk once I get this video downloaded ..So no video....I have a very hard time downloading videos on the blog so it is on facebook for those who want to have  a look..well we made up for the expensive lunch by getting take out of  pork sanwhiches a bottle of wine the nice man opened for us and a coke for just under 18 euro ...Poured rain, went for a walk hotter then you know what 30 in our room and no AC, apparently they can not turn it on until June bloody!!H!!! ah! well 

What the heck

well we started out with a great breakfast on the terrace atop the hotel...Like every other morning. Then a combination  bus ride and walk to Domus Agustana from the first century AD next to the Colosseum that took us about 2 and a half hours . Then we had lunch good stuff. then we walked to the Santa Marie Maracoeli we climbed 122 steps to the top and there was a wedding going on no entrance...What the heck. Then we got on the Christina hop on hop off bus and rode it around once. We decided to go to Bourghese Museum walking of course oh! blood heck it was so dam hot...it took us about 80 minutes ....through crowds you would not be leave ...go to Rome in march ha!!! Well we got to the Park (Bourghase) and it was like a circus honestly a circus!!!! Kind of mesmerizing though.We finally arrived at the museum and would you believe they were sold out until Tuesday...you don't believe it right well we sure were bamboozled ...then we set off home again it was now 4:30 pm and hot!!!! We arrived at the Spanish steps...again there were at least a zillion people there ...We stopped for our dinner and a bottle of well deserved Red around 5:30 it is now 8:00pm and I am ready for bed Ha!  things I learned today ...Where else can you get a$300. bottle of wine and watch garbage trucks go by..? Rome...no ours was $25.00 Note to self check pants to make sure ones fly is up before you walk a mile and a half ... LOL!!!  Our front service man at the Hotel had a good laugh when I asked " Are you serving breakfast tomorrow" No he says Ha! I said I mean is the terrece open for breakfast tomorrow LOL! LOL!!

Rome so far

Garbage trucks Graffiti-ed

Our Hotel Thank you Brenda

Guess what Judy ..Turkish people demonstrating in the plaza by our Hotel

Waiting for our room...

I thought this was most beautiful

Guards at the National Government Building across the street from the Hotel...there are police and army around the Plaza all day

Swiss Guard Vatican

Look up way up

They either had something big going on or are soon...Tons of people

St. Peter's

This picture is from the top terrace on the Hotel where we eat our breakfast the first time I saw Gulls with babies two of them

from Hotel terrace

Saint Angelo bridge

inside Saint Angelo Castle

there were lots of street performers, this guy must have been cooking and he never moved a muscle

The Cat Sanctuary at The sacred Area of Largo Argentina

he was the most loving Cat, had been there since a kitten 2 years now

this white one loved Rod he lost his ears from Cancer, apparently white cats and cats with pink noses often get cancer in those places

This one was blind but very active and every time the lady that worked there would come near and talk he would go to her Sweet Guy

Gabriella Hajdir a very nice Hungarian lady we met there who was spending her days there playing and petting and cuddling the cats, while her husband was working. She has a tour company that she is a associated with in Hungary and she is a tour guide (in Hungary)

Piazza Venezia

On top of  Piazza Venezia

Rod in complete awe of the Colosseum

now he is trying to see how he could have saved it from itself  Ha!

Us truly at the Colosseum

wrong order this is from the Piazza Venezia

and this...we have been busy busy sightseeing everyday. Got the hop on hop off bus pass for three days...are really enjoying eating Ha! pizza twice now...tonight we found a little sandwich shop and had the best roast pork sandwich ever..oh!! yes Rod got a haircut and beard trim today from a lovley old barber...ran out of battery so tomorrow we are going back to get a picture Ha! crazy tourists

Beaujolais

on our way to the village in the Beaujolais

Jacques and Sebastian with the Family Castle behind them

Just getting ready to head into the cave for wine tasting

We tasted the wine...well as you can see Rod got carried away...Jacques gave Rod a sampling of some of his private Rum 47% alcohol

Jacques working in his grape field

Late lunch at a Buchion restaurant

These were the salad course and they were massive

Homemade pate superb

We all ordered the same main...Sausage cooked in wine and grape leaves Yummy!

Cute sign for mail

Beautiful

The Countryside was so fantastic to see so glad we went

The Color on the buildings from the rock is very special

After lunch we went to a medivil village Perouges hasn't changed much since the 1500's it has a population of 200 or was that 600??

Cute little abode it was so interesting to see this Medieval village with people living in it

We were so glad to have met Sebastian such a very nice man who took us on our Tour of the Beaujolais where we met his Uncle in-law who had a winery and cave the upper part of the castle that had been in the family since the 1800 was now sold for apartments as they could no longer afford to run it...they did however keep the bottom the caves were the wine is produced and sold. Let me tell you that is the best wine I have ever tasted at 5.30 euro a bottle Imagine that. We learned so much from Jacques what a nice man. Then a trip back in time to the Medieval Village what a great day...we ended it with a walk through two traboules nearby us in Lyon...what a fantastic way to end our stay in France, of course we are in Rome now but sorry to tired to do something on it tonight...