We must have come to Italy for the food

We walked back to Hotel Nova Domus, about a 20 min walk from the Vatican. Mike collected his stuff and Bill walked with him to the Metro to catch his train to Florence. When he returned we ate lunch at our hotel.
First some pictures of this hotel -











Easter egg tree in the lobby


Lunch and dinner had the same menu.


For lunch I got a seafood salad -they are not creamy here but more of a flavored oil and basalmic vinegar dressing with little lettuce - I had one in Venice that was slightly better but this was good and less heavy than many meals here. They call it an appetizer.




Bill had risotto with artichoke and shrimp - much better, Kevin and Judy, than the one he ordered when we were with you.



Dessert was lovely Easter cakes.





After naptime,we went and got our complimentary cocktail and then dinner.


Bill had beefsteak and roasted vegetables





And I had lamb and roasted potatoes.


No dessert and it was still raining so we went to bed early...

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Ahhhh, siesta times again

Mike left for Florence after Mass and because it was raining we just spent a lazy afternoon. I hadn't slept well the night before and was very tired so slept several hours between a late lunch and a late dinner. (see meal stuff in a separate post) After reading awhile fell asleep about 11 and slept all night. Feeling pretty caught up now after the week very much on the go with the band trip.

I want to take this time to thank my sister-in-law and brother for suggesting the trip to us and for the wonderful company the whole week! We so much wish you two were here with us now! Can't wait to share pictures! Thanks also to Mike for the tour of Florence, the advice on food, wine, language, etc and the very fun times even sitting at Easter Mass in the rain, you're a great sport! Thanks to Megan for all the shared fun and to her and the rest of the Burnsville band for the great concerts and the opportunity to go with you and talk with some of the kids.


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Easter Mass at the Vatican

Got up early to get to the Vatican for Easter Mass which is held in the piazza San Pietro (St Peter's). We walked to the Vatican arriving about 8:40 and the line was already quite long for ticketholders. The whole queue process was a little crazy. We didn't expect so long a wait but there were a huge number already in line. Those with no tickets got in quicker but they were far in back and had no chairs. (and no security check)
After a wait if about an hour we made it through security (metal scanner and xray anything you are carrying) and we were actually led to seats in the front section of the cheap seats and were closer than many who came in earlier so maybe not getting there so early was good.

Unfortunately it rained most of the time but stopped during communion or walking up in crowded aisles would have been impossible.


I got some better pictures on my big camera with the telephoto lens.



Naturally the experience would have been better on a sunny day but the determination of people to be there was impressive. A few left immediately after their first glance of the pope which was nice as the chairs had been very crowded.

The man sitting next to me struck up a conversation while we waited for Mass to start. He asked if I spoke English and then asked where we were from. Took a few tries to get USA or America across to him so not sure how good his English is. He and is wife, and son or daughter and grandchildren had come from India. Behind us we heard people speaking German and French. Saw two small boys huddled under an umbrella the whole time, but they were following along in the mass book you could buy, in German. More pictures later....

It was an experience of something you never think you will see with your own eyes. There is some criticism of the Pope and how I would have loved to have seen John Paul II but still this is our Pope and with all the ceremony and all the people it was a very moving experience. When the handshake of peace was done, we shook hands with people from at least 4-5 countries, at the Pater Noster, voices in many languages all called on one "our father".

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Castel Gondolfo

Back on the bus for the second to the last time and we took a short ride to Castel Gondolfo, a picturesque town on a high hill about 45 min from Rome. This town is also a summer residence for the Pope. It is on a large lake and has a view in the distance of the Mediterranean.





Parents liked that during set up, changing clothes and tuning that they could shop and during the outside concert we sat at cafes and had coffee.









When the Jazz band played, some of the other kids in the band started swing dancing and some darling local children were copying them. Pictures later. Also a bride and groom came by on their way to the lake area to take pictures and were talked into dancing while the jazz band played a slow song. It was just magical.
We had the best tour food that night - first bruschetta, for us the third in two days so good thing I love it. Then pasta then meat and vegetables. Very thinly sliced meat is used a lot. Below is the pasta. Other pictures were too dark.








Forgot our dessert at lunch - reputed to be one of the best gelato places and it was excellent.



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Rome wasn't seen in a day

Ok another day of amazing sights in Rome. It was our tours of ancient Roman sights - the Colliseum and the Roman Forum. Once again I have to say that pictures (even professional ones) cannot do justice to these sights - but here we go anyway.














Top ones are the colliseum - below just one so far of the Forum which I had pictured as some small ruins and the Forum is the size of a small village - it goes on and on... Our tour was about an hour, the guide said a full tour of the site is about 7 hours.



Excavation is ongoing in Rome all the time and each year more is discovered.

So, next we got two hours in this area of Rome for shopping and lunch. You got it, more food pictures....first the name of the restaurant, Di Rienxo



And some food - Bill had a special, a seafood pasta with clams in the shell. Kevin and Judy got lasagna, then a salad, Mike had pizza (no picture) and I got Ravioli with artichokes, and it was great!











Last night's restaurant gave us a complimentary glass of limoncella (after dinner drink) and I forgot to include that and picture in the last post.



Only the highlights of Rome were touched on in 2 days.

Concert and dinner will be in the next entry. Don't miss it - it was a fun time. And tomorrow Mass with the Pope with rain predicted.


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We'll always have Rome

Little intro..... When we were leaving Florence a few days ago, Kevin stayed behind with Mike to spend some time with him, meet his Italian mom, and take more pictures. When we were parting, I told him I would miss him and he said "we'll still have Rome" which quickly became a motto that evolved immediately into "we'll always have Rome".
Along with the wonderful sights of Rome, we added one of the best memories of Rome that night while wandering around and finding a great Mediterranean style restaurant where we could sit outside to eat.



Before we ordered we were brought fish to view from the catch of the day.






Kevin and Mike shared their first beers (not that we're pretending this was Mike's first).


First more Bruschetta with Buffalo Mozzarella


Was is delicious - see for yourself


Mike ordered the flounder - the very one we saw - it was the last of the day.


And was it good?


I chose "pink scorpion" - very good, wonderful sauce and homemade pasta. Fish is served whole and with all bones so a little hard to eat but this was worth it!


Kevin got Four Seasons Pizza and Judy got a Mozzarella Pizza, can't recall what else on it.





Bill had risotto with asparagus, which did not live up to our previous risotto.

This was such a nice change from more plain, food prepared in bulk for over 100 people on the band trip. Our band trip food was not bad but preselected fir us and nothing like this meal! Coupled with the fact that it was great to be playing hookey from the band concert and dinner that night and on our own, it was easily a very memorable time!

After the Spanish Steps (will look up the significance of these) we took the metro subway to the stop nearest our hotel and then decided not to wait for the bus and walked the 2 miles to the hotel. I figured about 8-9 hours of walking today. Lovely night with Bill, my brother and sister-in-law and nephew. We missed my niece Megan but she was needed with the band...
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Rome - The Vatican Day

Despite all the buildup I still was not prepared for the Vatican. We began in the Vatican Museum.


Yes, more steps and like many they slant downwards making it harder to walk on.



The museum holds many art items from old churches as well as beloved classic pieces too valuable to leave on display in public places. In entries and hallways photos were allowed but not in museums or the Sistine Chapel.




The most amazing to me was Michelangelo's famous Pieta and of course the Sistine Chapel.

In St Peters pictures were allowed but I only got a couple on the phone - more coming...



The tomb and body of Pope John XXIII - according to the Vatican his body is not embalmed and has not decomposed. Did get better pictures on my other camera although not great.


The basilica is just incredible - the largest church and it just goes on and on with one incredible sight after another. You seriously have to see it in person to really comprehend it.

We had guides in each city on the band tour (besides our two regular tour directors, Flavio on our bus and Laura on the other) and found that very helpful - our guide was Fabio in Rome and as with every guide we were amazed at his knowledge.
Below is St Peters being set up for Easter Mass.


The tallest building holds the Papal apartments on the top floor. I remember so well (watching on TV) when Pope John Paul II was ill and trying to give his Easter blessing from those windows.



Ok ready for more food? Michael, my nephew took the train from Florence and met us after our Vatican tour. We Bill and I, my brother Kevin, his wife Judy and nephew Michael - for those not in the family) then split from the band group for the afternoon and evening and the administrators from Burnsville HS were even kind enough to let Judy out of her duties for the evening so she could join us. Started our with a bottle of wine and excellent bruschetta. We were like kids skipping school, it felt good to not have to hurry or do anything until the spirit hit us.



We then did a lot of walking, seeing some of the same sights again to show Mike but also got some great views of the Tiber River, some excavations of Roman buildings and then stopped for dinner. But that will be another post. Last we saw and climbed the Spanish Steps -and here is the view. It feels like we climb the equivalent of 20 flights of stairs a day - at least.





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