Day 9 Rome Sunday June 1 2008

Im writing this particular diary entry a week later (yes got behind in some of my diary entries but still my head is overflowing with impressions of Rome. It was also the city I took the most photographs of, think the count for the day was around 197! (actually paris just beat rome now).

It was a full day of sightseeing today and we were up early to make it into the city to meet up with our city guide Walter (who was originally from holland, thus Mark and he conversed in dutch of course).

After a morning tour including a bit of walking with Walter, some of us took the optional excursion to the Catacombs, which were awesome ... totally reminded me of what it must be like to be in a real dungeons and dragons game like i used to play when i was growing up. I couldnt imagine those early christians digging just by oil lamp light so far underground and such an extensive network of graves.

We also visited St Pauls Outside the wall, which was mostly rebuilt after a fire in the 19th century, and until the enlargement of St Peters was one of the biggest basilicas around.

Back into the main centre of the city and we had some free time, and we were lucky to be in st peters square when the Pope popped his head out of a window to give a blessing. Got a photo of that but my self portrait with Pope in the background is mostly my head, so you will just have to believe me that he was behind up in the window!

After hooking up with the rest of the group who had free time we then did the coloseum which was every bit as impressive as Id imagined.

In the evening we went to Castel Gandolfo which is where the pope has his summer residence (also classed as part of the Vatican city, thus a separate country) so I have a photo of me standing with one foot in either country :)

We then went onto Castel Romani in the alban hills to a local tavern and had a traditional meal there and were entertained by opera singing musicians. I bought a CD, call me a sucker.

Anyway, the pics will tell more about Rome (what pics ... they are coming ... eventually)