There's a little place called Ludwigsburg

Ludwigsburg is about an hour from Schwäbisch Gmünd. Well, it is normally, IF there are no

roadworks and IF there are no Umleitung (detours) and IF those Umleitung don't confuse you and you set off in the wrong direction!  En-route to our destination, we came across a familiar logo - yes, the local Rotary Club in Schwäbisch Gmünd is also passionate about ending polio!

Anyway, today we decided to visit the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace. Steph had taken Mum and I when we visited here in 2006, but Michael had never seen it - and it really is worth the seeing.

The first palace on the site was constructed from 1704 onwards. It was intended as a hunting lodge for Duke Eberhard Ludwig. In 1718, however, when Ludwigsburg became the Duke’s principal place of residence, he sought a more fitting reflection of his power and prestige. The impressive structure was completed in 1733. Today, it is one of the few Baroque buildings to have survived the tumultuous history of the last centuries almost unscathed. This truly palatial complex stands out not just for its impressive size, but also for its sumptuous interiors. It also features a unique blend of three quite different architectural styles: Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism.

BUT that is not all.
The Ludwigsburg Residential Palace sits in some of the most impressive gardens you will ever see. 

Even before you get to the entrance, the floral displays lining the outer fences and walls bring anticipation of what we might find inside.

Surrounding the palace on three sides is the massive, 32 hectares Blooming Baroque garden, or in German, "Blühendes Barock." 

Our entrance tickets at €18 each is one of the more expensive entrance tickets we have had to buy over the last six weeks - BUT, I know it will be worth it!
Just the view of the Palace from the entrance gates is mind blowing.  It is huge with stunning gardens, water features and statuary - all before you get in!  The cottage garden beds lining the walk from the entrance gate into the grounds feature stunning dahlias - Dad's favourite flowers.

We wander from garden to garden eagerly drinking in the sites and reveling in beautiful symmetry, gorgeous fountains and stunning statues.  The Rose Garden, like all the gardens is 'walled' within a hedge.  You step into it and immediately are hit with the scent of thousands of roses - it was such a sensory delight.  Will have to let the gardeners back home that take care of the Maryborough Rose Gardens know - too bad I could not capture the scent to share with them.  I really think that the hedge held the scents in!


We wander in and out, making our way to the Garden Cafe where we dined under the canopy of trees with me having the last of the wurst for our trip. Tomorrow, we begin the preparations for our departure for home!  We had the most amazing freshly squeezed orange juice that had all the taste of the fruit grown on the site - and this rivaled even the magnificent juice we get from the oranges from Gayndah back home.   Funny thing was, that even though there we plenty of the wasps around - they didn't wan't that orange juice - just all the sugary carbonated drinks others were drinking around us. Just as well, because they were not getting any of mine! Coffee and cake followed before we resumed our explorations.

As we walked back through a grove of trees under-planted by beds of tuberous begonias, I could't believe the size of the blossoms. To show you the scale, I got Michael to put his Akubra hat in front of the bed - huge, aren't they! 

And at the moment, the gardens are hosting two very special events - one is an impressive display of sand sculptures - including one by the Australian sand sculptor - Kevin Crawford - but the more interesting display is the annual (largest in the world) Pumpkin Festival in the Lower East Garden.

And I mean large.

There are literally thousands of  pumpkins lining the walkways to the exhibit - yes, literally, thousands - I can count more that 700 just in one view!

This year, the theme is Rome and the exhibits all relate to that theme.  Take a look at some of the amazing displays.

There was Asterix fighting a Roman and his side-kick Obelisk nearby,  two gladiators fighting, the Roman 'turtle' that famous Roman army formation invented by Julius Caesar, a charioteer, an Aquaduct and King Neptune complete with a lightning bolt!

On the return to the stunning parterre garden, Michael picked up a couple of pumpkins - a Butternut and something akin to a Jap - to roast for the family dinner tomorrow night!

Once we had done with the gardens and the special displays, we headed in to the Palace itself and joined the last tour of the day. Well, for a while, WE were the last tour for the day and our elderly but informative guide began our tour in perfect English. Unfortunately for us, a German family came in and as the tour was advertised as a German speaking tour, he had to revert. But with the consent of the others, he doubled up, delivering his interesting commentary in both languages. Was a little absent minded - more than once, he told us something in English then relayed it in German, only to then repeat the same in English again!

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take the camera inside, but to describe it in brief:

• 432 rooms
• largest chandelier weighs 48 ton (a full tour of people standing below it and all clapping at the same time can make this chandelier 'sing')
• there are series of three staircases - the king's/queen's, the knight's and the servants
• the knights hall now houses a chapel where for €180 you can be married or have your child baptised.  This was where the King knighted the members he appointed to his Order of the Golden Eagle
• Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg, who commissioned the construction was a big man - 210 cm and 200 kgs!  You should see the size of his throne!  The future kings of Württemberg in turn ignored and restored and further developed the Palace
• the mirror room once had mirrors on the floors as well as the walls and ceilings, but when tours of the Palace commenced in 1906, the ladies complained and so the mirrors on the floor were removed (think about it).  Mirrors were a sign of wealth and to have one mirror was special.  The Palace has 147 in this room alone.

We finally left the Palace after 6 pm and as I was worried that some of the internal gates might have been closed (parts of it shut at 5 pm), we had to return to the car the long way around the exterior of the Palace compound via the streets of Ludwigsburg. My feet are absolutely killing me now.  We have walked about 10kms!

We program Google Maps to direct us back to Schwäbisch Gmünd, only to have it advise us that due to heavy traffic there are long delays. Do we want to take an alternate route to save 25 minutes?   Bloody oath we do!

We stop off at Edeka (a supermarket) so I can buy some drinks to bring home as they are cheaper than duty free.  Finally reach the house a few minutes before 8 pm. Knackered, but happy!

And so to Florence

We manage to get away from the Hotel Domidea in Rome a little after 9 am. It has been a pleasant stay and the staff have been as friendly and helpful as any we have found!
There is one last stop we need to make before we leave the Eternal City. We are off to find the Appia Antica Regional Park and the remnants of the Acquaedotto Claudio (one of the largest viaducts in Rome) that it safeguards amongst other ancient treasures. En-route we pass through the auto wrecking and spare parts area of Roma. It is grubby and untidy - as they are all over the world. Guess that not too many tourists come down this road on their way though the city!

This water system was a wonder of early engineering and planning and stretched for 69 kms of which 15 were raised in this acquaduct. It was built over a period of just over a hundred years, and before all you council people start to make snide comments about it taking so long, please remember that the whole thing was built with bare hands and what might seem simple tools today! And the source of the water that fed this part of that system is still issuing forth today, but now just drains into a large open pond that then filters away.

The aquaduct is a part of the local landscape today, safeguarded from demolition or development thankfully. It is surrounded by a large open space where there are lots of older Italians riding, jogging, practising tai chi or just sitting, chatting in the morning sun. It does seem incogruous though that this has not always been the way and we pass under one of the once restored sections that passes right through the centre of the suburban landscape here! Still, no time to dally, we have a half day drive ahead!

Thank goodness we are close to the motorway and do not have to get into too much heavy traffic - right! Hah, motorway traffic is as thick as and we move slowly, not often getting up to the actual speed limit for the first hour of the journey. And roadworks are the order of the day here - just like in much of Europe - guess that with the harsher winters, their time to do repairs and maintenance is more limited.

Now, the speeds on the motorways in Italy range from 110 to 130 kph, depending on what is around (exits etc). But very few people seem to pay the limits any regard. In fact, there are many time when we may as well be on the German autobahn rather than the Italian Autostrade given the speeds that some motorists are doing. So we are hardly surprised when the traffic starts to pile up and there is a warning vehicle about a smash up ahead. And we are not too far from the smash - a Mercedes sitting forlornly with its entire front end sitting on the road with the engine having being sheared from its brackets. There are a couple of police berating the stunned driver - and no sign of what it is he has hit! It seemed to be a direct front on hit though. It was on us and passed before we had time to get a photo.

We are passing lots of fortified towns on our way, but it is difficult to get a good photo with the large safety barriers on the motorways obscuring the opportunities for clear photos.

We hit the turn off to Firenze (Florence) just before 1 pm and drive in towards the centre of the City where our accommodation is located, through the outer suburbs. Florence is a little cleaner than some of the large cities we have seen recently (particularly Napoli and to some degree Milano). It is better laid out here in the outer areas too. But as we get closer to the CBD the streets narrow and become much more congested with evidence that parking is again difficult. The main ring road that encompasses the inner city is a bit of a mess with work progressing on the installation of yet another tram system. I have Kate programmed for the Tourist Information Centre and as we pass the nominated point we find a lone parking space - right outside the Florence office of PriceWaterhouseCoopers - for whom Helen's sister works! Talk about a small world.

Grrr, this Tourist Office is closed - only open until 1 pm. Kate tells us that the other one that they nominate for information on their gate is right in the centre of the City, so we decide to go around to the Hotel Stella Mary, knowing that parking is close, not at the hotel itself. Now, they advertise that they are close to the train and bus stations, and they sure are - just a short side block away. So you might be able to imagine the chaos that the traffic is in this area! I have to double park (like everyone else it seems) while Michael dashes in to find out where the parking is. While he is gone, buses squeeze past until one driver is a little more beligerent and insists that I move. I go a couple of hundred feet and pull in to a bus parking area only to see Michael sprinting up behind us. Ah, the parking is about 400 m as the crow flies - a tad longer by road! It is a private garage, leave your keys, we park etc. So we haul out our gear and trudge the cobblestones around to the hotel.

There is a definite benefit to booking somewhere like this - we are literally around the corner from all the transport connections, including the open top buses. Again we have a couple of choices and decided on the Florence Open Tour service. Our, well Helen's, time to explore is limited to the rest of the today only and so we jump on the first available bus. Hels really wanted to see Michaelangelo's David, but her hopes are dashed when the guide explains that all museums are closed on Mondays.

They do two routes - one in the inner city and the other that takes a wider route and it is this one that is leaving first. As it turns out, we could not have chosen better, because once we have passed through some of the area on the river flat, we find ourselves climbing up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, high over the city with panoramic views of the city and the Arno River. And lo and behold, there is a bronze cast of the Statue of David - here where the original stood overlooking the city vista. And Helen does get the opportunity to pinch David's bum, even though she could never do this at the real statue behind plate glass panels and with no photos! The bus stops up here for 10 minutes - just enough time for us to get our first fill of the panorma that is Florence and to get our bearings!

Our ten minutes done, we are back on the bus and headed back down the hill passed luxury homes and beautiful open parks filled with mature trees of many descriptions including a huge variety of fir trees. We are headed back to the Station and stop 1 where after a half hour wait we can join route 1 through the city. This takes us passed most of Florence's most beautiful sites - the Duomo, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Baslica di Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti. But we have not time to get off. We at least want Helen to be able to view all the main attractions. And as we finish our tour, the light is fading fast. No more of this light until 10 or 11 pm any longer as we are well into autumn! Once we have returned to the Station it is time to get some dinner so that Hels has time to pack for home a she leaves tomorrow. :-(

We decide to walk around to the Duomo about 800 metres away. This is the most stunning looking building with its exterior of white marble intersperced with coloured pieces. And that dome for which it is so famous just gleams into the night with its subtle lighting. A truly beautiful and majestic building for sure.

Down one of the side streets leading away from the Duomo we go, searching for somewhere a little nice for dinner - somewhere that has a menu that is more extensive than just pizza and pasta (the national dishes to be sure!!) We find the Giannino in San Lorenzo filled with people and with a nice atmosphere. So, no tables out on the sidewalk, we enter in and sit at one of the last free tables. Our waitress soon bustles along - a lovely young lady called Irma who spent some time in Melbourne studying law at Monash University (they have a campus in Florence!) We laboured over the menu but finally chose:
Entrees:
Finocchiona 'sbriciolona' e carciofini in olio (Tuscan salami and artichokes in oil) Michael
'La ribollita' (Vegetable bread soup) Michael (yes, two!)
Crostini toscani de fegatini (Chicken liver pate on toast) Helen
Pecorino de Pienza e miele al tartufo (Pienzu tuscan cheese and truffle honey) Maria
Mains:
Scaloppine di vitella ai funghi porcini (Veal escalope with Porcini mushroom sauce) Michael
Crespelle alla fiorentina (Florentine savoury crepes) Helen
Scaloppine di vitella al limone (Veal escalope in lemon sauce) Maria
Dolci:
Zuccotto all fiorentina (Florentine Ice Cream) Michael
Panna cotta ai frutti di bosco (cream pudding with berries) shared by Helen and Maria
Topped with a nice rose from the region and finished with coffee and a lovely chat with Irma - along with invitations for her to visit should she get back to Australia sometime!

Then its back to the Hotel Stella Mary and Helen's re-packing! She bought a second small suitcase in Pompeii and spends a couple of hours shovelling things from one to the other. She plans to take the new one on the plane with her as carry on (or rather, as wheel on!) luggage and has packed her gifts for the family, not wanting them to get lost, as well as some clothes for her mammoth five-leg trip home. That done, we all settle into bed for the night - or try to!

Roaming in Roma

A new record today - with both our camera and Helen's being pushed to their limits we exhaust all the batteries and accumulate a combined 1261 photos! IN ONE DAY!!!!

When our time in any major centre is limited (and when is it not?) we try to take one of the hop on, hop off bus tours. And today is no exception. We purchased tickets at the stop for St Peter's Square last night that can be used today as well. So once we have got the hotel shuttle in to the station and joined the surprisingly large number of people on the train (for a Sunday!) we alight at the Termini station to join the bus. The one we have tickets for is actually government run, cheaper than the rest and more regular - got to love beauracracy from time to time!

The Trambus Open 110 route takes us close to all the main points of interest within the city. We get our first glimpses of the major attractions from the top open deck of the bus. Rome streets are filled with classic architecture as you might imagine - but the streets are wider than most that we have encountered to date. Got to love the early Romans and their love for planning too! The morning is cool but not cold and the light is perfect for taking architecture photos - clear, sharp outlines against a clear blue sky. Take a look at the link above for all the things we saw - if I try to talk about every one of them on the blog then I fear I might collapse the site!!!

As the bus came around past St Peter's Square and we see the crowds lining for tickets in the warming day, we are glad that we followed that advice we were given and went last night - you know we didn't need to queue at all! So anyone contemplating a visit - do it after 5 pm guys.

After we leavethe station the next stop is at Piazza del Quirinale that is on the highest of the seven hills on which the ancient city of Rome was built. We continue in a circuitous route that takes two hours to complete - about twice as long as any of the others we have been on. The first time we alight from the bus is to go and have a look at the Trevi Fountain. This beautiful construction is too large for us to get the whole thing in one photo - mainly because of the thousand plus people who are crammed into its terraces and the square it faces.

From the crush of people at the fountain, we walk down a few of the back streets, dodging a tour group that seems to have become glued to us, around to Piazza Venezia (named after Cardinal Venezia who in 1455, ordered the construction of his own Palace (Palazzo Venezia) that later became the seat of 'Serenissima' -the Republic of Venice). The Palace was one of the first Renaissance structures in Rome and incorporated the ancient Church of St Marco built in the 4th Century AD. Oh, and quite a bit of the material to build the Palace came from the nearby Colosseum - a common practice then. Yep, some seriously old stuff here!

But as impressive as the palace might seem, it has nothing on the stunning Monument of Victor Emanuel II built between 1855 and 1911 to celebrate the Italian Unification on the southern side of the Piazza. This has to be one of the most majestic monuments we have seen anywhere. Within it now lies the Tomb of the Unknown soldier making it a monument of national significance just like any of these. Mind you, when it was constructed there was a lot of disgruntled people as it necessitated the destruction of a medieval neighbourhood. Still, it revered by most.

The monument is guarded by almost fanatical guards frantically blowing their whistles should any hapless tourist sit on the steps, or appear to eat, drink or even just stay too long. Many people tell me, "don't sit there - there is a bench up the steps" and as we are leaving we find ourselves telling another group who are oblivious as we were to the meaning of the whistles and gesticulations! I won't bore you with all the stats about it - find them here if you want to know! (Yes Hels, I can skip the history lessons sometimes!) Michael climbs to the top level to get some great photos looking out across both the ruins of the ancient Rome, and the newer City.

And as we leave to walk towards the Colosseum, we hug the shaded cool marble of the monument and discover inside a door near the base on one of the sides, the War Memorial museum, filled with interesting stuff - like the 'Chariot' a two man underwater submarine used in WWII against the British Fleet near Gibraltar!

From here we walked between the Forum and the Palataine towards the Colosseum that was looming at the end of the street. Michael kept dashing from one side of the street to the other to take photos of different relict sites. Helen and I on the other hand sauntered along, stopped to listen to a classical guitarist and followed the shade as much as we could. Sure, we are interested in what we see, but Michael is the Ancient History buff amongst us for sure. We stop for a drink and toilet stop at the official visitor centre in the area before we reach the Colosseum. Just as well as there are maybe tens of thousands of people there.

There is a celebration of the arts in Rome at the moment and entry to this monumental museum is free today. We would have to still had to queue for tickets, but Helen has struck up a conversation with a young American guide who is touting for tour guides inside and just as we are about to join the longish queue for those tickets, she takes pity and gives us tickets to get in! Go Hels! And thanks Larena! So, what can we say about the Colosseum? Well, its big. Huge in fact. And so much of it is still standing. In the centre of the arena, the roof over the rooms and alleys beneath (the floor of the arena) has been destroyed allowing us to clearly see the layout below. There were cages, small rooms, alleys connecting them and much larger rooms. Michael will give a detailed lecture on the layout and the purpose when we get back. Advance bookings open now - seriously though, it will take too long to describe all of it here. Want to know more know? Click here.

Next to the Colosseum is the Arch of Constantine that was constructed from masonry taken from other monuments. Beyond that, we can see lots of other ruinous remains, many of which are still the subject of obvious archaelogical investigations.

So after walking about 3 kms once we had alighted from the bus all those hours ago, we decide to call it quits and head back to the hotel. There is a metro stop just across from the Colosseum and it is on our line - yahoo! We meet up with three Germans who are currently working in Rome and staying at the same hotel and we all get the same train back. Back at Rebibia Station we phone the hotel only to find out that on a weekend the courtesy bus begins at 7 pm and its only 5:45 pm so we cross the road to wait for the #447 bus. Our mates tell us that they are working in Rome because the factory where they would normally come to from time to time was destroyed in the earthquake at L'Aquila in April this year.

Too tired to go out for dinner, we phone in Pizza to our motel room after our long day in Rome. Even we can't finish it all and Michael takes the remainder to some very grateful reception staff. Didn't get photos - the batteries needed recharging. Early start again tomorrow for our three hour drive to Florence and for Helen's last day on tour with us.

Vatican...Vat he can't!

Today is Michael's turn to blog
Well, today is the day to set forth in search of Europe's largest church, St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. However, before we can proceed any further there is the urgent matter of attending to laundry...hoo-ray - NOT! Michael obtains details of the closest laundromat in our vicinity from the ever helpful staff of the Domidea Hotel where we are staying. Armed with two large bags of washing, Michael and Helen set out to find the 'OndoBlu' laundromat located 7 kms away while Maria tries to get some sleep after a sleepless night spent in the bathroom. Obviously something she ate last night did not agree with her usually cast iron stomach!

Traffic in Italy never ceases to amaze me...and no less than this Saturday morning! The 'give-way' rule is virtually ignored as are pedestrians. As street parking comes at a premium, the locals have improved upon the concept of 'double-parking' - that is 'double-double parking'. The streets have virtually become rally circuits with chicanes materialising at an instant! We finally arrive at our destination; however, it is now our turn to source out parking...and 'double-double parking' isn't an option. A parking area is found and a spot is located after a circuit, however, this stroke of luck incurs a kilometer walk to the laundromat?

On arriving at OndoBlu, we discover that it isn't a self-service establishment. Hence, we part with our laundry and €16 (A$27) to the attendant who states we should return at midday - so, that's two hours to kill. Helen and I go for a walk around the town and find a cafe where we can have a coffee or two.

As we enjoy the ambience which the cafe's situation provides, it is amazing to observe how the locals greet each other. It is with enthusiasm and joy, and one could be excused by assuming these are renewed greetings after long absences. They embrace, shake hands vigorously or kiss and stand where they are and converse with great animation; or sit and talk over coffee. Finally it's time to collect our laundry and re-enter the frenetic traffic for our return to the hotel. The laundry attended to and distributed, we out for Rome and the Vatican City. On the advice of some travellers on the bus to the Isle of Capri who had just come from Rome, we have booked online the tickets for the Museo Vatican and the hotel staff have kindly printed our voucher. The American ladies suggested that we need to go to the Museum during the day and go to the Basilica later in the day when we won't need to queue.

We caught the #447 bus from near the hotel to Rabbibia Metro Station for the 'B' Blue Line necessitating a change of trains at Termini Underground for the 'A' Red Line to the Vaticican City stop. However, alighting at Termini we were faced with a snag (no...not the edible type), the gates leading into the Line A platforms had been shut! Commuters a wandering around as perplexed as ourselves, as there are no information boards or announcements hailing the situation. A transit policeman tells Maria that Line A is closed today and that we need to get a bus - "up, up the stairs" he calls behind him as he hurries off.

Hurrying towards the the Railway Station's main foyer, we confront a railway employee asking them whether the line was indeed closed or opened. In his best English (after my worst Italian) this cove says, "Si, it is open!" Michael makes a mad dash for the stairs leading to the underground; whereby he reappears minutes later confirming that Line A is indeed closed? It's a regular madfest down there with commuters cursing and running around like headless chooks!

We come across the same railway employee and affirm the line is indeed closed. Then this bloke says, "Si, it is closed." (....go figure?). We ask him which bus we need to catch to get to the Vatican, the employee says we should catch the #30 bus to the Vatican. Flying out the doors, we rush towards the bus ranks and aim for the first #30 we see....it's chockers, you couldn't see daylight amongst the passengers! However, we catch the next bus which gradually fills to near capacity en route.

Finally, we arrive at the required stop and only to wonder which way to go? Michael goes and asks a fellow manning a news stand, who in turn advises we should walk in the opposite direction and turn left before the bridge. (Groucho: "Go by the viaduct." Chicko: "The viaduct?" Groucho: "Yes. The viaduct." Chicko: "Vie notta the chicken?" ["Marx Brothers: Duck Soup"])

Following these directions we finally venture onto hallowed ground - St Peter's Square. Ah, who said Ancient Rome was dead? It was like entering the forum at Pompei; albeit, St Peter's is far more complete and larger! Now, the next question is: "Where do we collect our on-line tickets from?" After much wandering around, Michael is told by the Vatican Information Centre - "Go through the arch on the left and follow the yellow signs." These directions are confirmed by Maria by the information she was given by a member of the Constabulary! So, we fall in line and make like the 'Wizard Of Oz' and follow the yellow signs.

Following the signs was a lesson in navigation, as we virtually circumnavigated the perimeter walls of the Vatican City to gain access to the Museo Vatican where we had to retrieve our tickets! Entering this labyrinth via security and scanning, we secured our tickets and entered the Vatican vaults.

We started our 'tour' in the Museo Pio-Clementino, via the Cortille Octagono, which displays an array of sculptured masterpieces; eg. the Laocoön Group and Apollo Belvedere. I must add, after a while one does develop the impression the Vatican must possess one of the largest private collections of art and artifacts on the globe?

Leaving the Octagono we entered a courtyard (the size of two football fields) called Cortille Della Pigna, which has on display a colossal bronze pine cone, which forms part of a fountain - Fontana della Pigna, dating from 1AD Rome. It's here we discover the Papal collections were amassed between the 16th and 18th centuries. Later, additional rooms were added to accommodate the works of art commissioned by various Popes.

From here we made our way to the first and second floors which comprise the Museo Gregoriano, established by Pope Gregory XVI during the 19th century. This museum comprises an enormous collection of of archaeological, Pre and Post-Christian artifacts and sculptures. Apologies for this post seeming a mite rushed, but we were pushed for time and we had to make the Sistine Chapel before 17:30!

After much jaw-dropping, oohs and ahhs we entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Vatican's .... Pinaconteca. "What?" may you well ask? These halls and rooms have to be seen to be believed and appreciated (I guess..) Here is displayed a myriad of paintings, frescoes and tapestries collected and applied between the 11th and 19th centuries. This museum, (yes, they are all seperate museums,) was eventually inaugurated by Pope Pius XI in 1932! We negotiated sixteen rooms in total, all in chronological order, which displays some priceless masterpieces. The collection includes Giotto di Bondone's, 'Stephaneschi' triptych.

We leave Giotto and friends then move onto the next set of rooms. Ah, well these rooms are actually the reception rooms within the Vatican Palace, the public part of the Papal Apartments. The rooms in question are referred to as Stanze di Raffaello ('Raffael's Rooms') as they were planned, designed and mostly painted by him, and similar to the Pinaconteca these too can leave one speechless! The four rooms: Sala di Costantino (Hall of Constantine), Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus), Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura) and Stanza dell'incendio del Borgo (The Room of the Fire in the Borgo), are covered in frescoes - walls and ceilings. The rooms were originally commissioned by Pope Julius II around 1508-9, whilst Raphael was a young man. The enormity of the commission was such that Raphael died in 1520 (he was 37) before he could finish the work. However, this legacy was continued by Raphael's assistants, Gianfrancesco Penni, Giulio Romano and Raffaellino del Colle finished the project with the frescoes in the Sala di Costantino.

It's now a frantic dash to visit the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina) as 17:30 is looming! When we finally arrive at the Chapel's doors we are abitrarilly made aware - No Photography; No Video...what-so-ever...and nothing other than SILENCE.... The Sistine Chapel's architecture is as awesome as the works of the artists. The Chapel is evocative of the Temple of Solomon as depicted in the Old Testament, and I loathe to admit the structure does command ... silence. Albeit, no matter what one reads or views pictures in any reference book, nothing...and I mean nothing, can prepare you for the vastness and beauty of the work by Michelangelo (ceiling and alter wall); and other famous Renaissance artists, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli (panelled frescoes).

The painting of the Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Julius II, Michelangelo was resentful of the commission as he felt the Pope was just satisfying his thirst for grandeur. However, Michelangelo painted 1100 sq m of the ceiling and alter wall creating his masterpiece. The ceiling frescoes depict the time of Creation whereas the altar wall represents The Last Judgement.

Any attempt to describe the paintings would do the Chapel an injustice - one has to personally view the surfaces to appreciate the work of these Renaissance artists. Personally, my experience was somewhat surreal, just by being there and having to pinch myself several times to remind myself of this fact! I suppose the most poignant facet of this journey, apart from the enormity of the Papal project, is the blue in the sky of both the Creation and the Last Judgement. However, there is one reality - there are people, tribes and nations starving on this planet. Missionaries are in the field working virtually unresourced. Yet, there is wealth within these Papal walls beyond the level of loathing....

A bell rings, a voice resounds stating: "The Sistine Chapel is CLOSED - please leave!" - right on 17:30. The congregation of visitors is quickly husbanded towards the exits by a bevy of impatient warders. Being marshalled in the direction of the Museo Vatican main exits, we are marshaled through hall and gallery of gilded trim and wall to ceiling paintings. Our escorts are now line abreast, marching behind us with an ever increasing pace and stamping their feet! Like wind passing through a venturi, we burst through the exits and the sods (Escorts) don't even say "Thank you for visiting" or "Have a nice day"?

Anyhow, after escaping the Vatican we decide that our 'tour' would not be complete without a visit to St Peter's Basilica (Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano)! On entering this capacious structure you can appreciate how this church is regarded as the largest place of worship on earth, with a capacity to accommodate up to 60,000 people! That folks is a lot of generated body heat within such an abundance of masonry?

It is the symbolic Mother Church of the Catholic faith and apart from tradition there is historical evidence to suggest its namesake, St Peter the Apostle, is interred in a tomb directly below the alter. To assume the Basilica is a cathedral is pure misconception as it is not the seat of a Bishop, it is a papal basilica with its entrance to the east and the apse at the west end. The interior is as monumental as its exterior - the marble flooring alone is enough to occupy any visitors time. Look, I don't intend to weigh you down with a mass of facts and figures, if you're interested just follow this link.

So it is now dark and we are miles from the Termini Rail Station. Maria's hip is bad - I mean we have climbed up and down countless staircases and walked quite a few kilometres today. There is a line of those open topped hop on, hop off buses across the square and so we head over to see if we can buy a ticket tonight that will get us back to the station and that we can use again tomorrow. Most say no, even though they are running the last bus for the night we must buy a ticket for today and a new one tomorrow - but one says yes!

So, tickets clutched in our hands, we jump aboard for the trip back to the Termini station, and while we are travelling there manage to get a great eyeful of Rome by dusk! Back at the Station, we opt to have dinner before heading back to the hotel - no one can face the next door restaurant again tonight. There is a cafetaria style restaurant here on the first level, so we head there. Quite a choice on offer - and it all looks pretty good. Guess that the constant crowd at least ensures that the food is fresh! But the English is limited, so its a point and grunt type of moment.

Michael chooses Pork shank with roasted vegetables, Helen has the Fish and chips and Maria goes for the Chicken with veges. Not sure whether we were just overly hungry or not, but the food was surprisingly good. AND you could get a piccolo of wine to accompany it much to Helen's joy!

Hunger sated, off we head to join the masses heading home. We phone the hotel from the station and wait for their shuttle bus that delivers us safely to the door and our beds. Whew, what a day!!!