HOLY Roman Empire!
Another post in just one day. What will all you fans do with yourselves? Squeel with glee... ready... one, two, three..... wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
I may have cut in line for the computer, if that is the case, I may eject really quickly. Oh well, everyone cuts in line in Italy. Strike that comment.. there are NO lines in Italy. There are gatherings. Yes, when it is time to enter a building, people just sorta gather around it and crowd in. The real funny thing about Italians.. they are so impatient (I wonder who feels that way about me??) - but are at the same time, in no particular hurry to do anything.
For instance, they won't wait in lines, they drive like maniacs, they cut you off on the autostrada, they piss and moan about anything involving waiting, and then, when you feel like you need to hurry, they say ' eeeets oh-kayya, no needa to hurry, eh? Whatsamatta you? Why you needa too hurry? You on holiday, no? Ah, sì, you on holiday, so yoooo letta Giuseppe takka carra yooo and eeets allright. OK!'
So then you hop in the cab, not to worry, and then watch as 'Seppe drives with one arm outta di doora 'fongul'-ing his way through the traffic and pissing and moaning at each other Italian with the same idea of driving on the exact same 5 square meters of pavement has him so they all crowd in together and the traffic it goesa like a theeees and we all make it to-ah the same-a spot and everyone is ok. Ok? You no worry, ok?
I've successfully navigated a good portion of the Veneto and Tuscany in an auto while I have been here, and have definately picked up some pointers - so if you happen to be riding with me when I get back, I will try to remember that I own a Ford pickup and not a three seated deisel rocket with a roof and stereo.
So we conquered Imperial Rome today. We took Rosie to the Roman Forum and then paid to go into the ruins on Palatine Hill. While most consider this a waste, I really enjoyed it because what does remain of this former impressive palace with a view is still enough in tact that you can get a good idea for what went where and when and why.... the ticket also got us into the Colosseum, so we did that. Yes, a gathering to get into the place, even though we already had a ticket. See, rather than two lines (errr gatherings) they have one.. whether you have a ticket or not. Stupid Italians. I actually think the Italians like to make things harder than the British. Must have picked up on things while conquering them back in the hey day of J. Caesar. Anyway, the Colosseum was pretty impressive. Its much larger than I thought once you are down near the original arena floor. From up top I thought the opposite, but then you get down there and look up and its pretty darn impressive to think about how they built such a large arena for sport and gladiators and the such. Quite a masterpiece of engineering when you think about it.
After conquering imperial Rome, I took the gang on a death march up a few hills and back down to the church of San Peter In Chains. While the outside is pretty bland, the inside contains a statue of Moses by Michealangelo and the apparent chains that St. Peter was jailed with in both Jerusalem and Rome (two seperate sets of chains) that now miraculously chain together. Anyhow, they are there for the viewing. Its one of four Vatican churches in Rome...we saw the other three already... St Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore, and San Giovanni in Lateran (all very impressive, but the greatest of course is St Peter or as most know it....the Vatican)
Gotta go, the gang is starving since I took them on their slave run.
Will post again soon.
Another post in just one day. What will all you fans do with yourselves? Squeel with glee... ready... one, two, three..... wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
I may have cut in line for the computer, if that is the case, I may eject really quickly. Oh well, everyone cuts in line in Italy. Strike that comment.. there are NO lines in Italy. There are gatherings. Yes, when it is time to enter a building, people just sorta gather around it and crowd in. The real funny thing about Italians.. they are so impatient (I wonder who feels that way about me??) - but are at the same time, in no particular hurry to do anything.
For instance, they won't wait in lines, they drive like maniacs, they cut you off on the autostrada, they piss and moan about anything involving waiting, and then, when you feel like you need to hurry, they say ' eeeets oh-kayya, no needa to hurry, eh? Whatsamatta you? Why you needa too hurry? You on holiday, no? Ah, sì, you on holiday, so yoooo letta Giuseppe takka carra yooo and eeets allright. OK!'
So then you hop in the cab, not to worry, and then watch as 'Seppe drives with one arm outta di doora 'fongul'-ing his way through the traffic and pissing and moaning at each other Italian with the same idea of driving on the exact same 5 square meters of pavement has him so they all crowd in together and the traffic it goesa like a theeees and we all make it to-ah the same-a spot and everyone is ok. Ok? You no worry, ok?
I've successfully navigated a good portion of the Veneto and Tuscany in an auto while I have been here, and have definately picked up some pointers - so if you happen to be riding with me when I get back, I will try to remember that I own a Ford pickup and not a three seated deisel rocket with a roof and stereo.
So we conquered Imperial Rome today. We took Rosie to the Roman Forum and then paid to go into the ruins on Palatine Hill. While most consider this a waste, I really enjoyed it because what does remain of this former impressive palace with a view is still enough in tact that you can get a good idea for what went where and when and why.... the ticket also got us into the Colosseum, so we did that. Yes, a gathering to get into the place, even though we already had a ticket. See, rather than two lines (errr gatherings) they have one.. whether you have a ticket or not. Stupid Italians. I actually think the Italians like to make things harder than the British. Must have picked up on things while conquering them back in the hey day of J. Caesar. Anyway, the Colosseum was pretty impressive. Its much larger than I thought once you are down near the original arena floor. From up top I thought the opposite, but then you get down there and look up and its pretty darn impressive to think about how they built such a large arena for sport and gladiators and the such. Quite a masterpiece of engineering when you think about it.
After conquering imperial Rome, I took the gang on a death march up a few hills and back down to the church of San Peter In Chains. While the outside is pretty bland, the inside contains a statue of Moses by Michealangelo and the apparent chains that St. Peter was jailed with in both Jerusalem and Rome (two seperate sets of chains) that now miraculously chain together. Anyhow, they are there for the viewing. Its one of four Vatican churches in Rome...we saw the other three already... St Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore, and San Giovanni in Lateran (all very impressive, but the greatest of course is St Peter or as most know it....the Vatican)
Gotta go, the gang is starving since I took them on their slave run.
Will post again soon.
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