20070529

Brrrrrrrrrrr....

It's Tuesday morning here and we were just in a line to go and see the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chaple, with a thousand other people, and God decided he didn't want visitors today so he sent a warning shower and a blast of cold wind to warn us off. But we stood our ground - he wasn't going to scare us away that easily... However - He had one more trick up his sleeve. Hail.

So, we're now out of the line and sitting an a warm Internet cafe trying to dry off and glad that we left that line when we did. I'll be back in Rome some other year sometime, so I'll save the chaple until my next trip.

I visited the Colosseum yesterday and was truly impressed at the building skills of the ancient Romans - and their creativity and cruelty. I wandered around Emperor's gardens, found street market's selling the most interesting herbs and spices and found myself eating a real Italian pizza in one of the back streets of Rome near the Piazza Navona. I have enjoyed many bottles of Italian red wine and last night for dinner had a fantastic Carbonbonara pasta in a restaurant that was over 100 years old... I think the bread that they served was also 100 years old, and I would have killed for some butter and Vegemite to spread on it.

Today we pick up a hire car and begin our journey into the Italian countryside. One of Judo's old Uni buddies has offered us one of her houses up the coast for a few days so that's where we're heading. I may be without any internet for a while, but if I get a chance to write something I will.

I'm having a great time and loving this city.

6 comments:

Campbell said...

Sounds fantastic Muzot (besides the hail of course). Enjoy the countryside

seymour said...

Drive safely special guy - italians may do it better - but Rome's handle on road rage leaves a lot to be desired...

Darth Gateau said...

hey! Looks like I bailed out at the right time before all of the rain came. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Rome.
I forgive you for being jet-lagged - you did incredibly well to stay awake. You seemed like a kind, caring sort of person - hard not to forgive. Conversely we all yammered on like geese, you must have just wanted to yell "shut the f**k up!"
Come back - we didn't have beer yet!

Monty said...

I love the little restaurants off the Piazza Navona! AND carbonarra!!! Yummmo! Glad you've had a good time in Rome, if a little cold and wet! Where's the summer??? :-)

Steve said...

Don’t worry about missing the over crowded Sistine Chapel. I felt a greater connection with lots of the other churches, small ones that were out of the way and deserted - more conducive to soaking up the 100 yr old vibes of peace. Its always a bit of a trade off with travel between seeing all the stuff and having time to just sit and be. Go with your heart, Dona nobis pacem.

LBA said...

That's funny.
I'd forgotten how bad the bread was in Italy ;)

Sounds crazy, doesn't it .. but yeah, it was always bland, and old ;)