Rome

Dear All,
One more day and Rome will be a memory along with everything else. I have found my stay here in the house to be a happy one, but I have only the foggiest ideas how about Rome 'works'! My first day here, my 'tourist guide par excellence', Sr Helen invited me to come down to the Vatican with her as she had some business to transanct. It was Wednesday, Papal audience day, and the crowds were filing in to the ticketed seats down the front of the square. As we went around the back fence, I saw a good spot to look for the Pope's arrival (in about half an hour) and Helen went on to her destination. When she returned we noticed people were going past a couple of police near us to enter the square itself, so I did this and Helen headed home. I had all the bus numbers written down, but it hadn't seemed long coming there so I suggested (airily!) that I would walk home! I would only have to stay on one side of the street, once I went through the tunnel out of St Peter's. Helen agreed and checked that I knew a few points, then headed home. I went in much much closer to the action - although the Pope was really just a dot on the horizon as you will be able to see in the photos. Then came prayers and information and speeches in various languages - on and on.

After perhaps an hour I wandered off down the street that goes straight out the back of the square (don't ask me the names of anything!) past lots of tall youngish African men hawking sunglasses, handbags, watches and suchlike. (They are probably all illegal immigrants and lay their wares out of large sheets of material. When the police appear they scoop them up and throw the bundle over their shoulders and disappear - very quickly - only to put them out again once the police disappear. It is like cat and mouse! I came to the Castel Sant' Angelo and took lots of pictures, then went around behind a beautiful Palace and to the Tiber bank again, crossing on a bridge to the otherside then back to a bridge near where the street with the hawkers was to return to St Peter's in time for 1 pm entry to the Basilica.

The queue stretched more than half way around the perimeter of the 'square' but it moved steadily. I chatted with 'Jeremy' from California about George Bush (in Rome the next night and causing big traffic disruptions), about nuclear weapons at Los Alamos, about the Peace Movement ...... etc etc. Eventually we reached the door and both went our separate ways. There were many many many people, but it was relatively quiet. Large tour groups followed a guide who held a woolly microphone-looking arrangment up on a stick in front of him/her and had a head speaker on while the followers all head ear plugs inserted. [We, like sheep .....!] followed silently, hanging on every word. I just mooched and gazed and took quite a few photos without hindrance (as everyone else did too) and wandered where I would, except where it said I couldn't. We queued to stroke St Peter's foot and I thought about all the hands that had done just that over thousands of years. The whole place lived up to expectations and was quite wonderful. About time for the pictures:

1) An exciting moment! I have arrived at St Peter's 2) The constabulary are not going to waste their energy walking about! That was the day a German man (later taken to a Psychiatric Centre) dived head first into the Popemobile behind the Pope as he went past! Of course he was pounced on immediately by at least four security guards while the Pope looked as though he hadn't even noticed! (It was on TV) 3) If you are very smart and sharp eyed and enlarge this photo you MAY be able to find evidence of the Pope's presence in his Popemobile somewhere over the front left (where the chap dived into his vehicle!) I should have prizes for anyone who finds him (either the Pope or the German)

1) This castle has had periods of growth and addition since it was first built by the Emperor Adrian (?) a couple of centuries before Christ. You can see tourists peering over balconies and through windows, but I didn't go in.

2) This was the Palace I toured around. Very nice little place!

3) This is a sample motley crowd on the bridge where I returned. Don't miss the statues at the end of the bridge and the hawker of T-shirts or something on the near right.

1) Here is the famous Tiber, with a view of the Vatican Hill (I think) in the background.

2) I had plenty of time to photograph the queue stretching all around the circle towards the Basilica Entrance. 3) As I emerged from the look inside St Peter's, there were a couple of Swiss Guards out in view, and, what is more, they were acting quite humanly. I had to take a picture!

I was already a bit footsore and weary when I headed for home. I found the right street and started along it, discovering two major things: 1. It was uphill all the time, and never flattened or went down; 2. It was a very very long way.

It took me over an hour during which I had several periods when I lost faith in my directions and went off track temporarily or asked people with my non-existant Italian. But, at last, HOME SWEET HOME! I let myself in, headed straight for my room, removed my shoes, and lay horizontal for half an hour before I moved! It took me all evening to recover. The next day I stayed home and did the other blog.

Helen and I ventured forth on Friday and visited the Church which is the Mother Church of all the Catholic churches throughout the world: St John Lateran. I took lots of good photos which I have lost! (The camera is becoming problematic - not to mention its owner). Then we headed off to some catecombs and Helen read a book while I followed an English-speaking tour through one. That was interesting, but I couldn't take pictures underground.

1) Statues of all 12 apostles adorn the interior of St John Lateran. Each can be identified by the instruments of his own martyrdom/death which he carries. Can you identify this one? [Answer at the end ... perhaps!] 2) This is on the wall at the front. See the Papal insignia of keys? This is the Pope's Church. It used to be the place where the Pope did everything, in the days before St Peter's. 3) The entry path to the catecomb I visited.

On Saturday, Helen had booked us onto a bus with a 'Generale Secretaries' group she belongs to. Most were English speaking and either Sisters or Priests. It was a really interesting day. We had 4 major stops:

1. A place north west of Rome - Cerveteri- where there are Etruscan tombs. 2. A beautiful mediaeval village Aguilla, beside Italy's 8th largest lake, Sabatino, a major source of Rome's water supply.
3. The wonderful Castle where Tom & Katy married last year! We actually went for other reasons - it is an incredible castle.
4. Sutri, where there is a Roman (or earlier) amphitheatre and an ancient Christian Church which occupied a space used for Mycaean religious ceremonies - safer than in the usual places during times of persecution.

1) There were lots of these large round mounds which they had built up for their tombs.

2) In the sides of these, tunnels were created with rooms on either side and ledges for the bodies. The sister is an African.

3) Some of the group taking in the sights. The two behind the front one may have been the two Indonesian Sisters who went from here.

The lunch break at Aguilla was full of delight as Helen and I explored the picturesque village afterwards. I took an abundance of photos because every little winding cobbled street seemed to be more charming than the previous or had breath-taking views. Of course, the weather was perfect.

1) That is not a bitumen surface! That is the beach!!!!! No wonder these umbrellas and deck chairs are all along there (all occupied except here) because you couldn't lie on that grey stuff they call a beach!

2) A view of part of the old section of Aguilla.

3) Helen & myself against a water backdrop (taken by a kind German tourist who offered his services.

1) Typical of the little floral items everywhere in the most unlikely places.

2) Glimpses of the lake in the distance

3) Cute! Cute!

1) Every medieaval town had to have its castle. This one houses a restaurant.

2) We say 3 sets of Brides and Grooms during our lunchtime, obviously there for special photos. (Perhaps they married at the Castle, which was only half an hour's drive further around the lake)

3) This was one of the most beautiful flower displays we saw.

Time has run out. I am unable tonight to finish the next sections, but it will probably have to wait until when I return to Australia!!!!! Tomorrow (Monday) I catch a bus at 7 am to go to Assisi for the day, returning quite well into the evening. Then on Tuesday, I have to head off to the airport at about 9.30 am. Perhaps I will get a minute to put some more on, but at present the prospect looks bleak. Bye for now. God bless! Rita