We have returned from a visit to the southern realms of the Patria, and it was wonderful!  Alas the weather did not always cooperate but it certainly could have been worse considering that we were traveling in February.  Apart from very sore calves, the cause of which I'll explain later, Grace and I got back safe and sound last night at about 9.  I'm glad to say it felt like coming home to our little place here.  It may never be Maine but we are settling in.  Today has been spent doing laundry and catching up on news and basically just
lazing around.  I'm now in my room looking out the window at the neighbor's palm tree that seems a little incongruous skirted by snow as it is.  I was awoken this a.m. by the tapping of high-heels and the hum of the vacuum cleaner from upstairs. Yep, I'm back.

So we headed by train to Rome last Saturday.  We took the fast train, upwards of 300 kilometers an hour, and made it there in 4 hours.  GP went down with us to see the sisters as he had to be in Rome on Monday for work.  There was a woman seated by us with the smallest dog I've ever seen.  It looked like a praying mantis, all skinny bicycling legs and huge bulbous eyes.  It was so ugly cute that while walking by on my way to the bathroom I attempted to pat it, (with two fingers as more would blanket it's weeny head).  The nasty little thing lunged at me and frothing at the mouth tried to take off my finger (or the tip of it).  I was tempted to flick the sneer off it's mini face but mom was quite protective.  Oh well.

Saturday afternoon we walked around the Borghese gardens that cover a huge chunk of Rome.  It would take ages to see the whole thing.  We came out above the Piazza del Popolo.  The day was cool but sunny so the views over Vatican City and surrounds were fabulous.  Our first dinner of vacation was of course pizza and it was yummy.

view of the Vatican from Pz. del Popolo

the colosseum

Grace high above Rome on the Altare della Patria

Sunday we went to the Catacombs where there are 17 kilometers of underground tombs.  Not much to see down there but lots of dank holes in the walls that were once filled by skeletons.  The remains have all been removed for safe-keeping as tourists were evidently pocketing bits and pieces of the deceased.  In the afternoon we went by the Colosseum and various points in the center before catching a train to Naples and then switching to a smaller local train to Pompeii.  The walk from the train station in Pompeii to our hotel was very long.  But we recovered with a great dinner and a couple bottles of wine.  Pompeii on next post.  xxoo me