Thursday we visited two museums in Florence where we saw Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture and original paintings by Leonardo da Vinnci, Raphael, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and others. These works of art were a mixture of religious and nonreligious subjects, with some being inspirational and others offering no inspiration. All were the work of talented men. Having now… Read More »
Italy – July 9
July 9: No bending over in this shower. We had a very nice but typically small hotel room in Rome. Shower was especially small – about 28×28 inches. Glad I lost weight before this trip… July 9: Beautiful sunflower fields in countryside on train ride today from Rome to Florence. July 9: Window shopping in… Read More »
A Visit to the Vatican
Tuesday Monieca & I enjoyed breakfast in a Vatican courtyard and then toured the Vatican Museum before it opened to the public. Afterward we toured the Sistine Chapel (no photos allowed) & St. Peter’s Basilica. The frescos, paintings, murals, tapestries, and ceilings were beautiful beyond description. A few were also inspirational. It’s interesting how much… Read More »
Italy – July 8
July 8: Fruit stands everywhere in Rome. Best grapes I’ve ever eaten. July 8: St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. This is where we ended today’s tour. July 8: Enjoyed a 7am breakfast in a Vatican courtyard today. July 8: Dinner tonight: grilled lamb, boiled potatoes with parsley & garlic, steamed vegetables, & the best minestrone… Read More »
Italy – July 7
July 7: We toured Pompeii today. Amazing and massive ruins. July 7: Monieca in the court yard where the gladiators trained. Original columns still standing after being buried for 18 centuries. July 7: Imagine this city of 15,000 people and 500 shops buried under ash and pumice. July 7: Pompeii’s theater & very nice home… Read More »
Italy – July 6
July 6: Piazza del Popolo. Attended last few minutes of service @ Catholic Church on the left. Beautiful building, small crowd. July 6: Toured Baths of Caracalla this afternoon. The mosaic floor tiling that remains is impressive. July 6: Caracalla baths were massive – longer than 4 football fields in all directions. Not crowded like… Read More »
Italy – July 3-5
July 3: The journey begins. Holiday crowds @ airport. On board and ready to fly…..and hopefully sleep. July 5: Sat AM took bus tour of Rome to get oriented. Passed several places we will visit, including the Colosseum. July 5: And Circus Maximus, where the Roman Chariot races were held. This is also where the… Read More »
Italy
While I’ve posted several photographs with brief comments about our trip on Instagram, I haven’t posted anything on this blog. I’m sure some of you are wondering why. The short answer is technology. We packed light for our flight and did not bring a laptop. Instead we brought an iPad, which has not worked very… Read More »
A Lunch Time Surprise
While eating lunch yesterday at one of my favorite meat and three type places in Rock Hill, I spoke to several people who either knew me or knew who I was. In addition to the wait staff and a couple who attend FBC, there was a man who watches me on TV and another couple… Read More »