Bella Capri

Bella Capri

Arriving in Marina Grande

The hydrofoil only takes 20 minutes to go from Sorrento to Marina Grande in Capri -  and what a ride it is!

Behind us is the Sorrentine Penninsula with Sorrento on one side and the dark cliffs of the Amalfi coast disappearing into the morning mist on the other. Ahead Capri gets bigger, and taller and steeper. It’s huge rocky cliffs are both foreboding and welcoming at the same time.

Capri island has been a holiday destination and fishing village since before Roman times. One Roman emperor, Tiberius, loved the island so much that he built a huge estate here and effectively ran the Roman empire from Capri from 27 AD til his death in 37 AD. Not a bad place to work from!

Clara and "Greenie" the shiny Capri beatle

Prayers in the 17th century Church of Santo Stefano

We arrive at Marina Grande, without much of a plan. We only have about 5 hours to spend so the amount of things we can do with the munchkins is limited. First thing we hike up the steep roads leading from Marina Grande to the Piazzetta in Capri town. I can feel the recent illness in the steep hills and end up as the caboose of our little people chain. Clara hangs out with me and tells me all kinds of stories about her new “pet” “Greenie” – the shiny beetle that she found on a wall. I’m glad for the company. I’ve had some sad news that my Uncle Terry – my father’s brother – has taken a turn for the worse in his battle with melanoma, and isn’t expected to recover.

We reach the top of the long winding pathway and pop out onto the main square. We’ve told the kids about Uncle Terry and they all want to go into the main church there to say a prayer. Even Liana kneels down to light a candle and sends a good thought and prayer to our dyeing loved one. It’s pretty emotional as Uncle Terry epitomised all the goodness and kindness in this world, and inspired all of us to be better, more humble people.

Views from Tragara to UP to Mount Solaro 

This water is irresistible

Leaving Capri town we walk along the Belvedere of Tragara and drink up every drop of oohing and awing of the amazing view as it unfolds past pine trees, swirling mist and expensive villas.  Capri town is in the saddle between two mountains. You do not realise the size of the cliffs until you are standing under them looking up in awe.  

We picnic at the furthest spot along the way, with a lunch packed for us by the staff at our b&b. Looking down on Marina Picolo, Capri’s small port, the water begs us to jump into it, even though it is a thousand feet below. The cliffs are dotted with courageous umbrella pines and way down below are the boats, big and small of the holiday makers’ bob and streak through the azure vista. The spectacular Faraglioni rocks jut out of the ocean just off the coast to make a beautiful scene dramatic. Again we have glorious weather.

view from our picnic spot

Happy Family

A stroll, some window browsing and another session of oohing over the view and we are back to Capri town and the Piazzetta where I take a quick photo of my four intrepid kids. It captures the happiness that we all feel standing on this mass of rock, looking out into the calm, blue Tyrrhenian Sea. A sea that we’ve all decided that we much jump into no matter what!

Heading down the narrow streets to the marina

So, we leave off our plans to visit Ana Capri, Roman ruins and the chairlift that goes to the tippy top of Mount Solaro, and head straight to the tourist boats that circle the island. With hands full of Lemoncello smoothie (heaven in a glass) we take the hour tour around the island, seeing all of it’s different sides and colours. We see the giant Natural Arch and soaring caves and uber luxury yachts and even travel through the arch of the Faraglioni Rocks that we had been admiring from our picnic. According to local legend (or tourist legend if you are not in a romantic mood) all lovers must kiss when they sail through the caves to ensure their love will be eternal. We hear a loud UHHHHMMMM and turn around to see Liana smirking at us. Randy gave me a good smooch on the lips directly under the arch, which made Liana beam and Liam gag. Gotta love kids. And romantic husbands.

With the touristy stuff out of the way we all rush down to the white stone beach and begin frolicking in the perfect water. It’s refreshing and invigorating and just perfect. A sunny day on Capri. I could feel regret for the things we didn’t see, and things we didn’t do. But sometimes the right thing to do is to enjoy the moment and the little pleasures – like squealing kids and aqua coloured water.

 

Another night, another evening of footy at the church in Sorrento for Liam and of course an amazing Italian dinner. As Hans Christian Anderson once said:


“Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

I’m not sure if he meant flowers as in fields of spring poppies, or the flour that is making my perfect pasta dish – but I heartily agree with both.

Much love for now, from me and mine.  

At our b&b in Sorrento, the kids waiting patiently to go out for dinner

Campania, A Volcano and a Sunny Bench

Somewhere in the night my temperature spikes, I get a delirious fever and feel down right awful.


Wall frescos in Herculanium

When the alarm goes off I take as much panadol and ibuprofen as I can and hope it's just a quick bug. We are off to catch the train to Naples and see a different part of the country - Campania.

I do remember part of the train. I had set aside some of that time to work with the kids on their home work. (Oh yay, math first thing in the morning.) But by the time we reach our van tour/transfer the pain killers are already wearing off and I am thankful that the van is organised and ready to go. I curl up into a ball and remain so.




Four cute Romans in Herculanium

From the Naples train station we make a stop at Herculaneum to see the Roman seaside town that was covered by a pyroclastic flow from the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Covered in 20 meters of mud and ash it remained perfectly preserved for 1600 years! This is where the rich people from Pompeii would have had their beach homes. It may not be as big as Pompeii, but the fresco's are very well preserved and the two story wooden houses give you the feel of walking down an ancient Roman street.


After Randy and the kids have had enough (I moved my foetal position from the van to a bench) our driver, Tony, suggested that we go up on Mt. Vesuvius for lunch. He took us to a little boutique vineyard that makes all their own food. The owner met us and took everyone (sans moi) around to see the grapes and feel the soil and admire the view from this lovely spot. I don't eat, but the food looks amazing. Fresh bruschetta, spaghetti with home grown tomatoes. And wine tasting. Randy says it is fantastic. Somehow food can really impart the feeling of the land that cannot be shared any other way. Taste is a wonderful sense.

Learning about the forum in Pompeii



Clara makes bread in a perfectly preserved Roman oven

Pompeii, the grand highlight of this area. (At least in the kids fascinated minds.) What must it have been like all those years ago when the ash and smoke started falling down the mountain and covering the city. There was warning of course and many Romans would have left days before, but many thousands died that day. Pompeii does something to the imagination. Maybe because the city is still fairly intact, and you can see the shadow of Mount Vesuvius always present, it is easy to put yourself in the shoes of the people and what they went through on that day.

And what a find for the interested archaeologist. It is a perfectly preserved Roman town, frozen for all eternity during the time of the Pax Romana. The small details that aren't written about in the Roman histories and aren't usually found in archaeological digs were preserved. In Herculaneum some 300 bodies were found, preserved by the mud, where Romans usually cremated their bodies. In Pompeii the people were literally encased in ash and the space where their bodies lay were perfectly preserved. The archaeologist who uncovered them made plastic casts of the people which still lay where they died on August 24, 79 AD.....

I transferred to another sunny bench and again Randy and the kids went in without me. They hired a guide who was excellent. The girls came back to find me and couldn't stop talking about how they were able to grind grain on the ancient mills. And they walked through the forum and sold olive oil. They were in a real Roman bathhouse with real Roman tiles. He really engaged their little imaginations.They were Romans for the day. Perfect.

Lucky for me I have been here before so when they describe their experiences I can imagine exactly what they saw.

And so we end our day in the town of Sorrento, on the other side of the lovely Bay of Naples from where we left our train this morning.

The next days are a bit of a blur. I know that I am sick. I know that the wonderful people who run the Palazzo Montefusco (our b&b) take me to the hospital in Sorrento and I get antibiotics and other stuff. The owners wife makes me chicken soup. Randy keeps the kids busy and happy. They all check on me, give me love and show me their special purchases and tell me about their discovery of gelato and crepes. I feel all their love and I'm sure it helped me get better - eventually.

After three days I emerge on wobbly legs and take my first walk around the old town. Our b&b is an ancient building 1,000 years old right in the heart of the walk-only downtown. The streets are cobblestone and everywhere there is lemoncello and fresh fruit. Italy may be in an economic crisis, but the focus is still on having a good life. Liam shows off the lemon that is the size of Juliet's head. The old man who sells them laughs. These are the moments that make us humans happy.

I am happy to be out of my sick bed, but still not up for much. I am glad to be able to enjoy the kids and my amazing husband and this beautiful town.

Tomorrow is Friday and it's our last day for making a visit to the Montessori School that I have been in touch with in Naples.....

Vatican and Gladiator School

Vatican and Gladiators - Last Day in Rome

We get a very early start as the Vatican City can get very crowded.  Ding dong ding goes the alarm. A whole lot of groaning ensues. A taxi ride later and we are cruising past the walls of the worlds smallest country - the Vatican City. Home to his holiness the Pope and a vast museum of history and art. It's Liam's second choice of things to see on this trip so despite growling about having to wake up early he is at his best - for the time being.

We've booked a few special tours on our trip, mostly through Context Travel, who specialise in small groups and family oriented tours. This morning is one of them. "The Vatican City for Families." It comes with an early entrance to the Vatican City and our own personal guide who is not only a historian but also trained in inquiry learning for children.Given the sheer scale of the Vatican it seems it would be one of the places that would best be explained by a professional.

It turns out to be the right call.

We meet Francesca at a little coffee shop across the street from the Vatican City entrance. I'm so glad we have her, just to navigate the crush of people, if nothing else. She gets us efficiently into the Vatican City, which isn't necessarily an easy feat. Although the general admission doesn't open for nearly an hour the queue of people already go a city block down the ancient walls.

Entering the Vatican City Museum

The entrance is all new, all modernised since I was last here. New high tech entrance facilities and moving stair ways. Security guards and surveillance cameras. Such a testament to how the world is going.

As we have thirty minutes before the general public are allowed in we decide to go straight to the Sistine Chapel to see it before the crazy hoards descend. That way we will be allowed to spend more time there and hopefully Francesca can actually explain what we are seeing. Not just get a quick peek at the figures and be herded through.

One of the ceilings of the hallways!!
(No pictures allowed in the Sistine Chapel)

We rush past amazing treasures. Statues. Paintings. Ceilings in Tromp D'oil that look so real it's hard to imagine anyone can be that talented. Sometimes we even have the hallways to ourselves. That is something that I wasn't expecting!

Finally we enter the  Sistine Chapel. It was famously painted by Michelangelo, who spent five years on the scaffolding creating his scenes. Apparently he worked so long and hard that he messed up his eyesight and back from standing in the contorted position for so long. A real perfectionist genius. He was the darling of Lorenzo de Medici "the Magnificent" of Florence and a name the is synonymous with the Renaissance and art of all kind.

Really and truly the paintings are amazing. I saw it when I was a teenager, but really didn't know what I was looking at. To be honest last time I saw it I thought that it looked more like a bunch of muscled contorted bodies on a ceiling and didn't give it much thought. (Ah, teenager hood!)


Everyone has seen the famous picture of God giving the touch of life to Adam, but there is so much more here than just that one painting. Slowly, and taking the time to answer all the questions that the kids throw at her, Francesca tells us the stories painted on the walls. Not just creation and the spectacular Judgement day, that covers the entire back wall behind the alter, but the other smaller stories that show man's need for the guidance by God. The drunkenness of Noah, the Great Flood  and Moses getting the Commandments from god. Clara was particularly excited to see that one as she has recently been there to Mount Sinai herself. It's the stories of the bible - both old and new - come to life in vivid detail. I feel like even if I had never read the bible I would know about the main characters and what they did. And a little about a the man who devoted half a decade of his life to paint them.

Roman Statuary

We are lucky enough to have the chapel for almost forty five minutes without huge crowds. When the people start pushing in, and the guards start getting grumpy and shushing everyone, we back track to see some of the other treasures of the museum. There is so much here - art, architecture, statuary, books, clothing - ancient, medieval, even modern!

We barely even scratched the surface of everything on display in the three hours that we have. I loved the long hall of maps that were painted to represent all of Italy. Randall and Liana were taken with the Roman statuary. And Liam was trying to figure out the meaning of the fig leafs that were strategically placed on most of the statues, and giggled whenever he found one that didn't have the leaves. Francesca got to explain to him about the pope who was offended by the naked statues and covered them up. Better her than me... but then he had just seen the story of the serpent on the roof of the Sistine chapel!

Eventually our tour comes to an end and it's time to say good bye to Francesca. We make our way back to the Sistine Chapel (which is more or less the end of the Vatican museum, before you get to St. Peters Basilica). This time we are with all the main tourists. It is a CRUSH. We are literally touching bodies with all the people around us as we moo-ve down the corridors (the ones we so recently had to ourselves). We finally have to reenter the Sistine chapel to get to the exit into St Peters Basilica on the other side and it becomes worse. I am completely claustrophobic of all the people. It's awful. I can't imagine a single person in that room has a chance to absorb any of the spirituality that was intended for that ceiling.

I pick up Juliet to keep her from getting stepped on (just imagine what her view was of that place! LOL) and we literally fight to get out on the other side. Eventually we pop out and are aside the basilica. The crush lets off as some people veer off to climb the steps to the top of the dome and others go to the souvenir shop and the rest enter the basilica, like us.

St. Peters Basilica was designed in part by...... Michelangelo.... yes, none other than the painter of the Sistine chapel. Back in the 16th century if you were an artist it was important to be well versed in all the arts - not a painter, or a sculptor or an architect - but all three! And St. Peters is amazing. Michelangelo (who was in his 70's) was arm twisted into becoming the architectural overseer by the pope and his influence shaped the church as it is today. It's the tallest dome in the world (inspired in part by the Pantheon as well as Florence's Duomo). It is the largest Christian church in the world and is a pilgrimage site for millions of people, an icon now of the catholic religion, and also of the ingenuity of the Renaissance period.

Liam is unimpressed. He tries to argue with me that the Pantheon is actually bigger. I know what he means. The Pantheon seems bigger without all the clutter of the icons and statuary to hide its austere dome. But really, it is not possible, even for Liam, to be unimpressed for long. Once you allow your eyes to be overwhelmed by the sensual nature of the building and just go with it you get drawn into a whole new sense of Christianity. The love of showing off, if I can say that. The amazing gold leaf, marble and paintings everywhere.

Four hours of being in the smallest country in the world and our kids have had enough of culture and religion. We go down the street for a pizza while the noon bells dong away across the city. It's time to go back to our lovely little apartment and pack up before heading out on our afternoon adventure. The kids number one excitement for Roma - GLADIATOR SCHOOL!

I saw the recommendation for Gladiator School on Trip Adviser and did a few searches online and finally a link to contact them. I must say it is quite a bit off the beaten track in Rome, not very touristy, hard to find..... but totally worth it!

Our taxi got us lost finding the correct address on the Apian Way (still haven't figured out if he did it on purpose for the opportunity to charge us an extra few euros) we discovered the recreation of an ancient Roman fort just off the Apian Way. The people who have started this are part of the recreation society of Rome and take their Roman gladiator history very serious!

I am not signed up (as Juliet is not old enough to participate) so just Randall and the three big kids get to change into Roman togas and go into the museum and get a personal explanation about the Roman fighting machine and how it worked. What weapons they used. How they built their fortresses and defences. Liam gets a gleam in his eye as he wears the helmet and raises the swords of the ancient Roman legions. The kids know a bit about the history of Rome, so this brings a lot of the things they know and the places they saw come together in a hands on way.

Before long they are out on the dirt practise arena. Their teacher gives them wooden swords and teaches them the blocks and strikes that any gladiator of the 1st century ad would use in battle and they work on it for over an hour. I am impressed with the way they are all brought into the "class" if you will. You'd think Clara was truly fighting for her life with the dedication that she put into her blocks.

Finally they get to have a one on one "battle" with the teacher in the small arena and come away with sweaty clothes and gigantic smiles on their faces. Before we leave each one of them are given "Roman Citizenship" and a Roman name.
Liana becomes Flavia
Randall becomes Crixus (after a famous gladiator of ancient times)
Clara becomes Invicta (meaning invincible for her courageous fighting in the ring)
Liam is given the name Maximus (probably because he has the potential to go all the way)

It's been a long and satisfying day. We're exhausted. After a spaghetti dinner in the Piazza de Spagna  we finish the packing and go to bed as early as possible. I've been feeling unwell all day so I can't wait to get horizontal. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Rome and head south to Naples and the Sorrento coast. Our train awaits early in the morning. Buona Notte. Goodnight.

Church and Rain, Roman Sunday

Church and Rain

Sunday morning.

Now that's a hot chocolate!

Even with the double glazed windows and shutters I can hear the church bells ringing. I have promised to take Clara to church today so I pop out of bed, leave my boys sleeping, put on a nice dress and take all three girls down the street to the nearest church, which, being Rome, is not very far away.

Of course it is a catholic church, and the mass is in Latin and Italian, but somehow we manage to get the gist of the service and have a few moments of pure spirituality. It's hard not to, with the amazing paintings all around us and the centuries of prayers having been offered here. I don't even know the name of this church, but it is very beautiful. Eighteenth century I would say. Amazing painted ceilings and gold leafed statues. Liana has come with, even though she HATES anything "religious"... It is good for her to experience something like this and I hope with some exposure she can accept that there is a Divine aspect to this universe. I won't make her choose her religion, but I want her to be aware of it.

Clara and Juliet on the Spanish Steps

The church winds up, and we file out with the rest of the faithful just as the rain starts to fall. We find a close by cafe and have some coffee for me and chocolate for the girls. It's a great time to talk about the different types of religions. We've spent a good deal of this trip in Muslim countries to date, so we can compare the differences in the mosque vs the catholic church vs the Baptist church we went to in NZ before the trip. It's also a good chance to talk about the Divine and how it can inhabit all places of worship, no matter what title they give themselves.

We get back to the apartment to find that Randall is not feeling well and Liam had tried to follow us to church - only to be apprehended by a little old lady and returned safely to our apartment.

I make a Sunday brunch and put Randall back to bed.

It's still raining and the kids are getting ancy so we unearth our rain jackets from the suitcase and make some plans.

Liam has wanted to see the Mouth of Truth ever since he got his "'Not For Parents" book about Rome so I decide to take them there. We create a "Team Family" mission and they help with the planning of our expedition. Looking at the map we have to cross most of Rome, but that's good as these guys need a good hike to get the restless energy out.



Liam and I put our hands in together....

It takes a good hour, Juliet stomps in every puddle she sees. Clara stomps in only half. Liana and Liam are not quite sure about who is going to take up the other side of our "formation", since it is only me with the four of them, and the number two in command position is quite coveted. We work it out and manage to get to the Bocca Della Verita without a single glitch.....

The Mouth of Truth (Bocca Della Verita) is an ancient Roman carving that legend says will bite the hand off of any liar who sticks his hand in it's mouth. Liam wanted to see it, but has some reservations about actually sticking his hand in. Funny that.

Liam pretends to have his hand bitten off, making sure his sisters do not put their hands in.... My little comedian!

We have to wait in line to see the statue, a switch from when I was a kid and we just walked right in, but the kids don't mind. When we finally get up there Liam makes a deal with me to put our hands in at the same time (little monkey!) so we do. We come out with our hands in tact. Then Liana puts her hand in no worries. (She's too big to be scared by a carving!) But both Clara and Juliet chicken out. Not surprising. They are still at the lovely age where they believe these things.

We enter the ancient church afterwards. It is an Orthodox church from the 12th century so a bit different from the one we were in this morning. We light candles at the alter. I send my prayers to my Uncle Terry (my dad's brother who is fighting cancer) and the kids each light a candle and I tell them to attach a good thought when they light the candle. Juliet says that she asked to have her Grandma and Grandpa come back alive. Oh, if only it worked that way!

The skull of St. Valentine is preserved in the church and the kids all get a good look. I am pretty sure I will get a few questions about the concept of relics in the coming days. Not sure if I completely understand the practise since I am pretty sure it says in the bible that is is wrong to worship idols, but then I am no authority!

Inside the Orthodox Church

The rest of the day is pretty cruisy. Lot's of puddle splashing and of course a big pizza at the end. Randall and I decide that it's time to limit the kids to pizza at only one meal per day instead of three. At least switch it up to spaghetti every other meal!!!

Tomorrow is our last day in Rome and we have saved our two special tours for the day. It should be very fun......

Liam lights a candle in front of the skull of St. Valentine

All Roads Lead to Rome

All Roads Lead to Rome

I have a brilliant idea.



Trevi Fountain

Let's take the tourist bus that does the loop around Rome. We can hop on and off when we want and see a few sights that we won't want to walk to. Yes, I know the agenda is the Colosseum, but this will get us there....

Sounds good, but the Green bus I picked was a bit of a dog. Something like 60 Euro later we are sitting on the bus just outside of the Trevi fountain (for the first time I haven't thrown a coin in, I am panicking this doesn't mean that I won't return!!!) but it goes forward 5 minutes and stops at Piazza Barbarini and waits for over 20 minutes before moving on to the next stop (Termini) where it waits for another 20 minutes. The kids are not impressed. Randall is not impressed. OK, i am not impressed either! It's hard to watch the red but doing the same itinerary but moving continuously, without these 20 minute breaks!!

Outside the Colosseum and Forum

Getting our money back won't happen and I am still a bit of a Nazi when it comes to the budget so we stick it out on the bus, slowly passing all the most famous places in Rome (I don't think i will EVER get the monument to Victor Emanuelle, I mean really, what on earth did he accomplish in life to achieve such a grandiose monument??????)

Finally we hop bus at the Colosseo - the most famous Roman amphitheatre in the world. It was started by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and was finished by his son Titus in 80 AD. It has been home to the famous gladiator fights as well as all sorts of other spectacles to keep the Roman public entertained. What is the saying: Bread and Circuses?

We side step the long line for the Colosseum and buy our joint Colosseum/Forum tickets at the entrance to the Palatine Hill and Roman forum. It saves us a good hour of line waiting and with kids, that is ALWAYS a good idea.

All of us in the Roman Forum

We spend a full three hours walking through the ancient Roman forum and then up on the Palatine Hill. Centuries of trade and business happened here. The forum was where business was done. People prayed. Deals were made. There were celebratory arches for great deed done by emperors. Temples. It's hard to put your head in the space that the Romans were in back then. Large scale buildings to impress the might of the empire onto citizens and travellers alike. To see it now, it looks like a whole lot of marble that has been toppled. There are some walls still left, but most of the beautiful marble has been stripped over the years to create new buildings around Rome, leaving just the inner shell of bricks standing.

The big kids are really into the whole aura of the place. And the little girls are on the hunt for the Roman fountains that we are continually filling our water bottles from.

I just love the red Mediterranean poppies that are pushing out of all the ruins. The remind me of my mom and how much she used to love seeing these colourful little flowers whenever we came to Europe in the spring. They are a cheerful addition to the scene. Like they are saying to us that life goes on, no matter how old the ground is.



Clara in front of the poppies

After touring through the Roman forum, the temple of the vestal virgins we wander through the Palatine Hill. As Liam is very proud to point out, it is one of the original seven hills that Rome was built upon. It is also the hill that the Roman emperors had their palaces on. There are so many ruins it boggles the mind.

Foot weary we toddle out of the ruins, to see the inside of the Colosseum, but alas, somewhere along the way we've lost our tickets!! No matter what we say they won't let us in, and there is no way we are going to pay the entrance fee a second time.

Liana and Liam in the Forum

With sad big kids (they so want to see the inside of the huge building) and happy little girls (they are sooooo over looking at ruined buildings) we head back to the bus. We take the same halting type of trip back to our little region of Rome. On the way back we pass by the circus maximus and a good drive along the Tiber River a long stop at St Peters square. I make a quick hop off the bus at this point and manage to carry six gelato's back to the bus. I must look like a professional because there are tourists taking pictures of me carrying the six dripping cones as I dodge traffic to get back to the bus.

We finally exit at the bus at the tomb of Augustus Ceaser and head back to our apartment and one of the amazing cafes for dinner.

It's been a long day of sightseeing for these guys, and a well deserved pizza is always appreciated. Tomorrow is a new day. Sunday in Rome. We can relax a little.

Rome - The Eternal City

Rome - The Eternal City

And here starts our European discoveries.

We're off the ship bright and early and catch the train from Civitiveccia to Roma Termini and from there take two taxi's (we really don't fit all into one, especially with our suitcases!) to the Spanish Steps. Apart from having to stand over our baggage the entire train ride, as the luggage compartments were full, it was pretty darn smooth.

I'm a little nervous because I have booked an apartment for us here and didn't have any references or even a trip adviser report to go off of. (And it gives me something to worry about, since that is my favourite past time!) It turns out to be absolutely stellar. It doesn't have every modern appliance or feature, but it is a clean and tidy three bedroom apartment in an ancient palazzo on a pedestrian street just a block from the Spanish Steps. Opening our bedroom shutters we can hang out over Via Le Carrozze and watch the people walking by and eating at the various cafes. Bliss.

We are determined to get through our laundry as none of us have much in the way of underwear.This is a priority. LOL Our little home has a little laundry machine, and soon the entire kitchen is covered in our clothes drying.

Enough domesticity, it's time to explore the city. First off, PIZZA! The kids favourite food and it's everywhere. They are immediately in love with Rome. And who can blame them. The Italians have beautiful buildings, good fashion sense, a long history and amazing food.

We don't have any specific plans for the day, which is more than half over anyway, so we do a great deal of wandering around, which is my favourite way to get to know a city. (Although, Randall and I have both been here several times each, so it's hardly a strange city.) I've got the map and am a bit tense after my last navigational experience in Dubai, but even if I had gotten us lost, the streets are so interesting, and the different styles of architecture can keep everyone entertained.

After the obligatory climb up the beautiful Spanish Steps, which are covered in pink flowers (spring time!!!!) we stop for a gelato before setting our cap for the Pantheon. Liam has built a model of this building at home and knows a bit about it's construction. It was originally commissioned by Marcus Agripa and finished by the Emperor Hadrianin 126 AD, the Pantheon was a temple to honor all the gods of ancient Rome. It is one of the best preserved Roman buildings and has been in continuous use for nearly 2,000 years. It is still the largest unsupported concrete dome ever built. From the 6th century AD it was converted into a Roman Catholic church, which is why it has been so well preserved over the years.

A few wrong turns and we pop out onto the Piazza della Rotunda and stand gaping at the Pantheon. I have been here several times before, but somehow it seems so much larger this time. Maybe because I am seeing it through the eyes of my children. The big kids are suitably impressed. Coming from our background, to pop out of a city of beautiful buildings onto a piazza filled with laughter, cafes, stores, water fountains, birds and ancient temples/churches is so foreign, we may as well be back in Arabia with burka's and camels. I am glad that the big kids "get it". I sincerely hope that this feeling will stay with them and help them to achieve and learn more about the world in the coming years.

Randall is clicking away on the camera and finally we head into the building itself. The large hole in the dome lets in the last sunlight of the evening. It's crowded, but not overly, so we are able to take our time and appreciate the melding of Roman and Christian themes of the building. Raphael's tomb is here. Clara spends a few minutes to say a prayer at the alter. And Liam stands underneath the dome for ages trying to work out the angles used in erecting the huge cement dome. I must find more ways to get mathematics and architecture in his life.

Next we aim generally for the direction of the Piazza Navona. Randall and I want to show the kids the culture and history of Europe, but without being on the strict scheduling of tours that my parents did, or the see, but have no idea what you are looking at, format that his parents adopted. So we try to keep it light. A little shopping after the Pantheon history lesson. A stop to check the score of a soccer game in the window of a restaurant. It's a brilliant walk. It's so enjoyable to be in this city. Kind of like being home, although I cannot imagine ever living here. Strange kind of feeling!

Piazza Navona

Liam at thE Pantheon

Spanish Steps, Come ON  Mum!

At The Pantheon

Piazza Della Rotunda with the Pantheon in the Back

At Bernini's fountain of the four rivers in the Piazza Navona

Inside the Pantheon

The Piazza Navona is beautiful.

I'm sure anyone who has been here would agree... Once the Roman "Stadium of Domitian" built in the first century AD, you can still see the outline of where the chariots raced. It is now a large oblong Piazza with churches and cafes and all sorts of touristy shops selling some outrageously touristy things.

The church bells ring and our stomachs growl. I'm sure we could get a less expensive dinner else where but now is when we are hungry so we sit down at a cafe directly across from the famous fountain sculpted by Bernini (and topped by the obelisk of Domitian) depicting the four famous rivers of the 17th century world and enjoy pizza and pasta and a cold Italian beer.

Gelato Excitement

Tomorrow we promise the kids to delve more into the Roman side of Rome. So a good night sleep is on the agenda to be ready for some serious touristying tomorrow! Buonna Note! Ciao.