All roads lead back to me being in Rome

The last day in Florence was spent seeing the cathedral there (it was prettier on the outside than inside. I suspect they used up all the decoration before they got around to the inside.) Then shopping through the huge street market they have there. The word of the day was leather and we bought a lot of it. Mum picked up leather boots and a light blue leather jacket on sale for 75 euros, while I finally found my leather coat I've been looking for (at a relatively decent price too for a full length leather trench coat... and when I say decent I mean we got it for 290 euros!). It's black with a white collar and cuffs that can be hidden. It has a european cut and its loose so it flares around me when I walk but can be buttoned a tied with a belt no problem for the rain and it's lamb skin so it won't be hurt by water. I think it's going to be fantastic. Er, yeah, you can tell I like it, can't you?

So after that, we caught the train back to Rome to end up staying in this horrible hotel outside the city with a restaurant that should be written off the face of the earth. The less said about that the better though, so we woke up early took a taxi to drop off our bags, then caught a taxi to the Vatican. We got there just in time (though we didn't know it) to hear the midmorning mass (which was beautiful since it was sung in Latin by the choir there) and see the Pope which was funny since it took me awhile to realize it was him. He really ought to carry a sign with a little arrow pointing to his head saying who he is. Anyway, the vatican musuem was closed, so we went to the nearby castle (which has a nice armoury, though it was very small), then to lunch at the Navona fountains. Afterwards, we went to the national museum at palazzo altemps and saw the statue of the Dying Gaul, which isn't the Dying Gaul statue I've been looking forward to seeing (the one I want has been renamed the Capitoline Gaul and is appropriately enough at the Capitoline Musuem which we will visit tomorrow if possible) but it was still very nice. Then we caught a taxi to the Palotine hill which is basically the 'hollywood' (or I suppose, Beverly Hills) of ancient rome. Everyone used to live up there, from Nero to Cicero... and all at the same time of course. You wouldn't believe what it was like at the baths on friday night... j/k... The ruins were great to wander through with unexpected surprises like mosaics and grottos occasionally being revealed. The breaze on the hill problably reveals why all the rich wanted to live up there and it was quite nice to wander slowly through their houses (and it was huge, believe me). I was amused that the museum on top of the hill had soem rather random information and artefacts on Rome before 900BC.

We caught a taxi back to our hotel then since our feet still hurt and we'll be eating dinner soon, once I finish up doing our laundry again. You guys have no idea how much I'm looking forward to being back in my flat.

All roads lead back to me being in Rome

The last day in Florence was spent seeing the cathedral there (it was prettier on the outside than inside. I suspect they used up all the decoration before they got around to the inside.) Then shopping through the huge street market they have there. The word of the day was leather and we bought a lot of it. Mum picked up leather boots and a light blue leather jacket on sale for 75 euros, while I finally found my leather coat I've been looking for (at a relatively decent price too for a full length leather trench coat... and when I say decent I mean we got it for 290 euros!). It's black with a white collar and cuffs that can be hidden. It has a european cut and its loose so it flares around me when I walk but can be buttoned a tied with a belt no problem for the rain and it's lamb skin so it won't be hurt by water. I think it's going to be fantastic. Er, yeah, you can tell I like it, can't you?

So after that, we caught the train back to Rome to end up staying in this horrible hotel outside the city with a restaurant that should be written off the face of the earth. The less said about that the better though, so we woke up early took a taxi to drop off our bags, then caught a taxi to the Vatican. We got there just in time (though we didn't know it) to hear the midmorning mass (which was beautiful since it was sung in Latin by the choir there) and see the Pope which was funny since it took me awhile to realize it was him. He really ought to carry a sign with a little arrow pointing to his head saying who he is. Anyway, the vatican musuem was closed, so we went to the nearby castle (which has a nice armoury, though it was very small), then to lunch at the Navona fountains. Afterwards, we went to the national museum at palazzo altemps and saw the statue of the Dying Gaul, which isn't the Dying Gaul statue I've been looking forward to seeing (the one I want has been renamed the Capitoline Gaul and is appropriately enough at the Capitoline Musuem which we will visit tomorrow if possible) but it was still very nice. Then we caught a taxi to the Palotine hill which is basically the 'hollywood' (or I suppose, Beverly Hills) of ancient rome. Everyone used to live up there, from Nero to Cicero... and all at the same time of course. You wouldn't believe what it was like at the baths on friday night... j/k... The ruins were great to wander through with unexpected surprises like mosaics and grottos occasionally being revealed. The breaze on the hill problably reveals why all the rich wanted to live up there and it was quite nice to wander slowly through their houses (and it was huge, believe me). I was amused that the museum on top of the hill had soem rather random information and artefacts on Rome before 900BC.

We caught a taxi back to our hotel then since our feet still hurt and we'll be eating dinner soon, once I finish up doing our laundry again. You guys have no idea how much I'm looking forward to being back in my flat.