Day 8 – A week in… lots of sights… and more rain… and even hail

We’ve been in Italy a full week.  We’ve had some days with LOTS of sight-seeing… some days with “not much”… but today is going to be different.  This time the Magic Homeschool Bus will be journeying out alone.  The In Laws are planning on watching DN so that BIL/SIL & MIL2 can go on a Scavi Tour at the Vatican.  The Principal and I did that 4-1/2 years ago and it is TRULY a sight to see.  In fact, it’s SUCH a big deal that you have to write letters, be approved and make your reservation sometimes MONTHS in advance… AND, about 10-15 years ago they started limiting people to “once in a lifetime” so that more individuals could take advantage of the opportunity.

The Principal and I decided that we’d take the Ho-Ho bus with the kids from the Vatican to the 3^rd stop which is the “Victor Emmanuel” monument where they have (in the past 4-1/2 years) built a gate surrounding the front area, presumably to keep people from congregating on the steps.  You can still enter for free, but we discovered that you can’t sit on the steps, even for a photograph.  Odd, but when in Rome, right?

We decide the bus is too long a wait and walk along the streets up towards Trevi Fountain (which is apparently now past the Italian-looking Batman street performer).  Even in the rain, Trevi Fountain is phenomenal.  Making our way through the other tourists (and their umbrellas) we get up to where we can take a couple of pictures, toss a few coins, and make a new stop decision.

 

And the next in the series of "Remember When?" images.

Another thing on the kids “must see again” list is the Capuchin Monk Crypt.  Last time it was free (short of a small donation), this time they’ve added a full Capuchin Monk Museum that really was very interesting (not free, of course).  It was really top notch.  Lots of relics, watches, paintings… and then it progresses from the original Capuchins, their “heady arguments” that had to be settled by the Pope over whether or not the head covering for the monks was to be “rounded” or “pointed”.  Oh the things Christians argue over.  It then moved into the 20^th Century Capuchins and their missionary work all over the world.

After exiting the Museum (with no photos b/c they’re not allowed) you enter into the Crypt, which is what the kids remembered from last time.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_Crypt .  There’s no real way to describe it except to say that a whole BUNCH of monks’ skeletons (in the early 17^th century) were brought together, disassembled, and then used to decorate the walls & ceilings of 4 small rooms.  While the thought is gruesome at best… the artistic features of it are apparent also.  Who knew that clavicles, skulls, spinal vertebrae (etc) can be used so geometrically as decoration.  They don’t allow photos either, but Wikipedia has one on it.

The rain hasn’t stopped… but in looking at the map we realize that our feet are not going to make it to the next Roma Christiana bus stop with the rest of us.  A journey down to the closest subway system brings back all sorts of memories from our last trip where we practically lived on the bus/subway system and we arrive at the main station JUST in time to “hop on” the bus we need.  In trying to decide whether we are going to “hop off” at the Santa Maria Maggiore or the Santa Giovanni in Laterano… we opt for the latter.  Unfortunately, our bus decides not to stop at the 2^nd stop… and having voluntarily missed the previous one, we get off at the next stop … The Colosseum.

I think it’s bigger than the pictures. J  That will have to wait until tomorrow.  For now it’s raining a little too hard and a little too chilly to endure such a large outdoor event with so many steps – LOL!  A journey around the streets takes us to the Circus Maximus that is now essentially a large field (2000+ feet long), but you can still just imagine the 150,000 patrons watching the chariot races. 

One of the final “must do” sites for the kids in Rome was to stick their hands in the Bocca della Verita (the Mouth of Truth).  For those that haven’t seen Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn, the rule was (in the Middle Ages) that if you stuck your hand into the mouth and told a lie, the mouth (a face 7’ in diameter) would bite off your hand.  I wonder if I could get one of these for the house? :D (Editor's note - Actually... we have a 2" version on the fridge... but it couldn't do much more than fingernails).

Something that we must have forgotten since last time - They apparently have the skull of Saint Valentine in the church. Hmmm. That's certainly interesting (if not as inspiring as Paul or Peter's burial sites)... but (despite being hopeless romantics), the Prinipal and Staff just didn't feel the need to order roses and chocolates.

Another journey to another bus led us back around, through hail this time, back over to the Tiber River.  The Hop On bus picked us up and we decided we’d had enough fun for the day and would look for some sort of pizza place (surely we can find one, right?) More rain, more hail… but there is a gelateria that offers both shelter from the cold & rain as well as a couple of new flavors of gelato.



 

The rain lightens up and we head back out to where the Principal remembers a “Pizza by the Slice” place.  Formaggio e’ prosciutto (Cheese & ham) is the flavor of the day so we all say “yes, please” and take it back to the apartment.  Lunch and nap is good for the soul. One interesting note - we keep passing places that advertise hamburgers. We don't know whether the craze has swept the nation, or they're just catering to a tourist appetite (someone that wants to "experience" Italy without actually changing their lifestyle). They're incredibly expensive (often the equivelent of $25 or more with fries).

The Principal cooked for everyone tonight and  it was DE.LI.CIOUS as one might imagine.  I told him his pan friend gnocchi with pine nuts, pancetta, sage & parmesan was a “Company Repeat”.  After dinner several opted for gelato, the rest of us made a couple of phone calls.