We’re back in PDX after a marathon day of flying (SOMEDAY I want to fly first class, OMG, that looks comfy).

Anyway, we thought we’d post a few of the Flat/Creased/Rumpled Benjamin photos that had yet to be published. Enjoy…

Actually, this last one is Original Benjamin. 🙂

Its our final day in Roma.  The morning was spent checking in for our flights tomorrow and how that all transpires.  We spent the afternoon at The Pantheon and visiting several churches around our part of Roma.  Its 5pm local time.  We will be catching a cab at 5:30 am tomorrow for an hour cab ride to the airport then the flight leaves at 9:15am.  We fly Rome to Atlanta 11 hours then to Portland 6 hours.  So now is the other tough part of the trip … The long flight home … It has been a wonderful trip.  I will post pics online this coming weekend…. We are all ready to be home …

Ben and Marty having one last glass of chianti…

Just a quick note here about our excellent traveling partner, Scott.

It’s been great to have him along (would’ve loved to have Ben with us too, but it was just not possible). Scott has put up with us (and by “us” I mean me, Bunny) for two and a half weeks with endless good humor. He made us laugh (often) and ponder big and little questions (almost as often).

A couple of his bons mots:

As the navigator for Marty’s driving: (you have to know here that roundabouts are everywhere): “Dad, you take the whirly-q up here. Don’t forget it’s a whirly-q, not a loop-de-loop.”

As novice tour guide: “All roads lead to Rome. And all roads in Rome lead to the gift shop.”

I think you get the picture. Or not? Maybe you had to be there!

In any event, THANK YOU, SCOTT for making this trip more fun!

In Golf you always want that last drive of the day to be a good one because “it will make you want to come back”.  That’s what today was … a long straight drive.  The Sistene chapel and St Peters Basilica. We started the tour at the Vatican museum.  It was full of sculptures, paintings and tapestries.  Then we were lead into the Sistine chapel where Michelangelo painted the ceiling.  We used a Rick Steve’s app on our phones to have Rick lead us thru the different parts of the paintings on the ceiling.  It was mesmerizing. The fascinating thing for me was how small the actual chapel was (or seemed).  The whole chapel was134 ft long by 44 ft wide and 68 ft high.  Then the people inside were elbow to elbow which made it seem smaller yet.  I guess I had always imagined it would be a much bigger place.  No pictures were allowed in this chapel.

We then found the “secret doorway” to St Peter’s basilica (thanks, Dave! 🙂 ). 

This is the biggest church in the world.  It measures at 730 ft long 500 ft wide and 452 ft high at its tallest place.  We used the Rick Steve’s app once again to lead us thru St Peter’s Basilica. 

We got out of that at 4 pm and our feet were tired.  We found a nice place for drinks, bruchetta and pizza then we had to hussle off to pick up tickets for the papal audience tomorrow.  The nun who gave us the tickets said we should be there by 7 am to get a good seat and that it would last until after noon. Not sure if that’s gonna happen or not.  Besides, we’ve already seen “Papa Francesca”. We were near the Trevi Fountain so we stopped to see that.  It is spectacular at night all light up.  Then it was stopping for our nightly gelato before turning in for the night. 

When Bunny first told me that the place we are staying in Rome is on a busy square I had no idea what we were to be seeing out our apartment window.  The main concern would be the noise.  What it has been is a wonderful view in to life in Rome.  Campo dei Fiori goes from a Portland Saturday market during the day to an outdoor night club at night.  The day start really ear!y.  The vendors start setting up at6 am.  By 9am most vendors have set up and are already receiving customers.  They sell fresh fruit, hats, scarves, liquor, fresh flowers, magazines and books, and many many other items.  This is a place that many locals will get their items while tourists also are looking for items. By 4 pm the vendors have begun the process of breaking down and the Italian zambonis are out cleaning up the square.  By 6 pm the square is completely cleaned out of venders.  The street vendors are out selling roses,fancy  flashlights, lighted flying toys and other assorted items.  The sidewalk cafes extend out into the square and are full at 8pm.  The square is a constant buzzing sounds of people talk and laughing and yelling.  I had heard that the local younger crowd comes to the square later in the evenings to meet up at the eating and drinking establishments.  Luckily our bedroom windows do not open right onto the square.  We have a buffer.  The living room windows look over the square. 

Here is the square just about set up for the day

Here is the square just about cleaned for the day. The red and white vehicle is the upper left is a street sweeper we call the Italian zamboni.

Here is the square at 8 pm with the street vendors hard at work selling to tourists.
This is an incredible transformation that happens everyday.

Today we traced the rise and fall of the Roman empire. The “rise and fall” meant lots of walking up and down stairs.
But it was worth it. We saw the Colosseum. Wow! It was really very easy to visualize the action there: the gladiators, the crowds, the lions, the Christians. Truth is really stranger than fiction.

Then we visited the Roman Forum. Fascinating! My favorite spot was the palace of the vestal virgins. If they didn’t make it through thirty years of abstinence, they were buried alive with a loaf of bread and a lamp. ?? Again, truth is stranger than fiction.

The weather continues to be incredible! We’re told by the locals that this is unusual, that March is usually rainy. But we just had that first evening of rain and then sun ever since. As my sainted mother used to say, “bad start, good finish.” That’s been true so far for this trip…

It’s St. Patrick’s day so we’re heading out to the only Irish bar in the area, Mad Jacks. :):)

Rome is gona be a lot of walking.  Its almost like we did the trip backwards.  We should have started in Rome when we were fresh and ready to do lots of walking.  Then finish in Nice where most of the trip was sitting and driving. 
Anyway we have 3 full days left in Rome and it looks like they are all gonna be walking days. 
Today we were at St Peters to see Pope Francis speak at noon.  It was a half hour walk and waiting for an hour to see him.

We really couldn’t see him that well except on the jumbotron.  Also he spoke in Italian,  I guess they do that here, so we couldn’t understand him.  Otherwise it was great !!!. (If you look closely in the picture above you can see the pope in the window)

The pic above is all the people leaving the square after the pope spoke.
It may not sound like it but I am really enjoying the trip. Rome is an incredible place. The amount of people all over the place is unbelievable and they are from all over the world…

We then came back to the apartment.  We ate calezone at a restaurant in the square outside oura apartment,  then we were off to see the coliseum.  We finally found the ticket line and got tickets so we can go tomorrow.  So it was back to the apartment to rest the feet and get ready for more walking tomorrow.  Everywhere you look here there are old buildings or ancient ruins.

What a Drive.  We were fine til about 10 minutes from our destination.  In that time We went down train tracks the wrong way and then went into a bus station the wrong way which was explictiedly noted by one bus driver using hand signals.  In the end we stopped and asked a policeman how to get to the car drop off sight.  He was very nice and really gave good directions … Sort of … We followed his directions and proceeded to get lost again.  Not sure how but we did locate the europcar drop location.  Dropped off the car and then caught a cab to Campo di Fiorra.  The drive with the taxi cab driver taught bunny that I really wasn’t that bad of a driver.  28 euros later we arrived at our destination.  We were early so we grabbed the table at a restaurant closest to the door of our place.  A bottle of Cianti and 3 bruschettes later Allen shows up to take us to our room.  What a view.  Here is a video of what’s happening right outside our window at 8 pm at night.  It is a spectacular view with lots happening in the square just below our apartment.

That machine in the lower right hand corner is a street sweeper. We call it the italian zamboni.
Tomorrow its off to see the Pope.
Here we go on the last few days of Europe 2014 trip.

In our first trip to Europe in 2012 our trip was split up in three different segments.  This trip is also segmented.  The first part was the French Riveria.  Oh La La …. It was more about beauty and the french language and people.  Today ended the second part of this trip which was Florence and the hill towns.  More about history and ancient buildings, churches and art.  I am always amazed that we come all this way to see a gate structure built in 40 BC.  These people pass stuff like this every day on their way to work.  Our house on Hancock in Portland turns one hundred years old this year.  That’s nothing over here. 
The hill town structure was primarily for defense from other hill town communities.  With their high towers to see on coming mauraders and walls around each town.  There are many stories of different hill town communities attacking and conquering each other.  As you drive along you can see hill towns all over the place. Each one with there own fascinating structures and history. Here is one you probably can’t see from my driver side window.

Today these hill towns are thriving on the tourism … The streets are lined with souvenir shops and leather goods (oh and a lot of gelato shops).  Yet the history art and stories are still there to see and imagine what those days were like. 
Today we were in Siena.  I think it has been my favorite hill town so far.  It was the biggest we have seen.  The streets were alive with shops and tourist yet the center square and duomo (church) were spectacular.  We ate at a resturant recommended by Rick Steve’s (of course).  Bunny walked in with the book in hand.  The waitor saw this and immediately began to tell us about how he met Rick and he was mentioned in the book.  Yes we had met the famous Amadao.  He asked where we were from.  When we told him Portland oregon and he got really excited and said he had been to Portland and loved it.  Of course first thing he !mentioned was Voo Doo donuts.  (I have to go there some day). He went on and on about how he had been to NY, wash DC, Philly, Boston … Yet his favorite town was Portland.  I found it a little ironic.  Here we were visiting his spectacular town while he is going on about our home town.  I have to get out and about more when we get back to Portland and see that wonderful town.  Amadao was wonderful … Very gragagrious (not sure what that means) …

(Ben made it into the picture … Scott didn’t)
We finished a bottle of chianti and some good food and were off to see Siena.  We walked around and then sat in the square and had coffee and decided to get gelato and head back to the car.  Well we walked for 2 hours looking for the car.  “No its this way”. “No I think its this way” … Well we finally found our way and got back to the apartment.  The hill town portion of the trip is over.  Off to Rome….
We will be dropping off the car tomorrow in Rome as soon as we get there. I walked around the car when we got back and it looks like we have made it so far without putting a scratch on the rental car. It only had 900 miles or kilometers on it when we got it. Its a Dacia … Not sure who makes it. It drives really nice but we have had some close calls. The closest was yesterday. We were on the A1 coming back from San gingmanmo. A car was merging … I couldnt get over so I slowed down to let them in. They decided there wasn’t enough room so they stopped. I had slowed down to almost a stop to allow them to get on. So cars are wizzing by in the left lane luckily the large bus behind me was able to get over. I hit the gas and left that merging car stopped on the on ramp. I am not sure what the rules are in Italy for how to treat merging vehicles into a freeway. I did what I think I was suppose to do .. Slow down to let them in…



Bunny wants to get a cat now. Not sure how were gonna get it on the plane …

Today we spent the day at two hill towns northwest of Siena (there are literally dozens of hill towns – the most difficult task is to narrow down the choices to just a manageable few).

So we chose to visit Volterra and San Gimignano (we finally learned to pronounce the name correctly – sorta – sahn jee-meen-YAH-noh. We had been referring to it as San Chimichanga 🙂 bad joke).

BUT before we left Montepulciano we took a picture of Lucca (who rented this great apartment to us) and Creased/Rumpled Benjamin. His friend Carlotta is on the far left. Lucca is soooo nice. 🙂

On to Volterra which was made somewhat famous by the Twilight movies (New Moon was filmed in Volterra and Montepulciano). One of the gates to the city, the Etruscan Arch, was built in the fourth century BC. There is also a Roman amphitheater from 40 BC. Everything is soooo old here. We drove past what looked like a little walled castle on our way to Volterra – no sign or anything on it because (we’re thinking) it’s just another ancient building…
Anyway, we had another sloooow, delicious lunch and then strolled the city. Lovely.

San Gimignano: We got into San Gimignano around 6 – the crowds were leaving (it’s quite touristy) but the lighting was perfect for pictures. It really is a beautiful town and probably best enjoyed during the gloaming, twilight hours. Just you and the towers (14 of the original 72 medieval columns remain), the churches (they’re everywhere! our theme), the cobblestone streets, the quiet…