Well it wasn't built in a day either
Apr. 16th, 2007 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mistletoeFinal installment today and sorry for the delay but I'm back at work and had a lot to do.
In other news I've just watched Queen starring Helen Mirren and I can honestly say that is the first Oscar winning performance I've enjoyed since Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird. The film was very good although seeing the farmer from Babe as Prince Philip was a bit strange. Alistair Campbell was presented as a conniving git and Cherie Blair was a cow. I enjoyed Sylvia Sims as a lush Queen Mother and was pleased to see a lack of exploitation of the boys. The only person involved to play themselves was Earl Spencer. I recommend it.
Good Friday dawned bright and hot contrary to CNN's cloudy forecast and it certainly brought out the tour groups. As a result any hope of getting into the Sistine chapel and St Peter's basilica had to be aborted as the queues were just too long.
So off to the Castell Sant'Angelo after a flurry of shopping on the stalls outside thw Vatican walls. I got three tee shirts at 5 euros each of the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain and Michaelangelo's God's finger touching Adam's - very reasonable. Pat also got an Italy top, with 4 stars on to show the 4 world cup victories and a free baseball cap for being such good customers.
Castell Sant'Angelo not far away down the Via Consolazione and more shopping on the way. This time a tour book for my mam and a lighter with the bocca della verita for me.
Castell Sant'Angelo had a tiny queue and we soon got in for 7 euros. This turned out to be Hadrian's tomb which I didn't know and was built to a helical design so one went up a spiral slope to get up to the chamber where the cremation urn was kept. I feel quite an affinity with Hadrian what with living near his Wall so that was an unexpected surprise. Needless to say the popes took the place over and used it as a defence and as a prison, among its inmates one Benvenuto Cellini.
The change of name was as the result of yet another miracle this time involving Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century. At the time of a serious outbreak of the plague he rallied the people to march up to the citadel praying to the virgin to intercede on the city's behalf. St Michael duly appeared and sheathed his sword to show the prayer was answered. The original statue has been replaced by a bronze one. Good photo opps up here.
The bridge was also built by Hadrian and is pedestrian only though you have to fight your way through the fly boys with their knock off handbags and sunglasses. The statues are by Bernini of course, showing saints bearing items from the stations of the cross.
Back down loads of the steps in the dark which I don't handle very well with my dodgy eyes but eventually back on terra firma. Called in at another souvenir shop after a very pleasant little walk round the environs of the keep. This shop was full pf wonderful cheap tat and I got Joe a snow globe of St Peter's with reliefs of other sights round the base including the Glosseo. It's easy to see it was made in China.
Queues still in evidence at St Peter's so back to hotel for a rest before heading out to the only trattoria in the area for dinner.
On the way stopped at the gate for a Swiss Guard who sadly wasn't in full regalia but had lovely legs.
The trattoria di Tuscani, in spite of its less than salubrious surroundingd, proved to be very nice. I had risotto verde which was lovely with fresh spinach and lovely creamy rice cooked to perfection and a beer. Finished with an espresso and all for less than a tenner the two of us.
Back to pack and watch the Pope do the stations of the cross at the Colosseum on the telly. On the way back to the hotel someone asked us the way to the Colosseum! We directed them to the Metro. Hope they made it in time.
So that was Rome. Needless to say we'll have to go back for the Borghese palace and the Campodoglio museums and some Caravaggios in churches we didn't see and the Vatican and the Basilica.
I think this is my favourite picture. It's the Forum with a bit of Victor Immanuel II in the corner.
Arrivaderci Roma!
So off to the Castell Sant'Angelo after a flurry of shopping on the stalls outside thw Vatican walls. I got three tee shirts at 5 euros each of the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain and Michaelangelo's God's finger touching Adam's - very reasonable. Pat also got an Italy top, with 4 stars on to show the 4 world cup victories and a free baseball cap for being such good customers.
Castell Sant'Angelo not far away down the Via Consolazione and more shopping on the way. This time a tour book for my mam and a lighter with the bocca della verita for me.
Castell Sant'Angelo had a tiny queue and we soon got in for 7 euros. This turned out to be Hadrian's tomb which I didn't know and was built to a helical design so one went up a spiral slope to get up to the chamber where the cremation urn was kept. I feel quite an affinity with Hadrian what with living near his Wall so that was an unexpected surprise. Needless to say the popes took the place over and used it as a defence and as a prison, among its inmates one Benvenuto Cellini.
The change of name was as the result of yet another miracle this time involving Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century. At the time of a serious outbreak of the plague he rallied the people to march up to the citadel praying to the virgin to intercede on the city's behalf. St Michael duly appeared and sheathed his sword to show the prayer was answered. The original statue has been replaced by a bronze one. Good photo opps up here.
The bridge was also built by Hadrian and is pedestrian only though you have to fight your way through the fly boys with their knock off handbags and sunglasses. The statues are by Bernini of course, showing saints bearing items from the stations of the cross.
Back down loads of the steps in the dark which I don't handle very well with my dodgy eyes but eventually back on terra firma. Called in at another souvenir shop after a very pleasant little walk round the environs of the keep. This shop was full pf wonderful cheap tat and I got Joe a snow globe of St Peter's with reliefs of other sights round the base including the Glosseo. It's easy to see it was made in China.
Queues still in evidence at St Peter's so back to hotel for a rest before heading out to the only trattoria in the area for dinner.
On the way stopped at the gate for a Swiss Guard who sadly wasn't in full regalia but had lovely legs.
The trattoria di Tuscani, in spite of its less than salubrious surroundingd, proved to be very nice. I had risotto verde which was lovely with fresh spinach and lovely creamy rice cooked to perfection and a beer. Finished with an espresso and all for less than a tenner the two of us.
Back to pack and watch the Pope do the stations of the cross at the Colosseum on the telly. On the way back to the hotel someone asked us the way to the Colosseum! We directed them to the Metro. Hope they made it in time.
So that was Rome. Needless to say we'll have to go back for the Borghese palace and the Campodoglio museums and some Caravaggios in churches we didn't see and the Vatican and the Basilica.
I think this is my favourite picture. It's the Forum with a bit of Victor Immanuel II in the corner.
Arrivaderci Roma!
In other news I've just watched Queen starring Helen Mirren and I can honestly say that is the first Oscar winning performance I've enjoyed since Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird. The film was very good although seeing the farmer from Babe as Prince Philip was a bit strange. Alistair Campbell was presented as a conniving git and Cherie Blair was a cow. I enjoyed Sylvia Sims as a lush Queen Mother and was pleased to see a lack of exploitation of the boys. The only person involved to play themselves was Earl Spencer. I recommend it.
