The Ketchup Post

There was once a mother tomato who had a baby tomato. They used to go walking a lot but the tiny tomato was very pokey.  He dawdled everywhere he went and soon fell far behind his mum. She would only allow him to fall about half a block behind before stomping her foot and shouting, "C'mon Silly!  Ketchup!!"

And after missing the blog for a couple of days, that is precisely what I intend to do.

July 17

What???  More walking???
Welcome to Italy, Folks!

This morning we hopped a bus to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, both vast and full of twisting paths. In the gardens, we were privy to both natural and man-made delights as we walked through the trees, bushes and flora, interspersed with statuary, fountains and sculptures, as well as a pond surrounded by shady benches and tiny lemon trees.  The Pitti Palace is now a museum of fashion and modern art. It was interesting to walk through the palace and compare it to the castles we had visited in Germany and France - here are the sweeping marble staircases. The clothing was quite a neat display of antique and modern haut couture.  Plus, they had really good air conditioners. :)

From the Pitti Palace, we walked around Florence and made our way to the Duomo, where we learned that you frequently cannot enter a church in Italy with bare knees or shoulders. We were allowed to view the chapel from the entry way but the girls and I could not enter the church to get an up close look. Marjorie and Nichola faired better, with Nichola donning a poncho to cover her shoulders. They spent some time admiring the features of the Duomo from the inside, while the girls and I checked out the outside views and meandered back to hotel.

July 18

On to Rome We Go!

After a painfully fast train ride between Florence and Rome, we checked in at our new place and headed out to explore the city. I say painfully fast because that is accurate to a T. The train was traveling so fast that our ears were popping the entire time!

We walked around, familiarizing ourselves with the streets (code for trying to read a map made to be used with a magnifying glass and translator) and found our way to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Both were incredibly popular (code for crowded beyond belief) and incredibly cool (no code required)!  The Trevi Fountain is not done justice in movies and media. It is enormous and the detail in the sculptures simply can't be captured by a camera. We tossed our coins, each hoping for one more trip to Rome.  It's proven to work for Marjorie and me, so we're hopeful for the girls too!  The Spanish Steps are a thing of legendary popularity and there was no doubting that when we finally found them. The girls played a little game of "Where's Waldo?" before we set out once more through the markets, piazzas, and tiny cobbled streets, to find our way home.

Trevi Fountain

Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti - The Spanish Steps

July 19

The Smallest Nation in the World

St. Peter's Basillica - Vatican City

Today we boarded the overstuffed subway and visited the Vatican - the world's smallest sovereign nation, with a population of fewer than 500 people. We toured the city, visited St. Peter's Square and the Basilica, (The Basilica is profound in both stature and beauty, presenting many more amazing artworks, including Michaelangelo's Pieta - so beautiful that words escape me) and witnessed the awe inspiring beauty of the Sistine Chapel.  It was truly amazing and both Marjorie and I were able to witness the restoration that has taken place since we had last visited.  The ceiling is without comment as no words can adequately convey the feeling you get looking up at the at the essentially horizontal 134 x 43 feet of ceiling that became a plaster canvas to a then 33 year old Michaelangelo, who took a scant 4 years to finish the project, with a few assistants only to help with mixing paints and moving the scaffolding that he himself had designed in order to make the job easier. Contrary to the movies, Michaelangelo did not paint lying on his back, but bent over backward - worse, I suspect.

Contraband photo of the Cappella Sistina

We grabbed a bus to Piazza Espagna and walked the length of the Corso, occasionally stopping to do more than window shop. Eventually, we arrived, tired and sore, back the hotel where, after the quickest of pauses, we headed out for some local cuisine. Eating dessert before a meal has become commonplace as we navigate from one gelateria to the next in constant pursuit of our next fix.

And now here it is, 12:20 pm in Italy, 5:20 pm back home, as I bid you a fond farewell, Friends and Family.

Peace be with you.
And also with The Sisterhood...