Rome to Naples

A couple of weeks ago we were only able to get tickets to the Vatican Museum by booking a guided tour at 8 am this morning. So we set our alarm for 6:30, had breakfast when the breakfast room opened at 7 and caught a taxi to the Vatican Museum soon after that.

My two favorite things at the Vatican Museum are the Sistine Chapel and the map room. Our guide gave us an excellent introduction and description of the paintings in the Chapel. You can’t take pictures in the Sistine Chapel.

Our guide explaining the paintings in the Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican grounds are a green oasis. As you can see today was overcast and cloudy. It was nice not to have the sun beating down on us but it was still quite hot and muggy.

The museum courtyard

The map gallery was painted in the 1580s. I like thinking of Popes walking through here and using these maps to understand their territory.

The map gallery
Sicily map in the Map Gallery

When we were done at the Vatican Museum we went to St Peter’s square. We had to wait in line about an hour to get into St Peter’s Basilica. The line seemed to move fast and it was well worth it. The church is incomprehensible huge and beautiful.

St Peter’s Basilica
Duke, me, Jo Ann and Brian in St Peter’s square

From the Vatican we took a cab back to our hotel retrieved our bags and then walked to the train station where we bought tickets and then took the high speed train to Naples. The train goes 300 km per hour (186 mph).

Buying train tickets
On the train to Naples

After checking in to our Hotel in Naples ( the Una hotel) we had a great time playing cards in the roof top bar.

Playing cards

*** Duke proofreads all my blog posts. Those of you who know Duke will not be surprised that he felt it is important for me to note that he won all three games of 500 that we played

Rome – Day 2

We had a very busy and hot day today exploring Rome. I should perhaps have titled this video shade spot to shade spot and water spigot to water spigot. The temperature was in the high 80’s and the humidity was high.

We started out by doing most of the Rick Steves Heart of Rome free walking tour, backwards from #13 The Trevi Fountain to #2 Campo de’ Fiori.

Rick Steves Audio Tour App
Italian Parliament building and the Obelisk of Montecitorio

Last time we were in Rome we didn’t get to go into the Pantheon. Today we did. It is stunning. especially when you realize that the Romans completed it in 19BC!

Pantheon

We stopped for a rest, drinks and people watching on Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona
Taking a break

After finishing the walking tour we walked to The Forum.

Walking to The Forum

Whenever we couldn’t find shade the sun was intense. I don’t remember ever sweating so much. So, the first thing we did once we were inside the forum was to stop and refill our water. I think we each drank a full bottle and then refilled.

Water station
Inside the forum
The forum

We climbed up to the Palatine Hill where the emperors had there palaces. There was a nice breeze up there and we refilled our water again.

Refilling with water again

From the Palatine Hill we went to the Coliseum.

The Coliseum
At the Coliseum
Brian, Jo Ann, and me at the Coliseum
Duke in line for water

Once we finished at the Coliseum we took a cab back to our hotel and then celebrated our successful day with pizza and beer The owner of the restaurant was very welcoming. He even provided Jo Ann with a gluten free and dairy free pizza and beer.

Celebratory pizza and beer.
Celebratory pizza and beer.

Rome is an amazing city! It was wonderful to see so many of its monument and antiquities.

Rome – Day 1

It felt great to get a full nights sleep after spending the night before on the airplane. After a buffet breakfast at the hotel we went out exploring.

Piazza della Repubblica

Duke’s sister Jo Ann and her husband Brian flew in today. We met them at the train station about 3:15 and walked back to the hotel with them. A bit later we went out to see the Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain.

The Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain

On the way back to the hotel we stopped for gelato.

Gelato stop

Then we walked by the presidential palace

Quirinal Palace

From the Quirinal Palace we had a great view of sunset with St Peter’s Cathedral on the horizon.

St Peter’s cathedral from in front of the presidential palace.

We stop for dinner and ate outside on the roof.

Dinner
My Pasta
Duke’s beef with pepper sauce

We are On The Road again.

We made it to Rome! It was an smooth trip. Saturday we drove from Reno to the Bay Area where we had a wonderful few hours with family and friends.

Barbecue at Allie and Doug’s

Sunday evening Allison drove us to San Francisco airport. We were checked in, through security and at our gate in thirty minutes. That’s fantastic compared to our last trip when it took two hours!

Swiss Air was quite comfortable. The food was good, especially the chocolate. On the flight to Zurich I slept as much as one can expect on an airplane.

Judging by the Playa dust on her pack, the lady next to Duke had been at Burning Man and was on her way home from Black Rock City.

Dinner

We had a two hour layover in Zurich and then flew on to Rome where we caught the Leonardo Express Train straight to central Rome. From the train station our hotel was just a short walk.

Buying train tickets
Walking to the hotel.

Although We were exhausted, we went out for some dinner before sleep.

Waiting for dinner in Rome
Pizza!

Paris to Home

We woke up in Paris Wednesday morning to rain.

Paris from our hotel window.

Our hotel called us a cab but it never showed up. Then Duke asked them to call again They did but no one at the cab company was answering. We discussed taking public transit but Charles DeGaule Airport is a long way away and our trip to the airport would have been long and a bit complicated. Eventually Duke had them try to call again and the cab was ordered and showed up.

The rest of our trip home went pretty much according to plan. We flew Paris to Dallas then had a five hour layover in Dallas that turned into a six hour layover when the plane to Reno was delayed. Our friend Linda picked us up at the airport in Reno and drove us home. Thank you Linda! Twenty four hours after waking up in Paris we were tucked into our bed in Reno.

It was a great trip and it’s great to be home. I have several more videos to edit and publish on my YouTube channel and I need to update the itinerary here on the blog to reflect the fast that we didn’t go to Morocco so you will be seeing a few more updates.

Home sweet home