Arriving in Rome

We almost didn’t go to Rome; things have just been getting tight juggling our last few weeks. It almost seems like we are on or following a schedule now. We did get here though for a few days. Probably had one of our most tense driving moments here ending up in an underground parking lot made only for motorcycles. The apartment that we are staying at is on Piazza Cola di Rienzo about a 20 minute walk from the Vatican. We had a contact here that we needed to meet to arrange for a key, between not being able to park with all of the traffic and not being able to operate a public phone we moved block to block trying to duck the Italian traffic police. We ended up paying a cab driver to call Maria and arrange to meet us. We picked up some chestnuts from a man roasting them on the street outside and planned for the Vatican in the morning. We spent the day visiting the Sistine Chapel, Vatican museum and St. Peters. Some continued shopping along the way back. Rain seemed to really follow us in Rome. We walked in the rain for another day seeing some of the ruins and Trevi fountain. Lots of strange looks at Peters feet since he has gone back to bare feet. Many Italian women shaking their head at Jackie. We will head off following the Mediterranean to the south of France where we will hold up for a week.