Three Days Left in Rome

December 12, 2009

Three days left in Rome. What did we do today?

Well, we worked on packing again today. I am trying to pack the things we aren't using, but we brought so little, that packing leaves us very little to do.

One thing that we really enjoyed visiting a few months ago was Castel Sant'Angelo. We went back today. This castle was originally a mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian and his family, but was later a fortress and castle. There is even a fortified walkway that goes between the Vatican and the Castel Sant'Angelo so that when Rome was being attacked, the Pope could go hide out in the castle. The last time this happened was in the 1500's. Anyway, now it is a museum and it has one of the best views of the city.

We spent several hours at the Castel Sant'Angelo, exploring through the ramps, staircases and hidden rooms. We found a whole exhibit inside artwork that had been stolen and then recovered by the police here in Italy. Some things were missing for just a year or two, and some for more than twenty years! There were even a few artists we recognized - art by Renoir, Cezanne and VanGogh!

No visit to Castel Sant'Angelo is complete with a trip down into the former moat which is now a park and has a nice playground. There were lots of kids playing down there today and many people walking their dogs. Apparently people walking their dogs think that this park is a good place to let the dogs run around without a leash. It was interesting to watch dogs chase one another and owners chase their dogs!

The weather is chilly here now and we weren't dressed for an extended time outside. We were planning to go do a little souvenir shopping before dinner, but we were all too cold. We elected to jump on a warm bus and head home. Made a quick dinner and then? Yes, more packing! Now we are going to relax on the couch with some afghans and the movie "Cars".

Lots of things to finish up tomorrow! Only two days left!

-Terri