Eternal City

Our first week that mom was here was already booked with graduation and finals that we had to jam pack her last two weeks full of stuff to make sure we got a chance for her to see as much as possible.  This really made it difficult to enjoy the places we visited because we didn't get to spend a lot of time anywhere.  Mom took her camera, because I had already visited Venice and Rome and taken the pics I wanted, so the pics posted are courtesy of mom.  It has taken me FOREVER to get these pics to post this!  I have so many posts I need to make and I wanted them to all be in order, so a LOT of details have eluded me.  So, without further ado, Rome.  The day after we flew back from Venice we were to leave for Rome.  It didn't work out as planned.  I have had a horrible year with allergies and I was so sick the morning we were supposed to leave that we waited until the next day to fly out.  What did this mean?  Only one day in Rome!  Not enough time, but we did what we could.  Mom also forgot all about her camera and these are all the pics we got.

 The main thing mom wanted to see was the Sistine Chapel.  She didn't want to go inside the Colosseum or Forum, I thought she was crazy, but we were on a time crunch.  When we got to St. Peter's Square the Pope was speaking.  If you look up by the columns at that little canopy, that's him.  He's there.  Sitting so far away they put him on a jumbo tron.  There was also a gate that you had to have tickets to go thru to sit down and listen.  Even though we are not catholic it was still neat to see.

 This is inside the Vatican Museum.  Mom was very pleased she got to go inside.  I think she was a bit overwhelmed at how much there was to look at.

 I kid you not there are hundreds of these busts to look at.

 Mom took a picture of this sarcophogus belongs to Helen.  We made a trip to Trier and saw the church that was built on top of Helen's home, she was the mother of Constantine.

 The entrance to the Vatican Museum, I told her to stand in front of it to get a good picture, but she didn't listen.

 Mom in front of St. Peter's Church after the Pope had finished. We didn't make it inside.

 St. Peter's Square.

More of the square.  We also took an open top bus tour of the rest of the city.  We threw change in the Trevi Fountain and walked inside the Pantheon.  We did get to see the whole city on the bus tour, but really could have used another day to tour.  Either was she was thrilled to have gotten to go inside the museum.