I’m generally not a big fan of big cities, but the more I thought about Rome and talked with folks who’d been there, the appeal grew until finally, I couldn’t resist and off we went.  So what’s with the photo of the Alps?  My good friend Willy with whom this travel journal has many references , spends his summer days near Nice and the winter in Switzerland just off Lake Geneva.  In all the years traveling with Willy, we’d never been to his winter residence.  It was October and he’d just closed the Mediterranean House and opened up his chalet.  We flew to Geneva, then drove 45 miles eastward along side the lake to the southeastern end of the lake to the foothills of the mountains. And what a view . . . looking east then south from the deck at the first snows of winter.  Further up the road was a major ski area and hot springs.

Lausanne was a short drive from the chalet and one of the beautiful cities along the lake.  It was fall and had been raining, but we managed a late afternoon walk with an  exchange student who had spent a year with Susan in Astoria.  The waterfront walkway meandered for miles.  It was paved and lined with the most lush vegetation imaginable even in late October.

Just east of Lausanne is the Chateau de Chillon often referred to as Switzerland’s most visited historic monument.  We walked along lake side, cold and a little wet,but no matter it was most spectacular. This 1929 steamer cruises the lake for tourists.

I’ve resisted include photo’s of friends and family in this journal in respect for their privacy but with the advent and popularity of facebook, the world has changed and with it my concern.  Our friends and hosts and Susan and me with the Chateau in the background.

The Chateau is open for visitors, so off we went to explore . . .The Chateau was built on a rock on the side of the lake providing a natural moat.

Once inside the main entrance, the restoration effort, which had begun at the beginning of the 18th century was apparent. Remarkable, really.

Down in the belge the chateau was the dungeon which had been used as a prison.The upper floors were less formidable than the dungeon below.

The inner courtyard of the Chateau – so very old European.

After several delightful days with our friends, it was off by train to the Geneva Airport for the flight to Rome.  We had rented an apartment, a 10 minute walk from the Vatican, 30 minute walk from the Colosseum, and three blocks to the south was a restaurant lined plaza that hosted a daily market.

Our apartment entrance.  We really prefer short term apartment rentals over hotels because you get living room and kitchen and so much more for your travel dollars.

The Vatican was just around the corner, so off we went.  The Pope appears twice a week at the entrance to St. Peter’s to speak to the people gathered in the Plaza.  It was pretty crowded as you can imagine. 

The most incredible aspect of the Vatican is it immense structures.  Looking at the plaza, St. Peter’s in the center, the plaza is ringed by hugh columns.  We opted to take a tour through the Vatican Museum which included opulent displays of ancient maps, statues, paintings and tapestries and of course, the Sistine Chapel adjacent to St. Peter’s Cathedral.  It was very crowded with 20,000 visitors a day touring through the museum.  Once into the Sistine Chapel, the ceiling upon which Michelangelo painted, is so high, it was hard to get a clear respectable view and due to the vast crowds we were ushered through faster than we wanted.  My favorite was the tapestries.  At a distance they looked like paintings but up close you could see the needle work.  I’ve been in many magnificent cathedrals in Europe but nothing prepared me for St. Peter’s.  The Catholic Church should be embarrassed at the opulence .

And then there is the Swiss Guard – note the lack of fire arms, just big long ugly pointy things.

From our apartment, there was a mile long walking tour described in the tour guide which included some of the following sites:

 

The highlight of the tour was the Pantheon which as been in constant use since its construction 2,000 years ago!

We took two side trips outside of Rome, one to Ostia and the other Pompeii.  We took a local train to Ostia, the ancient seaport serving Rome.  The Italians have done a wonderful job preserving the ruins.  Ostia was never sacked even during the dark ages and the foundations and some structures remain in tack to day, even the mosaic tiles on some of the floorings remain intact today.

On another afternoon, we took an afternoon tour of a vineyard, winery complete with wine tasting . . 

Meanwhile back in the city, we walked over to the Colosseum.  From one perspective, it was like Stonehenge in that photo’s never give the structures their due.  The Colosseum is enormous.  One part of it collapsed due to an earthquake and attempts are being made to reconstruct it.

And finally we took the fast train to Naples and a local train to Pompeii to explore the ruins.  It was beyond fascinating full stop.  Only 80% of the city has been recovered after the devastating volcanic eruption nearly 2000 years ago.  Noteworthy are the paved streets, curbs and sidewalks.  In some of the houses, the wall paintings are still incredibly well reserved.

Rome is a must see for any traveler and the greatest depository of eye candy as ever I’ve experienced.  The only downside, if any, was we walked a lot and fashionable Italian shoes are not always best.