Back to Economy & Reality......

Well we didn't get any upgrades for our final leg, back to reality & sitting in economy. With our eyes hanging out of our heads after being up for over 24 hours & a 16 hour flight ahead of us, we board the plane. Only to be held up on the Tarmac for another hour before we take off... Yippee 16 hours pass & we touchdown in Brisbane at 7am awake for some 39 hours... Off to baggage claim for the last time, I said to Paul I have tea bags to declare so I will go ahead & see you on the other side. Well Paul collected his suitcase & went through customs & is awaiting for me, he sees another passenger exit with their duty free shopping... He panics as he completely forgot it!!! He walks back in to the customs area & asks an officer for his duty free, the reply was sorry mate you've exited & will not be going back in, go to the 4th floor for a refund!!! Lucky I didn't forget, but I was held up by customs officers saying this is too much booze for one person... I explained to them that I had lost my husband...lol. I had 3 officers looking for him, in the end I didn't have to pay tax as they believed my story of my lost husband! So in the end all of our luggage & duty free made it back with us & it all worked out in the end.

 

A380 & Business Class Nice.......

So when we check out from our hotel, we get a taxi to the airport, I am sure we got Mario Andretti's daughter. OMG we were doing speeds over 180kmph & get this, we were driving directly behind the Police!!! Paul's side had no seat belt.....so imagine the picture of me in my last post pulling out my hair, well that was me this morning but with my eyes closed lol. Just like a scene from the Italian Job.....

We arrive at Rome airport too see if we can get a earlier flight, sure enough we do & Paul jokes & asks "any free upgrades" (she just laughed & smiled). This flight is also on another A380 these are lovely big planes. So we check our luggage in & get our tickets & we start to leave, the lady from the desk calls us back & starts talking in italian on her phone & then rips up our tickets!!!! We have just UPGRADED you both to business class nice... I guess it pays to ask for a free upgrade. Now that we are in business class we get fast tracked through security & customs nice....just the icing on the cake for us, we still cant believe it. We go to our gate & there is a train, WHAT THE?......& head back as there is no way we are missing our flight in Business Class... We have also found the train takes you out to the gate. We also found out if you are a skywards member (which we are) & they are over booked in economy they bump you up to Business Class nice....

The funny thing is Paul & I were fighting over who got the window seat, now we don't care....lol. It's funny how a few words "BUSINESS CLASS" can change things....

I am sending this from the A380 while we are flying, Internet access nice.....

Check out the smile.....

Business Class nice....

Fast Track Nice....

This is Nice....

Paul says he is never flying economy again...

So a extra 6 hours in Dubai I think now we have about 11 hours in total..... Paul said what about sleep, I replied "sleep who needs sleep when you can shop in Dubai, Hello Christmas shopping". Now this will be fun as some of you would know this is a massive airport filled with shops galore all duty freeeeeee.

Long Road to Ruins & Rome 2 Home.....

Day 4 in Rome, our last full day in Rome, gosh I can't believe its our last night of our holidays. We have had so many wonderful memories & laughed so much along the way, it has been great....

So today we went back to Trevi Fountain too toss more coins in the fountain, yes we are made of money...lol. We have been there everyday & I get amazed at no matter when you are there, the crowds are always there. I noticed yesterday there was a free piccolo (small) shuttle bus that runs every 7 minutes, so we jumped on & went around the city looking around. We jump off & take a look at some shops, & have lunch. After lunch Paul wants to see the Mausoleum of Augustus, this is were Paul thought Julius Caesar's tomb was......It turns out that Paul can't use google for maps or information....lol. In fact it took us about a hour to get there & another 20 min bus ride home. Only to see fencing erected all around the site...yay.

Paul's must see....Mausoleum of Augustus......

A view through the wire....

What do you mean oops you got it wrong.... he's not here!!!!!

I don't know how these little buses squeeze through the little lane ways, they are so tight, I am sure we saw a lady's ash from her cigarette get knocked off from the bus as it passed her, thats how close they get, seriously it was that close!!!

My tip for Rome is don't assume that cars will stop for you at a pedestrian crossing...cause they just don't....
Paul's tip for Rome is when walking the lane ways & side streets stay close to the walls....

Icing on the cake cam still have money left over.....nice!!! Duty free here we come....


So I thought I would share a couple of Christmas Shots from Rome.....Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year...

Santa I will be home for Christmas...

Pine Cones hanging in the trees.......

Nativity Scene on the Spanish Steps.....

Spanish Steps & getting lost in Rome...

Day 3 in Rome back to the Spanish Set so we can get more pics of us on the steps. Hardly anyone there which is great.

Me on the Spanish Steps...

Paul & I at the Spanish Steps....

I am having this much fun......

So we walked further down the street to where we come across Piazza del Piopolo, which means the people's square, this is where Santa Maria in Montesanto & Santa Maria dei Miracoli. The Obelisk here is the second oldest, & one of the tallest in Rome. This one was bought to Rome in 10 BC. Some of the Obelisk's were bought to Rome from Egypt, in Egypt they had deep religious significance, as well as showing the royal of the Pharaoh. In Rome on the other hand they were symbols of power & victory, & were mostly used to embellish circuses temples & tombs.

The Twin Churches....

The Obelisk.....

Enjoying the fountain......

Just back a little further Paul....

We strolled the streets of Rome having a look at the shops & the buildings for a few hours. Off to see the Sistine Chapel, this was amazing too see Michelangelo's artwork. The Sistine Chapel ceiling, was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 to 1512. No Pictures were allowed...

Managed to get a pic shhh...

Once we finish seeing the chapel we have dinner as its getting dark & thought we could get some night time photos of the Vatican, as i noticed during the day all the statues had lights & would make for some nice night photos. Once we got there the only the statues lit were the ones on St Peters Basilica.

St Peters Basilica at night with a flash,,,

St Peters Basilica at night without a flash...

St Peters Square at night....

I don't think we have been lost in Rome until now.....lol... Well now it is about 7-30pm & we head home, we buy some bus tickets & are told too catch bus 81 on the left hand side of the streets (he points straight down the road). Well after about 30mins of walking I say to Paul "we need to change streets" as clearly there is no bus coming. Determined to remain on this street Paul insists we go a little further, so we do. After almost a hour of walking & asking for directions & no one speaka da english (yeh sure), we ask a policeman who tells us NO bus here you have to catch a metro (train). So we head back in the other direction Paul is getting a little stressed, me on the other hand I think we have been lost in so many countries by now but always seem to find our way back & we did.......

Battle Grounds 2 Sacred Grounds....

Day 2 in Rome, & boy what a difference a day makes. Hardly anyone about & no crowds at all. Back to Trevi Fountain for some pics, but we were too early as the were collecting the money from the fountain, they collect about $3000 Euro a day from the fountain, which they use too help support the local supermarkets for the needy. They also were doing some maintenance work on the fountain.

Off to the Colosseum, this was what Paul had been looking forward to, along the way we saw ruins of old Rome, this was amazing & an archaeologists dream & as such they were still digging away on some sites!!! We finally arrive to the Colosseum & boy was it huge measuring 188 metres by 156 metres & a height of more than 48 metres. The Colosseum could accomadate 55,000 spectators who could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances. The upper storey contained seating for lower classes & women. The lowest storey, closest to the arena, was reserved for prominent people such as members of the senate. Below the arena were rooms with mechanical devices & cages containing wild animals. The cages could be hoisted, enabling the animals & Gladiators to appear in the middle of the Arena..  When you stop & look at the Colosseum & think how this was made with such primitive tools and so long ago, it truly is amazing what they achieved... it started in 72 AD & completed in 80 AD!!! The southern side had felled due to an earthquake in  the year 847 & parts of the building including the marble facade were used for construction of later monuments, including the St Peters Basilica...

The Colosseum....

Inside the Colosseum...

Us at the Colosseum....

Panoramic view of the Colosseum....

Next stop Vatican City, we  arrive at the front & are faced with police everywhere blowing whistles at everyone telling them to move over to the side. We thought something must be going on, then  a large motorcade come out from the Vatican, armed police with automatic weopons in cars with the doors open, choppers flying above, not sure who it was but clearly someone of some importance, Paul's guess was the Pope! The Vatican, out of all the churches we visited truly takes the cake, wow wow wow..... we couldn't believe the size of this place. The original was built in the early 4th century & is the place where St Peter, the chief apostle who was buried in 64 AD. The middle of the 15th century, restoration begun completed in 1547. It is the largest church in the world today, it has a 218 metre long naive, 45 altars which many are decorated by many famous artist like Michelangelo. The dome measures 42 metres in diameter & reaching 138 metres high (more than 450ft). Paul & I decided to go up to the dome for a look, it said you can go by lift or the 320 plus steps... We opted for the lift as our feet & legs were so sore. Great news, the lift only takes you to the base of the 320 stairs, if you want to get to the top, you have to take the stairs!!! Well Paul said no worries lets go, I'm not wasting 14 Euro! We got more than 3/4's up the stairs & my legs gave out, I told Paul I cant go on... He said seeya later its only another 40 or so to go & off he went! The views from the top of the dome are the best from anywhere in the city & Paul took some magnificent photos.

St Peters Basilica....

Us at St Peters square....

Dome top....

View from the top....

view for miles & miles...

Up here are the best views of Rome...

Swiss Guards...

We arrive at the Pantheon, to me this church's grandeur is its facade. Tall columns & the detail is truly impressive.  The front of the church has 3 rows of columns, the first row has 8 columns 1.5 metres wide & 11.8 metres tall, the other 2 rows have 4 on each side. A huge Bronze door equaling the height of inside of 43.3 metres. This church has been rebuilt 3 times, originally built in 25-27 BC then burnt down in 80 AD rebuilt then struck by lightning in 110 AD & burnt down again, these were both T-shaped structures. In 118 AD was rebuilt again & totally different design, circular this time & completed in 126 AD. This version would stand the test of time & still stands almost intact today.The Pantheon is one of the best Preserved ancient buildings in Rome.

The Pantheon

Detail close up on the Fontana del Pantheon....

OK back to Trevi Fountain to throw some coins in & get some night time photos.The fountain was constructed in 19 BC. It brings water from the Salone Springs (20km from Rome) & supplies the fountains in the historic centre of Rome with water. Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it with your right hand over your left shoulder with your back to the fountain. Yep its still very busy with people tossing coins into the fountain. We are staying less than 5 mins away from this place & its very popular & has lots of shops & restaurants down the lane ways & a Gelato shop where we have had the best Gelato in Italy!!! Then it was back to our room for rest, as we left at 7.30am & got back to our room at 7.30pm, with plenty of miles on our feet & minds racing about the Roman Empire it was time for a quick shower & sleep....

Me tossing a coin into the Fountain...

Paul Tossing a coin into the Fountain...

Trevi Fountain at night...

Florence to Rome.....

I cant believe our holiday is almost over, I woke up in Florence today & go to bed in Rome. We caught  a train to Rome which took 2 hours, such pretty views along the way. I edited some photo's along the way too pass some time as well....

We arrived in Rome not sure what I think of Rome, its certainly different , when we checked in the hotel, the man warned us of some of the danger here. That was a little off putting, he said just last week women had the bottoms of there handbags cut open & wallets stolen & pick pockets etc. We have to decided to play it safe & not venture out tonight. The weather is lovely so warm our winter days are colder then here at the moment, no gloves or scarf, even jacket unbuttoned. People are everywhere, large crowds in every street, the biggest crowds we have come across on our travels...

Large crowds in the streets...

Well I had a technical glitch today, all the photo's on Paul's camera didn't download & I deleted them before I noticed. This is the camera we use to take our pictures together. So I am disappointed about that, & lost some nice ones we had taken in Florence this morning, the rest we can retake tomorrow. So onwards & upwards from here. We went to the Spanish Steps & walked them, yes more steps....Then went to Trevi Fountain that was lovely, I went back a second time & just took it all in eating a gelato....

Spanish Steps....

Paul at the Spanish Steps....

Trevi Fountain....

A Long Road to David......

Day 3 in Florence, our last full day. We go to Ponte Vecchio Bridge, which is the oldest of Florence's 6 bridges. It dates back to the year 996 & destroyed in a flood in 1117, rebuilt & swept away again in 1333, & finally rebuilt again in 1345. This little bridge is full of Jewellery shops on both sides.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge....

 I asked Paul if we could get another photo of us in front of the Christmas Tree as its such a pretty tree, & this is what I ended up with.....

Not another photo....

 View Of Florence.....

Arno River in Florence....

Paul my Google Tour Guide, required a major update today, as he got us so lost it wasn't funny....In search of the Statue of David took us nearly 3 hours of walking around & around to only find out it was  only 850 metres from our hotel... Paul was very sure we were on the right track & kept saying to me just down this street & a little further. After many "are you sure Paul" turns out he wasn't sure at all!!!!

Paul getting google maps update lol....

The rain is getting heavier so we have some lunch & head back to our room for a little rest, which is well deserved after the walking for hours & hours again

Typical cobblestone street in Florence....

My tip for Florence is you need to spend at least 5 days in here, so pretty & this little town has so much charm. I will be back here for sure...
Paul's tip for Florence is don't be shy to ask for directions, you'll eventually get there...

Climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa....

Day 2 in Florence, we catch a train & a bus too go see the Leaning Tower of Pisa....The day is drizzling, but doesn't dampen our spirits. Paul saw through an arch, the leaning Tower of Pisa, so we quickly jump off the bus & can't believe the angle the Tower is on. The tower was built as the bell tower for the Cathedral of the Italian City of Pisa. The towers tilt began during construction, caused by inadequate foundations on one side, as the ground was too soft to support the structures weight. The tilt increased, in the decades before the structure was completed, & gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected). Prior to restoration worked performed 1990 & 2001, the tower leaned at a angle of 5. 5 degrees, but now leans at about 4 degrees. This means the top is out 3.9metres from the base of the structure being square!!!
As you walk up this amazing monument, you move from centre of the stairs to hugging the wall as you go up the 296 steps, due to the lean!!! It has seven bells in the tower, one for each musical note. We were fortunate to be in the bell tower when the bells sounded at 11am.

The square of Miracles....

The Cathedral & Bell Tower....

Us at the Leaning Tower of Pisa....

Paul trying to correct the lean....

Spiral Staircase straight to the top....

Paul at the top of the Bell Tower......

Views from the top......

Pretty views at the top....

On our way back to Florence our train was delayed for a hour, which meant that it was too late to do much more for the day. We went out for dinner & walked through the street of Florence, its not too cold here of a night, quite pleasant, no gloves required.......