Is there any place more awesome than Italy? The food is amazing, the people are gorgeous, and the sites are…well, straight out of a history book. I spent the fall of 2014 working on a ship in the Mediterranean, bouncing back and forth between Barcelona, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, and Majorca. I can’t wait to go back next fall!
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A co-worker and I took the train from Civitavecchia to go to Rome and see the Colosseum. We were told to take the train to Termini, but another friend said if you get off a few stops before, you can go to the Vatican. Since we return to the port each Wednesday, we decided to go to the Vatican the following week. I looked at the train route but couldn’t make heads or tails out of which stop would be the Vatican. I asked an elderly Italian man by pointing at the train route map and asking “Vatican?”
He shook his head as he didn’t understand.
I continued. “The pope?”
No.
Not one to give up. “Jesus?”
No.
I even tried to make a cross with my fingers, but he didn’t understand. How about “Sistine Chapel? Michelangelo?”
He took the map and pointed to each stop, saying each name as he did so. He said “San Pietro.”
“San Pietro! Yes, Saint Peter! Graci, Graci, Graci!” I took the map and showed the stop to my companion. “San Pietro!”
A few stops later, we were at San Pietro. I thought the man was going to give himself a heart attack trying to push us off the train. “No, no, we’re going to Termini. San Pietro will be next Wednesday.” I’m sure he didn’t understand me and probably told his wife about the stupid Americans who got lost trying to find the Vatican.
Anyway, we stopped at Termini, boarded the Metro to Colloseo, and behold! This is the site we saw upon climbing out of the subway.
We turned left and saw this!
The inside of the Colosseum was incredible!
The Forum was amazing!
After touring the Forum and the Colosseum, we went across the street for some gnocchi! Viva Italia!
Lori Crane 
I often am a silent visitor, but had to comment. I love this post and love that you shared these photos. Especially for those, like myself, that have never been to these places but have always wanted to visit! Danny
Thanks, Danny. I have so many pictures and so many memories. I thought this would be a good place to share. I’m heading out Sunday for Bermuda for a month, so expect lots of beach pictures in November. 🙂
Keep up the great work and I love your page.!
Muah! Thank you! ♥
Brings back so many lovely memories of the time I spent in Italy with my daughter after she graduated with her fine arts degree. Her perspective on art at the Vatican was hilarious. We almost got kicked out. Some statutes of naked men had no private parts, some had grape leaves added after the fact, and the worst or funniest depending on who you are, were the ones with hacked off private parts. One of the popes was very concerned about displaying penises. Then there was the forum where Caesar was murdered. I cried there. So many years I taught Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar that to be where it supposedly happened gave me such a sense of the place and its history. Thanks for sharing this to take me back.
I have some friends over there right now, and the other day one of them said, “I’ve had enough marble penises to last a lifetime.” I’m going to save that line for a later date and use it out of context. Haha! I’m going back Aug 25 for eight weeks. Making a list of all the things I missed last time.
Wow! August 25? Next year? That’s a great line. I may steal it, too.
Yeah, 2016. I’m usually booked a year out (musically). I just booked my schedule through Jan 1, 2017. Think I’ll stop there for a minute. 🙂