More Roman Fun

The Mouth of Truth. Rumor has it that if you're a liar, the mouth will bite your hand off! I guess we're all honest-Abes, but Evelyn was the most worried about visiting this site. Hmmm, I wonder why.

A visit to the Children's Museum, after all those adults museums was certainly in order.


The boys play this *fantastic* pop-up board game book that I found in the Children's Museum. Four board games in the book, all on Ancient Rome (Race Around the Circus Maximus; Fight at the Colosseum, Escape From Pompeii; Race to the Throne). Great history lessons in realistic settings... in the Colosseum, drawings of bloody gladiators being dragged out of the arena (!). Good times, good times. (FYI it's available on Amazon too.)

Our so cool, bohemian chic loft during the week. We went with another family, so this industrial place with 9 beds and lots of room was perfect for 5 kids to run around, spread out the toys, and play "Pope" from the upper loft. (The throwing of a clothes item up and if the Pope- aloft- doesn't catch it, the next person is Pope. Don't you love how kids apply their learning?)

The Rome Zoo, and Other Wild Animals

Rome Day 3

This day we visited the Borghese Gallery, a fantastic museum with lots of sculpture and paintings, many by Bernini (The Rape of Persephone, Apollo and Daphne, Napoleon's sister). Even the kids marveled at his uncanny ability to make stone look supple. But alas, cameras not permitted - we had to check at the door, so there are no pictures of all the great art we saw.

Here's some others - the market around the corner Ric shopped each morning for breakfast (bread, cheese, meat, fruit) and for our picnic lunches later in the day (more bread, more cheese, more meat and eggs).


Here's the fish guy. Ready to lop off a couple salmon steaks; just point, grunt, hold up two fingers, and then say "Grazi."

A park we played at before hitting the museum.

And my very own sculpture statues:

"Girly"

"Joyous"

"Studly"

And Alex and Evelyn play in the wind from the underground metro at the end of the day.

Rome Day 2

The Coloseum...
Ethan giving Alex the thumbs down signal... a gladiator's cue to kill. Evelyn gives him the "thumb's up" a cue to show mercy.





Below the floor of the Colosseum are the tunnels that housed the gladiators and the wild animals.





The Pantheon. The best preserved interior in Rome. The dome designed by Michelangelo. Raphael's tomb is here.


At the Trevi Fountain.

Rome - The Vatican

Can't see Rome on an empty stomach. Pizza all around... mental note to ask the price first; we almost fell over at our first day's lunch bill - Euro 37... about $60. For pizza.

St. Pater's Basilica... St. Peter was buried at the site of the church and said to still be entombed below. The dome was designed by Michelangelo.

The Vatican Museum has lots of Egyptian ancient art, including a mummy over 3000 years old. Still intact. Those Egyptians knew how to pack a body. The kids liked comparing the Egyptian art to the much more active and detailed Roman art.

The kids post by an Egyptian sarcophagus. You can tell it was a beautiful day.

Now here's a sculpture!

Then on to the beautiful paintings in the Vatican by Raphael...

Ric's favorite, "The School of Athens" depicts Plato and Aristotle, the Thinkers and the Scientists and their differing beliefs about rational thought. Raphael included himself in the painting and Michelangelo, who at the time it was painted, was working on the Sistine Chapel down the hall...

Ric tried to take some contraband shots of the Sistine Chapel. I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out. Actually trying to explain the painting and the biblical references, the guards violently shushed me. No photos, no video and no talking.

The inside of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Vatican is kept safe by the Swiss guards. Surprising that they can even think straight wearing these ridiculous clothes. Apparently their reputation is that they are real bad-asses.

And so we wrapped up the day, gelato of course, for the kids who walked miles and miles to witness the birthplace of Christianity. Tomorrow the Colosseum and Rome's bloody, violent past.

Daddies and Their Daughters

The Girl Scouts had a Daddy-Daughter dance last night. Ric and Evelyn were on a double date with her girlfriend, Alexandra and her dad, Chris. Dinner and dancing. Here's the highlights.