18-19 August Rome - KL

What a picnic getting some tax back on some perfume we purchased in Paris. I am sure the customs officials love frustrating tourists by purposely sending them to incorrect queues. We queued 3 times (you know how I detest queues), get to the front of the queue to be told you need to be in the one “over there’’ Bill was determined not to let them beat us so we persisted. After that ordeal we thought the “tranquility” of the business class lounge would make things better. Yeah right! An accident of an unzipped carryon smashed one of the perfume bottles so will attempt to make an insurance claim. This perfume can only be bought in Paris so quite upset about that. We were relieved to leave Rome behind us and were glad to get on the plane. One of the business class passengers from Perth said, like the Pope he is going to the kiss the ground when we returns. These Aussies spent a lot of time in Triest where the local’s attitudes parallel the French.
What a contrast on our arrival in Kuala Lumpur, quick, efficient, friendly and professional courtesy all the way/Everything spotless and no problems finding anything with people delighted to help.
We are here for the next two days and leave at 9.pm tomorrow on the final leg to New Zealand. The Pan Pacific is out of this world. 5 star and better than our experience at Raffles. Close to the airport, we were transported by golf cart to the Lobby, whisked through formalities quickly so we could sleep. Our room is lovely, so it was straight to bed between crisp cool sheets to get rid of the jet lag, waking in the afternoon at 2.30. We just chilled out today by the pool and Buzz worked out (too much high living) in the hotel gym. Food and accommodation is free as Malaysian Airlines changed the schedule after we had paid for the tickets. Tomorrow we will be using up our excess ringitts on spa treatments, then on the homeward journey to New Zealand, so this is us now signing off and we will see you all soon.

17 August Rome

Today we visited the Vatican. We had organised this from New Zealand, with a guarantee of a guided tour and no queues (Yay) Temperatures are soaring with one gauge saying it was 43 degrees. We thought yesterday was worse. We had a fantastic 3-½ hour tour with yet another guide who brought everything alive. The Vatican is its own country with its own currency, stamps, post office, army, fire brigade, security force (separate from the army) hospital, train, police and government separate from Rome. They do rely on Rome for their electricity; otherwise they are self-sufficient.
The art, sculptures and architecture are pretty mind blowing and so was the behaviour of some of the Popes, some good and some not so good. Many of the “nephews” who moved up in the ranks to be cardinals and high profile officials were actually their sons. This is where the word nepotism comes from. Our selection of photos tells its own story.
Following lunch and somewhere cool, we were back on the Metro to catch another bus tour. This time to see The Appian way, The catacombs and Circo Massimo. We wanted to check out a few Museums but inconveniently Monday is the day Museums are closed. Oh well. The bus driver and his assistant did the two-hour trip in 55 minutes, and rushed around, which was borderline dangerous, dropped us off then tore off somewhere else. This could be why we couldn’t find them yesterday. They had disappeared to the nearest watering hole.
Back to the Hotel and the cool. Gave some moral support to a South African Family. Mike is an internationally renowned doctor who had a fall on a cruise ship. The main buffet floor was wet and he slipped, wrecking tendons in his shoulder and fracturing his wrist. They fly back to the US tomorrow, where the wrist will be set. Mike wants a specialist to set it, as he is a classical pianist as well. The trouble being is he is in acute pain and the pain medication was inadequate. Lisa had had no sleep so was slowly losing it, as you do. We took her in hand and worked through things with her and did what we could to help. Mike turns 50 next month so we felt the bling had to be passed onto somebody worthy. We had an instant connection as if we had known each other forever and honestly believe we will cross each other’s path again.
Last night in Rome, we start the long trek back home tomorrow via Kuala Lumpur. Not looking forward to reality but sick of living out of suitcases. Ready for our own space and our cat.

16 August Rome

We had such a fun day today with Bob and Jackie from Vancouver in Canada. It is quite interesting as Bob is a retired Real Estate Agent and Jackie is in Telecommunications like Bill. What an unusual world we live in. They are heading to Civitavecchia to board a Holland-America cruise ship tomorrow for 3 weeks with some friends who arrived today. We decided to spend the day together and see Rome. We used our second 24 hours up on the on/off bus. This time we visited the Pantheon. This was originally a pagan temple, but was later converted into a church in 608AD, which saved the whole building from being recycled for building materials. It is an amazing and imposing building with wonderful paintings and frescoes. It has circular portal in the roof, which is open to the weather. It fortunately has a drain in the floor if there is rain. It has huge bronze doors, which are a good 10 inches thick. It is so well balanced it only takes two people to close the door. Wanted to see the Appian Way today but with it being Sunday the bus stopped running early and of course they don’t tell you this.
Instead we visited a church in Barbarini. Some of the churches here are very troubling. We went into this hall of human bones that was arranged in mosaic form. We thought that maybe the bones had come from some roman massacre. It was the exhumed bones of 4000 Friars, who had been plucked from their graves; their skeletons had been dismembered and made into “creative” patterns. They considered it Holy. I call it desecration of a grave for material gain. They did it to explain “life” Beats me where they get a meaning like that.
The 4 of us had dinner at Brancaleone, a local Roman restaurant and had a great Roman/Italian Meal. We will see Bob and Jackie in a couple of years when we visit Canada and Alaska. Tomorrow, an early start. We visit he Vatican.

15 August Rome

Not sure how hot it was today but got rather a lot of sun. I like to think Bill and I am now sporting decent Italian suntans, which will fade quickly once we endure the chill of New Zealand. At least September announces the first day of spring so hopefully the worst of the weather in NZ is behind us.
Today we had plans of grabbing an on/off bus tour to orient ourselves with the city then decide where to go from there. Prepared for the heat, plastered with sunscreen and loaded up with water we decided to walk down to the Spanish Steps, the first of the must sees. Thanks to Allan we now work the underground Metro to our advantage paying 2 Euro for the two of us to go anywhere as long as it is not any longer than 75 minutes. Unlike London you only have to validate your ticket when you enter the underground, not when you get out so a real saving. Went to “Termini” which is the Rome Central Hub and bought a 48-hour bus ticket to suss out the city. Highlights were the Trevi Fountain that is fed by Rome’s last remaining original aqueduct.People throw coins in the Fountain giving then an annual revenue of $180,000 per annum. In Rome’s hay day 11 aqueducts fed the city. They believe the population then was a about a million and a half people. Went to the Coliseum and saw enormously long queues (Queues make me grumpy) Fortunately God was on our side and we ran into an English speaking tour group who were about to go in and we bought into their guided tour for an extra 8 Euros for express entry plus we got to see the Palatino for free, also a guided tour, which in our opinion was better than the Coliseum. The Coliseum is self explanatory, The Palatino is a Roman city in ruins and you get to see Caesar’s Palace, the throne room, the arena, the entertainment areas and baths plus you get to see the old Roman city. Our tour guide Todd brought it alive for us as he described details from the early Romans way of life. I had heard of the name Vomitorium. It is as you think. When Caesar had a feast, it could last for 8 hours with 30 courses. If you got full say after 8 courses, you were taken by a slave to the Vomitorium. They would tickle your throat with a feather to make you throw up, then you get back to your 9th course. Bad eh? Also the Romans of that era were all little men so according to Todd, suffered from short man’s syndrome. He said the size of a Roman man then was about the size of a 12-year-old boy. Another thing he also told us that their purple robes were dyed from the excrement of a rare snail. I’ll let you think about that one. Back to the hotel feeling very tired and footsore. No pool so a refreshing cool shower to banish the dust. Met a Canadian couple from Vancouver at dinner who flew into today .Bob and Jackie are real fun so will spend the day with them tomorrow before they head off for a 3 week cruise. Will sleep like logs

14 August Rome

It is time for Bill to leave the ship. Being in the lap of luxury has not done him any favours. My normally nice husband is starting to call the other passengers outside the Yacht club, “The Great Unwashed” (3800 other passengers make a fair bit of overcrowding. It is a bit like a zoo) He chuckles with undisguised glee when relaxing with his “Dirty Banana” shake with his feet up in the private VIP pool area. Other passengers can only gaze enviously through clear thick plate glass, which can only be accessed with our coded card (They do try but to no avail). He likes the express lift, which takes us immediately to our desired floor. He likes our butler tying his tie and polishing his shoes. In fact a monster was created so in order to take him down a peg; I had to remove him from this paradise, as it was not doing him any good. I told him, “Its 4 star for you buddy” as our butler escorted him off the ship to a waiting limo.
Reality sinks in at the airport. We catch the express train into Rome and get our first taste of their Metro system followed by a quick Taxi to our Hotel. The Hotel Oxford is another Boutique Hotel. Very cute. Our room plus bathroom is as big as our bedroom on the ship, but quiet and comfortable. It has the smallest lift we have ever seen. 3 people plus a carryon is enough. Having dinner at the Hotel tonight. Everything outside the tourist traps is closed as Italy celebrates its National day of the Virgin Mary tomorrow. Very hot here and no pool to soak in. Had a walk around to get our bearings as we plan to start exploring the sights tomorrow