Leaving Rome

This week was great, my cousins were here and we went everywhere. The highlight was riding bikes in the Borghese gardens on Thanksgiving, and seeing the Sistine Chapel another time. I got a 540 piece puzzle of the ceiling, which Michaelangelo painted. On Thanksgiving we had a huge feast and it was really good. Tomorrow morning we are leaving at four am for home. My dad has to stay in Rome to teach for ten more days. See everybody soon

Swiss guards at St Peters

I lit a candle at every church that I went into

Roman aqueduct

Gerry

Monday, November 21

Hi everyone,

My cousins from Seattle came yesterday. Charlie is finally here. I'm having a great time! We climbed St. Peter's Dome today, it was very fun. We walked all over Rome yesterday. We went to one of my favorite restaurants tonight, Costanzas, in a building that is over 2,000 years old.

Dome in St Peters, we went to the top, 323 steps

Swiss Guards at St Peters, another country!

sending a postcards to our grandmothers

Gerry

Friday, November 18

where Julius Caesar was murdered

re-enactment

View of Trajan's Forum from Trajan's markets

Today we went to Trajan's markets. He built the last imperial forum. He had to dig out one of the hills of Rome for space. Really close to our apartment is the ruins of the theater of Pompey, which is a cat sanctuary and also where Julius Caesar was murdered. See photo of me murdering my brother George at the very same spot. It is very warm and sunny here in Rome. Also there is a photo of Trajan's column which has 2,500 people on it that he conquered. Now there is St Peter on top, you can see his keys. Before, there was Trajan on the top. My favorite lunch is pizza rosa from Roscioli, with pesto sauce from Ruggieri's on it, and clementines from the market on campo fiori and lemon pop,

Gerry

Thursday, November 17

This morning, my aunt Mary left for home and it was very sad. My daily life in Rome is I wake up, I eat breakfast, usually bread from a bakery called Roscioli in my neighborhood. Then we go out and go places, sometimes boring and sometimes fun. I know my way around in Rome. My favorite place is still the Vatican museum and my favorite art is the statue Laocoon. On Sunday, my cousin Charlie is coming for the last week of our trip. It's going to be very fun, but it's sad that my aunt left. She is sooo fun! This is the view from our apartment. That is the Gallery Spada. This afternoon we saw a lot of police because there is a strike going on. And what is very funny in Rome is that the strikers have a break for dinner!
Gerry

Wednesday, November 16

Piazza Navona

gladiator training excavation

fountains everywhere

Moses

St Peters chains

Today I saw the place where the gladiators trained near the Colosseum and then we went to see the Church of St Peter in Chains because I am doing my Saint report on Saint Peter. There was a famous statue there of Moses by Michaelangelo plus some chains. Then I lit some candles at the church of Maria Aracoeli, which had a lot of chandeliers. This afternoon, I went back to Piazza Navona. My friend Jimmy Navone's name is almost the same except one letter. His dad told me to go there, and I did, and it was very cool. It's right near our apartment.
Gerry

Tuesday, November 15

Today we went to a modern museum called the Maxxi. We went to a really great bakery. The pizza bianca was really good. I go to a candy stand in the market near my apartment. There's lots of Italian candy. For a few euros I get a candy peaches and watermelon. I'm having a great time in Rome

Monday November 14

me touching the toe of St Peter for good luck

Today I went to the Vatican and St. Peters. I didn't climb the dome today; I'm doing it later this trip with my cousin Charlie. Instead I went and looked at paintings which wasn't as fun but it was still pretty interesting. I saw Michaelangelos's famous painting in the Sistine Chapel. I liked God and man almost touching fingers in the Creation of Life. I also liked a statue called the Lanccon, it is my favorite statue in Italy. It is a man and his two sons being pulled down to Hell by snakes. I've been having a great time so far. Thanks to everybody in my class for the great notes on email.
Gerry