Michaelangelo sho could paint!

We put on those walking shoes and did us some walking today. After a hair-raising taxi ride to the Vatican, we set off to see the Pope. He must have had something come up because he never did make it out to see us but we did enjoy his home. We did not wait in the hour long line to climb the cupola but we did head down to the basement to have a peep at the popes that have passed on. St. Peter's was fabulous. Every inch of the building is covered in marble or gold or statues. We stood in awe of the size and detail of everything. Next, we were on to the Sistine Chapel. That was quite the experience. We found a small sign in an obscure corner that had an arrow and sistine chapel written on it. We followed the arrow around and around and around and around and finally,what seemed like 5 miles later, we found the entrance to the Vatican Museum which houses the Sistine chapel. We march in and slowly find the ticket booth. Eagerly we skip towards the entrance only to find that it was not the Sistine Chapel. It was, however, a wonderful museum full of fantastic treasures and antiquites. We saw Egyptian mummies, incredible 15th century tapestries, and lots of statuary. As we moved from room to room, we laughed about how we were CERTAIN that the next turn would be the chapel. One ornate room turned in to another and another and another! Don't get me wrong, each room was was a history class in itself, but we started to feel like rats in a maze desperately seeking that glorious hunk of cheese. We carried on. and on. and on. Almost 2 hours and 1,000,000 steps later, we found the chapel. It was worth every step but we were almost to tired to enjoy it when we got there. We simply stood in awe. It was beyond magnificent. The pictures are from St Peter's and The Sistine chapel today. Eileen and I had an early evening walk to the Trevi fountain and made a wish followed by pizza and wine and we are off to bed. Sweet Dreams

having fun

Italy! What a magical place. Yesterday went well. We had arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport and it was there!! After a thrilling ride racing through masses of cars and speeding motorcycles we arrived at our hotel. We are in a quaint little hotel located at the top of the Spanish steps(at 5 yesterday we were wishing that it was at the bottom of the Spanish steps). The hotels in Italy usually include breakfast with your room and an un-ending supply of cappucino. I had my share and we left out for a day of sightseeing. First we hit the colluseum and the Pallentine Hill. Most of the pictures in the slides are from our walk. We saw the ruined homes of Roman Emperors past, we stood where Julius Cesear ruled Rome and where he died. One of the coolest thing about these ruins is that you can actually walk right up and touch it and feel the acient moments of history that passed through it. I tried to soak it all in! After a day full of walking we feasted on lasagna, salad, fresh mozzerella, red wine, and dessert. Ten hours of sweet sleep and we are off again to see the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and so on and so on. I'll try and post pictures this evening! Ciao

italy with jet lag and a shot of espresso

Italy, here we come!

My cousin and i will be leaving on the big ole jet airliner(I used to think that song was 'we gon' jam at the line up' not' big ole jet airliner'!) this afternoon . Tomorrow we will be in Rome. I promise to try and post a few pictures as best I can. Amanda, I got a bigger suitcase so you could have extra room!! Until tomorrow.
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ciao bella

Whew! It has taken us a week to unpack and get the store back in order(somewhat!) We have a few new things from Texas and Jay will be heading to a big auction this weekend so check in next weekend for hip new finds! While Jay will be treasure hunting, I will be strolling the streets of Roma and riding the waterways of Venezia! I told Jay that he would be in charge of blogging while I am in Italy but I have a feeling that the next blog will be around the 25th of April. I will take lots of pictures and will post them as soon as I get home. The internet services in Italy are not quite what they are in the US. So.... until my Roman Holiday is done....enjoy the beauty of springtime, take a moment and smell the wisteria(it only lasts a moment!), and know that I will be thinking of you and wishing that you were with me! Maybe I'll even find a thing or two to bring home for the store. Ciao!!

beautiful in blue

driving in round top