Day 13 and 14 Santorini and departure

Day 13 and 14, Santorini and leaving -- iit was a wonderful time, but I'm happy to depart.  Santorini is beautiful, but its good for couples and party groups -- I felt most alone even in a group here, and that's an underlying feeling that is never a pleasant one.

But, for the hotel I stayed at -- I can only say they had the most comfortable bed in all of Europe!  That I was sad to leave behind and stayed in there until the last possible minute!

Yesterday was spent relaxing and snoozing as well, plus I found a laundry service to clean all of my clothes for 15 euros -- clean, and fold.  When you travel more than a few days, you cannot underestimate the importance of clean clothes!  Washing your socks and underwear in the sink gets really old.  

So now, I'm sitting in Santorini airport, waiting for my flight back to Rome, with a stopovere in Athens.  I look forward to seeing Rome again for a few more days, and hitting some art museums.  Rome was my favorite visit so far -- as a single person, this was by far the most comfortable city and cosmopolitan, wheree the locals did not look at you like you were bad real estate or with pity, because they can't comprehend a woman on her own haha.

So, back to Rome! I'm looking forward to a few more days there :-) 

Day 12 Santorini/Fira

Day 12 was a bit more sedate-- actually, MUCH more sedate than yesterday.  I woke up surprisingly not sore anywhere haha, after a very restful night's sleep, and decided the next two days here would be my "wind down" before leaving on Tuesday.  

I decided to see the island itself as much as I could in its entirety, so I engaged a very engaging guide named Johannes, from Bavaria, but of Greek descent.  His immediate sarcasm and wry humor made me feel right at home with him and his small group, so off we went.  He showed us many nice little villages, all accompanied with his biting comedic comments, and then took us to Akrotiri, where he led us through the ruined Minoan city with precision and a very informative, historical tour.  

After we spent about two hours in the ruin (which is bordered by the fable "Red beach" -- which was currently somewhat inaccessible due to falling rocks), we headed to the famous Black Beach and had a very nice few hours there, just swimming, relaxing, and enjoying a leisurely lunch.  After we headed up to the highest point of the island, at a hair under 4,000 feet, and did some exploring up top -- pretty scary to look down!  The cliffs are completely unguarded, so as Johannes said, if you decided "this is where you want to end it all,  sayonara!"  

Johannes decided that for safety sake, it was better to visit the cliffs BEFORE the next stop, which was the winery.  We headed to Santorini's premier winery, with beautiful views, and since I'm not a wine drinker, they provided me with a glass of fresh local orange juice, which was very nice of them.  We stayed around for about an hour, and then we were off.  Johannes tried to convince me to head back to Oia, but it was hazy, and the cruise ships had just come into port, so the idea of wading through another thousand Japanese tourists vying for a shot of a hazy sunset was not appealing to me.  He understood, and arranged for me to be dropped off at the hotel.  He said in parting, "I envy you.  I despise dealing with the cruise ships in Oia!"  Haha, apparently, I made the right choice heading back.

So, tomorrow's plan, complete leisure, as I leave Santorini the following morning, and would actually like to have one full day of rest before heading out.  Let's see if I can manage that without getting too stir crazy!

Day 11 Santorini Cauldera

Day 11 in Santorini was a very exhilarating and physically strenuous day -- I had to revert back to my 20s to manage this one!  And, thankfully, that inner kid was still just below the surface to tap in to ;-)

We started the day at a meeting point not far from my hotel, and it was kind of chaos -- all different groups were meeting there, as an official "meeting" area, and trying to get it sorted out required about an hour -- in the end, I wound up on a bus not knowing if we were going to the right place, etc., but I figured I would just roll with it and fix any snafus along the way.

It ended up I was with the correct group, and we took the winding roads along the cliffs down to the port, where we boarded a sail boat and headed out for our full day of island hopping.

The day started off overcast, but we were hoping for some of the haze to clear up so the views would be sparkling.  Our guide, Tania, a very knowledgeable gal, lamented that is not usually the case.  "Here in Santorini, you do not usually see that 'clear' view until the autumn, but every year can be different".  I really didn't mind -- the views were still spectacular.

Our first stop was Neos Kemani -- the youngest volcanic island that is under 450 years old, and still active (it saw an eruption in 1958).  There are spouts of steamy sulphur plumes here and there coming up from spots in the cracked earth and the surface of the island is basically covered in pumice, making it a little awkward to walk.  Tania informs us we will be scaling to the top of the island, to see the bests views.  Well, okay! I look down at my sports sandals and hope they can manage the stones.  

After nearly an hour of treacherous paths and a few injuries -- a number of other people fell and got scraped up along the path -- we finally reached the apex of the island, where we could see the cauldera complex and the other surrounding islands.  It was very beautiful, and we stayed up there about 10 minutes, just taking photos and admiring -- before we began the descent-- which was more harrowing than the ascent.  Again, another person falls from our party, slipping on the loose pumice stones, and she is scraped up pretty good, but she keeps her equanimity as we all keep moving on.  We were warned the boat leaves on time and will leave us behind -- I wonder how long before someone came back for us and have to laugh about that.  

We all board the boat (which is now a party boat, as there is a bartender on board, and a snack bar has opened, and lots of dance music is being played) and head out to our next stop -- the back of the volcanic island, where there is a sulphur springs to swim in.  The boat cannot get too close to the island because of rock ledges, so they anchor off shore -- "Approximately 2 and one half American football field lengths" says Tania.  She goes onto the megaphone and gives us all a stern warning -- "Please.  This is very serious.  If you are not a strong swimmer, or have health, heart conditions, etc. please do not enter the water.  We have only one rescue boat, and Nikkos is not a lifeguard -- just the boat operator."  I look at the water tentatively, soberly, and think if I should consider this.  I look into the distance of the enclave where there are other swimmers from another  nearby boat, and think, "how bad can it be?"  

The ladder goes off the side of the boat, and the first of the adventurers jumps off the 12 foot deck into the water.  Everyone cheers.  With that, I join the line of other enthusiasts cannonballing off the side of the vessel.  My turn.  Without thinking, I just leap into the air.  When I hit the water, FREEZING COLD.  I surface in a bit of shock, but look around, and see a few other heads bobbling in the cobalt sea.  I swim determinedly in their direction, realizing not only is the water frigid, but the currents are strong.  And then, I get the horrified thought of, what if there are sharks?  I push that aside and just keep swimming, making some headway -- and then the water starts to warm, as I approach the cauldera.  I have reached the promised land (or sea).  As I entered the warm enclave of the sulphur springs, I saw people clinging to the rocks along it, catching their breath.  I decided to do the same.  The rocks were razor sharp and slimy, so staying on them any length of time was not possible, but it was enough for me to literally get my bearings and wind back, and then, I spent the next hour lazily floating in the warm, gentle water, like a baby in amniotic fluid.  

In the distance, we heard the whistles.  Time to head back.  I began swimming my way back toward the open sea, and could see the water had grown choppier, as some clouds had appeared over us.  I felt the temperature change as I headed out, and could also feel a very strong current working against me.  This was a bit disconcerting, as we didn't seem to be making headway, just getting more and more tired and pushed away.  I switch tactics and begin backstroking, as my legs are pretty strong, despite my one leg being mangled.  I am able to make some good progress, and the fellow next to me in the water, I can see he is struggling, looks over as I pass him, and does the same.  I see the rescue boats zipping around attempting to pluck struggling swimmers out of the water, but there are at least a dozen, and only one of him.  I can feel the first tentacles of fear touch me but I won't allow it.  I keep swimming, and flip over to try a breast stroke.  A huge wave suddenly hits me in the face and I inhale water.  I immediately go to a back stroke and keep calm -- I know that I must reach the boat eventually, just keep plugging away.  I finally am within a few yards of the boat, and I am pretty exhausted, but I know I will make it.  I hear yelling in the distance.  A girl from Milwaukee is in panic.  They are trying to reach her, but they have two people clinging to the raft.  I reach the ladder.  For a second, I'm so exhausted, I don't know if I can climb it.  But, I do.  I get on deck, and the wind is whipping, and the boat is pitching, almost knocking me down.  I slide on to a bench, like a dead fish, and just breathe for a moment.  I'm still alive! I laugh with joy, and the two elderly women sitting watching me curiously, say, "Are you okay?  Did you not drown?" Their English is broken, but I can see they are concerned.  They look over the railing to the other people now struggling aboard and shake their heads.  

After about 10 minutes of water rescues and spluttering swimmers, Tania soberly hits the megaphone.  "I am glad, my children, that everyone is now accounted for.  We didn't expect the rapid weather change, but we are all here, we are all well, so let's move on!" And like that, no muss, no fuss, we head out to our next port.  

We headed to a small island, which had a town situated high on its cliffs.  Tania advised, "Don't climb it.  It's very dangerous and not worth it.  Save your energies for our next stops" (that was the tip off).  There were several open air seafood restaurants and ice cream stands, so I found a nice seat, relaxed, and ordered a local meal of grilled prawns, and a tomato salad with fresh bread.  I shared my meal with a very friendly little dog who seemed to be the restaurant mascot.

After, I got an ice cream cone along with the rest of the group, and just sat and relaxed, enjoying the ocean.  We stayed in port for about an hour, and then headed out again, another little island, or two, but we didn't anchor this time, just flew past them.  Finally, we reached Oia, where would would view the world famous sunset.  This was optional, as Tania, stated, "If you do not want to stay with us and see the sunset, stay onboard the boat, and Stavros will take you back to the port in Fira, where you can take a shuttle back to the meeting point. But you must make up your mind quickly, because the boat only stays long enough to disembark the passengers and leaves right away!"  Well, who wouldn't want to stay and see the sunset?  How silly.

We disembark the board, and as Tania stated, the boat quickly slips away, as if hurrying from the site of an accident.  I turn and look at the island, it is breathtakingly beautiful, with soaring cliffs and the white city above gleaming like snow on a mountain peak.  So stunning, and so high above us, very dramatic.  I look around -- where are the transports?  Cable cars?  In the distance, from way above, I see movement.  As it approaches down the mountain, I can make out, -- it's herds of donkeys running down the steep mountain paths!  We all laugh and point -- "Wow" "So cute!" "That's amazing!" Tania smiles and nods.  "That is our transport!" We all stop laughing.  Huh???  "Of course, that is totally optional.  You can always climb up on foot.  There are only 689 steps to reach the top."  I look for the boat -- wait!  Come back!  But, Stavros is just a dot on the horizon by this point.  

I am torn as to whether to attempt the climb or to ride the donkey.  I hit the first of the steps, ancient, uneven stones, very steep, and shake my head.  It will have to be the burro.  The shepherd looks at me and smiles-- "You will enjoy the donkey taxi!" I smile weakly -- I'm not so sure.  After giving us some quick instructions, "No screaming - the donkey's sense fear" and "keep leaning forward and grasp the donkey's belly with your legs" I got my leg up and I was on top of the smelly critter that would take us way up that mountain to the gleaming city.  The donkey lurches, and begins its ascent, ploddingly.  I sway in the saddle and look down -- we are literally on the very edge of the cliffs.  If this donkey decided to buck me off, I would plummet about a thousand feet to my demise on the rocks below.  It seems surreal that this is happening -- I'm beyond even being afraid.  I think I might be in shock.  The donkey continues its lurching progress.  

After we reach the plateau, about 3/4 of the way up, the shepherd comes riding up on his own donkey, hitting all the donkeys with a cane, and forcing them to a stop.  "You all get off here.  We cannot enter the city with the donkeys."  So, we get off, and climb the rest of the way, which is really brutally steep, to the city.  As I am climbing, I see throngs of panting people, sitting on rocks along the way, looking at each other for sympathy.  I have to laugh thinking that if I had to climb the entire length, I would have made it at around midnight.  Finally, one more bend, I pull myself up along the rope, and like opening your eyes for the first moment after darkness, this gleaming white, ethereal city was before me.  I was very impressed.

Oia was unearthly -- everything white and shining -- like a very early glimpse of Heaven -- a pale comparison, but the closest thing to what I would imagine heaven to be like.  Little pearls of winding alleys and flower lined streets, all smelling like honeysuckle and hibiscus.  Quiet music playing here and gentle ocean breezes.  Incredible and other worldly.

I sit for a moment, and across from me are a couple, also sitting and resting, taking it all in.  We lock eyes and smile the universal understanding of, "wow".  I speak first -- "So beautiful!"  They perk up at this -- "Are you American?" I nod.  They smile, "Us too!" They get excited -- "Where are you from?"  And we begin to chat.  They are a couple from Carlsbad, CA, originally from Wisconsin, their names are Frank and Lynda, and we decided to go exploring together.  I spent the evening with them, and they even treated me to dinner, which was very kind -- but Frank insisted since they had invited me to dine with them.  

After a nice sunset (we found a place away from the massive crowds)-- we all headed back to our meeting point, where Tania guided us to our particular buses.  I took the nearly hour ride back into Fira, and was tired, happy, and in desperate need of a shower.  I was a little sunburnt, but all the better for it for the amazing day in Santorini, and thankful I decided to not skip that crazy tour!

Day 7 Athens and Piraeus

Day 7 in Athens and Piraeus was a more gentle pace.  I woke up later, had a more leisurely breakfast, and then started to explore the city.  Problem was it was May 1, and the workers were having a protest/celebration for May Day, so much of the center of the city was shut down.  Not to be put off, I explored the sea ports of Piraeus -- and that was very beautiful and interesting.  I also had a nice lunch (Greek salad) and a glass of lemon soda, and back out I went.  

After, I was feeling a little tired, so I decided to head back to my hotel and hit the rooftop pool.  I stayed up there a while, just relaxing, and listening to the Danish tourists drink beer and banter.  I went across the road a little ways after showering and got a gyro, enjoying the street musicians and the passerby people as I ate, and then headed in for an earlier night.  Delphi tomorrow!!!

Day 6 Athens and Cape Sounion

Day 6 started off gray and windy, with a few showers, but that did not dampen my enthusiasm.  I started off with a traveler's snafu: the cab app I had downloaded did not work in Athens.  I had to meet a tour group across town in an hour and I literally had no clue how I was going to do that, without a cab, or lay of the land.  So, I was determined to not miss the group -- and on a wing and a prayer, I did a quick Google that showed there was a Metro tram that would take me within a few blocks of the meet up.  So, I ran down to the metro station, got on the line, bought a ticket, ran back up to the tram station, rode the tram the Google allotted amount of stops (which were incorrect) -- got off at the wrong stop, asked several people along the additional nearly kilometer I had to walk (through some shady areas too) and finally, all sweaty and flustered, arrived 15 minutes early for the meet -- so I could sit down, catch my breath, and enjoy some air conditioning.

The rest of the day was nice.  We visited some of the major areas of the city, and during this time I met with a few other solo travelers, one in particular was a very nice 30 something year old Nurse named Brooke from Sydney.  We ended up buddying up for the day, enjoying lunch together, and seeing all the sites.  It's funny how that works for us solo travelers-- We meet up, have a great time, go our separate ways, and never see each other again -- it's a traveler's "one night stand" minus the sex and sadness hahahahaha

Later, we traveled out the hour and a half to Poseidon's temple at Cape Sounion -- and what a beautiful site that was.  The best of trip.  It was so beautiful and peaceful -- with the sun beginning to set over the Aegean Sea -- the music of soft, gentle breezes, and sweet low chirping of little quayle that live on the rocky coastline.  I could've stayed there forever.  The ancient lore has it that this was the cliff that King Aegeus jumped from and killed himself, when he thought he son Theseus was dead.  Theseus had gone to Crete to kill the Minotaur under the cloak of night, and had black sails on his ship for cover.  King made a pact with Theseus and his group -- if Theseus killed the Minotaur, they would change the sails from black to white, and the King could see from a distance that his son was alive.  But Theseus fell in love with a Princess after killing the Minotaur, and in his delight and distraction of his love, forgot to change the sails from black to white.  When the king saw the approaching ship had black sails, he despaired that his son was dead, and he threw himself from the cliff into the sea.

After the trip back to Athens, I was pretty exhausted.  The day required a lot of climbing, and as expected, my pedometer clocked over 7.4 miles of walking (much of it climbing) so I was ready for a hot bath and some relaxation -- which is exactly what I did when I got back to the hotel.  And now, goodnight!

Day 5 Athens

Day 5: Athens -- what to do when you arrive at noon, and have to kick around a while until check in, and you are zonked out from no sleep?  Go on a foodie tour! Athen's has an amazing street food scene -- so I started my crawl at 12 noon, with a bacon chicken club from the local authentic bistro.  The sandwich was very tasty, with thick cut bacon and homemade french fries -- it was so much I could barely get through half of it.   I was able to check in and after unloading my stuff, decided to head up to the rooftop pool and go for a dip.  There were a few groups of German tourists up there, drinking beer and eating copious amounts of potato chips -- but I didn't mind.  I enjoyed their banter.  What I did mind was diving into what felt like Arctic temperature waters and almost having a heart attack haha -- the German kids in the pool, who were watching intently, liked the reaction too -- they wanted someone to suffer with them, with their purple lips and shivering with their goggles and flippers still on!

After freezing my butt off for no more than two minutes in the pool, I decided to give up that masochism, and go run a hot bath in my room -- and after snoozing in there a bit, went out prowling, and saw so many great little street restaurants, I decided to go for a real authentic and "cheap eats" dinner -- the GYRO.  This was the best gyro ever.  Now, initially, I was kind of torn.  The pork gyro was made from a premium succulent piglet -- on a spit -- with his head still on -- and that kind of put me off, but I decided to give it a try.  The vendor took his long carving knife and was cutting nice pieces off the back end of this piglet, and made up this amazing Gyro.  All pity went out the window after the first bite.  And the dessert from the bakery?  So good it's not fair and they are literally across the street from me 😂 lucky thing I have like 100 miles to walk tomorrow after this food marathon 😂

So, being that I slept, oh, about 3 hours last night, I have decided to turn in extra early for tomorrow's festivities.  Good night all!

Day 4 Naples and Pompeii

I was always intrigued and amazed by the story of Pompeii, and also, I had heard how beautiful Naples is, and how the food kicks butt, so off I went.  It is almost 4 hours from Rome via shuttle, or an hour and a half on the high speed train.  I decided to do the high speed there, the shuttle back (to see the countryside).  

Pompeii was an overwhelming site -- it is very large, as it was a large town/city (with amazing walls!) and it was just so interesting, fascinating, and sad. The city was very lavish, with their own sporting arena, a drama/arts amphitheater, coffee shops, wine bars, even a gym and spa that boasted hot and cold plunge pools as well as a weight training area.  The homes layouts were gorgeous, with many of the frescoes still intact.  It's just amazing to me that it was all instantly covered when Vesuvius blew -- and now, two thousand years later, we can walk through and envision it.  As I was wandering through the streets of Pompeii -- a very handsome (and very YOUNG) Dane named "Henry" began chatting with me, and he accompanied me along for a good portion of the afternoon as a sort of guide.  He was on his own, and I think he was a bit overwhelmed.  He invited me to lunch, but I declined.  He was literally my son's age -- that was amusing, but also kind of horrifying LOL.

Naples is beautiful with the dramatic Mediterranean coast line, the pastel earthen colored homes and buildings, and of course, the amazing food.  I found an amazing restaurant (on recommendation) that not only boasted wonderful food, it was so cool and refreshing under an arbor of beautiful flowers.  It was very hot, hazy, and humid, so I ordered a plate of melone, prosciutto, y mozzarella -- honeydew, "ham", and a fresh mozzerella ball, served on a fresh bed of greens.  Couple that with the most amazingly fresh olive oil, crusty local bread, and sparkling mineral water with a wedge of lemon -- and I was in absolute heaven.  The service was excellent, and it was a long meal of almost an hour and a half, and finished with the best tasting dish of chocolate and vanilla gelati I have yet to taste.  I was literally in Nirvana.

After, I headed to the shops to buy a couple of very nice little  "take away" gifts for my special peeps, and then went to the bus meet up to head back to Rome.  It was a nearly four hour trip (air conditioned thank goodness) and the countryside of Italy was spectacular -- in full bloom.  The country is very well maintained -- clean, and not a lot of strip malls and ugly BS.  I was very impressed.

After I disembarked at Via Cavour, I took the metro back to Cipro where I was staying (outside the walls of Vatican City).  I wanted to kick around a bit, but I realized i had to pack up and do some last minute things, and my cab to the airport would be picking my up at 345 am -- to make my 6 am flight to Athens -- and I should probably squeeze a few hours in of sleep.  So, that's what I did.  

And Ciao for now, Roma!! 

Day 3 - Rome - Vatican City

I spent the day in Vatican City, and although it was immensely crowded -- it was well worth braving the hoarde of humanity.  I started the day meeting up with a tour group going in -- I decided to invest in one of the "skip the line" tours, since the wait to get in as an individual was hours long.  If you forked up some dough, you bypassed all that, and got a guide to boot -- so, I decided to pony it up.  

"Pino" was our guide -- he was very charming and very knowledgeable.  He took us all the way through the entire Vatican for a nearly 5 hour tour.  We started by going through metal detectors and screening of our purses/packs like in the airport, minus the plastic basket, so my purse got destroyed by one of the straps getting ripped off by the conveyor belt rollers -- leaving me to carry it around for the rest of the day like a baby.  Not a good way to start the day haha. 

But, things got considerable better as we toured through the Vatican -- the history of it is amazing.  Hall after hall of tapestry and amazing artwork, by Leonardo, Raphael, and many other great artists of the past.  They even had a modern art section with the likes of Matisse and Chagall contributing to it. It was very impressive.  

We made our way through the various antechambers for the Pope, with much backhistory and a lot of formalities, until we reached the Sistine chapel -- which is just one huge room with all of the amazing Leonardo paintings decorating it.  We sat in there, hundreds of us, while a voice would yell "Silencio" at us every few minutes. It was actually kind of funny. But, the art was amazing, as was all of the symbolism, as explained thoroughly by Pino, who knows more about the Vatican history and intrigue probably than any person on the planet.  It seems to be his life's work, and so, we were treated to a very thorough history.

Once we reached St. Peter's basilica, it was the end of the tour -- but I was able to see the "Pieta", and most importantly, get a glimpse of the Apostle Peter's tomb.  To be honest, this was literally the most important part of the entire trip.  It was overwhelming to know that the Apostle Peter was there.  I was so humbled to be in the presence of his tomb.  Peter -- the Apostle who walked with Jesus.  It still is amazing to me I was able to see his tomb.  There was many tapestries and carvings about his fate of being crucified upside down, and all of the circumstances surrounding his martyrdom, as well as Paul's -- but Paul was not there -- his tomb is more sketchy -- I read somewhere they recently confirmed he is also buried in Rome -- but not with nearly the "pomp" that Peter is buried with.  There were many references to Paul in the Vatican -- both he and Peter had many narratives and paintings and artworks dedicated to their service.

After I left the Vatican, I had a light lunch of tomato and mozzarella salad, and then headed back to change bags and do some painting by the Tiber.  I managed to get a quick painting done that was not to my liking so rather than sending it floating down the river, I just headed back to do some prep work for tomorrow's outing -- confirming my passage to Pompeii.  <3 

Day Two - Rome

Day Two - Rome

I started off the day rather miserably, with no sleep, which was a drag.  I had left the one outdoor balcony door of my room open for air the day before, and I was pretty much attacked by mosquitoes the night before, making for a sleepless frustration.  But, that would not dampen my enthusiasm, so rather than wrestle with sleep that wouldn't arrive, I showered and headed out extra early.  

First, a delicious cappuccino and an apricot roll and then I headed to Spanish stairs area.  Even early, it was mobbed, so I went by it and admired all the local architecture, and just roamed about the area, enjoying the atmosphere, sketching the local architecture, and soaking up the morning breezes.  I was able to hop a bus and see some really nice architecture in Jewish quarter, and around the City Hall areas as well.

I wandered the city until about 1 pm, then headed over to Colosseo stop on the Metro, as I had scheduled to join a 3 hour tour of the Colosseum and Palantine grounds.  I made a quick stop in a cafe for some iced tea and a light lunch of a small antipasto dish with some salami, olives, interesting cheeses and headed to the Colosseum.  It was now close to 2 pm, and it was a nearly a mob scene of vendors, and thousands of selfie taking tourists in every direction.  Not one to be left out, I decided to take my biannual selfie in front of the Coliseum too! 

The sun was blazing hot and I could see the discomfort on many faces -- and even though I had prepped for it, with sunblock, glasses, hat, and my shoulders covered, the light was nearly blinding, and so intense, it was making my sunglasses fog with moisture behind the lenses.  I dipped into one of the shady spots along the long walls of the grounds, and waited to meet up with my group.  The guide arrived promptly, and was a very thorough and entertaining older gentlemen, who spoke in great detail of the history of the Colisseum and the origins of Rome itself.  He navigated us through searches and metal dectectors almost as thorough as the airport to enter the Coliseum (and again at Palantine) and then we were able to enjoy the grounds.  There were many schools there  that day, and the kids, initially boisterous and happy, became quiet and drained after a while, all sitting flushed in the alcoves of shade the porticos of the ancient ruins offered. 

By 5 pm I was also ready to keel over, and joined the groups of quiet kids sitting about snoozing in the shade, or sipping at bottles of ice water sold for a Euro by the numerous vendors.  I was more than ready to start heading back to the Vaticano area, as much as I enjoyed the tour, just to escape the heat.  I headed into the Metro, and back toward Vaticano.  The Metro system is excellent here, one of the better ones I've ridden in a while, and is surprisingly clean, not overly crowded, and very affordable at 1.5 Euro for.a single ride, or 7 Euro for a an unlimited 24 hour pass. 

Dinner time was approaching and I hadn't made a decision so I stopped off at a local cafe and enjoyed an chicken "insalata" because after the brutal heat, the idea of putting anything warm inside my mouth was shudder inducing.  I had a nice homebrewed iced tea limon and I began to meander my way back to my pensione.  I was flushed, and decided to head in early to shower off the heat of the day.  After I did that, I had some plans to head back out and wander a bit -- which never happened, because the heat and sunburn and no sleep of the night before caught me, and I basically passed out cold haha waking up 7 hours later, which brings me to now :-) -- 4 a.m. In Roma.  A new day :-)

New Painting

"Perkin's Cove" Oil on Canvas, 12" by 16"

This painting I posted yesterday...it sold in under a half an hour. Amazing!

New Painting

"Lilies and Wood" Oil on Canvas, 12" by 16".

This painting was done in studio from a pink lily I picked from my garden. I am enchanted by the array of colors and sensory pleasure that flowers give...I arranged this mature bloom on an old work bench, since the contrast of textures was interesting to me--the stark simplicity of the wood, and the velvet softness of the lily. I perched the flower in an antique porcelain vase for a neutral yet elegant vehicle to showcase the two opposing elements. I utilized a limited palette of only burnt sienna, french ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, alizarin crimson and white, thinned by a mixture of 1/2 and 1/2linseed and turpentine to create this painting.

Time to work on my next summer flower--the sunflower...also, will be posting my Maine paintings within the next couple of days--that's all for now, folks!