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Monday, May 26, Florence. I got up around 7:30 and made my way to Roma Termini and the train for Firenze. It was a beautiful train, one of the high speed versions. I've purchased a first class "global pass" from Eurail and I get to travel first class. Not bad. Many trains give our free drinks and snack to first class passengers. The train departed at 9:55 a.m. and we arrived in Firenze at 11:30 a.m. I found my way to the Tourst Information and got info about getting to the Hostel. "Take-a bus 17 to the end," they said. "It's there."

Right they were. It turns out the Hostel is about a 20 minute bus ride out of the city. Once there, it is necessary to walk about 1/4 mile up a long driveway to the building. In a way, it's worth it. The hostel is a converted "Villa" in the hills with sheep ranches and vineyards around the property. It is quiet and beautiful. But a bit remote. I was able to check in and check my bags at 2 p.m. and made my way back into the town by the same bus that took me there. As was the case in Rome, one is supposed to have a ticket, but no one checks and no one cares!! So, "when in Rome"...

First let me say that the weather is quite warm, around 80 degrees or so. Fairly humid. It's been the same for the last 4 or 5 days, but after some pretty heavy rain in Rome for the first 3 days, I can't complain very much. I enjoy the heat and settled in to getting around the city. After checking about trains to Venice (I'll go on Wednesday), I made my way to Ponte Vecchio. It's a bridge spanning Fuimi Arno and dates back to the first third of the 14th Century. It abounds with activity, and the main commercial activity is GOLD!! I found a piece I really liked, and when I asked the price, I was told 5000 Euros. A bit out of my budget, but nice just the same.

After wandering around the bridge and area for about an hour, I wandered the city. I realized it was time to find out where Michelangelo's David is housed and go see it. It turns out it is in a building called the Galleria dell' Accademia. It also turned out that, because it was a Monday, it was closed. I did speak with the docent inside the door where David "lives" and was assured that it'll be open and ready to view at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. So, to quote the Terminator -- "I'll be baaaack"..

I made my way around much of the city. The areas of interest are easily within walking distance. Not much traffic is allowed, no busses and very few cars. I found a variety of churches, piazzas and biscilicas. One of the most famous, Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore and Museo dell'Opera del'Duomo are adjacent to each other. The were was huge crowd of people sitting on the steps, talking and walking around. It was quite a sight.

So, it's time to head back to the hostel, get a shower and a bit of rest. I'll be up early and out on the town -- so, stayed tuned.

Sunday, May 25, Rome. Well, today is my last day in Rome and I decided to change things a bit. I awoke later than usual, around 9:30, and caught the bus for Ottavania. I stopped in my trusty internet point and checked my email. Gotta say connected, right? I knew I'd do a bit of walking today and decided that 2 pair of socks was a good bet. It was, and at the end of the day, my tootsies still feel pretty good. Maybe I'm just getting used to walking.

I made my way into a part of town I hadn't been into much. It is an areas called Repubblica. The center of the "Piazza della Republica" is dominated by a large and beautiful fountain with the four bronze statues of the Najadi by Mario Rutelli. One side of the square is large and very old church called Santa Maria degli Angeli is adjacent to Diocletian's Baths. The baths were dedicated in 306 C.E. and remained in service until the first third of the Fifth Century.

On the other side of the square is another church, one that I became very interested in. It is called the Warner Moderno. The interesting about this church is that they, somehow, display images and tell stories that are either in the past, present and even the future. I found that the doors would open at 2:30 p.m. and that I would be able to worship at 4:10 p.m. --- more on this later.

I was able to locate the Museum of Science and Planetarium of Rome. It turns out the museum is quite a bit out of city and wasn't on any of the maps I had. I stopped at the tourist information booth at the Roma Termini and was told the museum was at the end of one of the two subway trains that span much of the city. Since I had a 4:10 appointment at the Warner Moderno Church, and it was around 1 p.m., I boarded the subway and headed out there. It was about a 15 minute train ride and then a 10 minute walk to the museum.

The science museum and planetarium are housed in an imposing building. Huge columns boarded the sides as I walked into the door. I was greeted by a "antique" Zeiss Planetarium project. These were very popular in planetariums. Using a word like "antique" when talking about a plentarium projector that was built in the 1920's or 30's is a bit of a stretch when here in Rome. The one on display is the same projector in grew up on at the Griffith Planetarium and Observatory in Los Angeles. While these are no longer in use, it is hard to find a well-preserved one. The one in Rome is very nice and all original. I was told it was given to Rome after World War II by the German government as a gesture of friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the planetarium and science museum.

So, by now it was close to 3 p.m. and time to my way back to the Repubblica Metro stop. If you recall, I had an appointment to worship at the Warner Moderno Church -- more like a Cathedral really -- at 4:10. I arrived there a bit early, around 3:35, and had a snack. I paid my 5.50 Euro fee to gain entry and entered the viewing chamber precisely at 4 p.m. At 4:10 the images began to display on the wall. They were images of the past, 10 feet high and 15 feet wide -- more or less. The images began to tell a story of events which had happened in 1957. Again, given that I was in Rome, these are very ancient images, but they told the story in exact detail -- there was even color and sound.

So, I sat back and enjoyed...

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

It so nice to end a week in Rome with a religious experience! Si?

May 24, Rome. Today I got up a little early to make it to the Sistene Chapel before the crowds. I took the bus into Ottaviano and had a quick "cafe Americano" before heading over to the Vatican. I was on my way by 8:30 or so. Well, "what to my surprise", but that the line for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel was about 2 miles long. I think I was number 1000 in line! After about 5 minutes I was number 1000 of 2000. The line grew in length quickly, but moved quickly as well.

It took around 30 or 40 minutes to gain entrance to the museum. I paid my 14 Euro fee and was on my way to see the collection and the Michelangelo. You must know, the museum is HUGE. There are artifacts everywhere. It tuns out that the museum was founded by Pope Julius II during his reign from 1503 to 1513. It is an amazing collection of tapistries, paintings, statuary -- everything imaginable. There were so many things to see, and my eye was caught by an interesting orrery in one of the gallerys. An orrery is a mechanical "model" representing the motions of the planets (the picture is an example is isn't the one in the Vatican).

Most impressive, of course, is the Sistene Chapel with its Michelangelo ceiling. I was very surprised to see that the Creation of Adam is a relatively small fresco in the middle of many small scenes making up an enormous ceiling. Regardless of size, it is breathtaking and cannot be adequately described. One must simply see it and take it in. After around 3 hours, or so, I found my way to the exit.

I decided to go to the large market at a square called Campo d'Fiori. The market consists of vendors selling all things to eat. It occupies the center of the fairly large square with a fountain in the middle. Cute restaurants ring the outer perimeter. I decided to walk from the Vatican Museum to the market, a distance of about 2 miles or so. It took me over the "Fiume Tevere" and through much of the old city. I walked along a long windy and narrow street called Via Giula, and just before reaching the market I made a very lucky find.

A small, almost hidden eatery was on the right side of the street. I stopped for a snack, and was pleasantly surprised on two counts: 1) that the food was absolutely wonderful, including a falafel wrap I took along with me, and 2) unlike the many restorantes and eateries around the "tourist" part of town, this one was very INEXPENSIVE!! Given that everything in Rome seems to cost 10 Euros, I was happy to pay the price for such a great experience and food.

The market was very busy, people everywhere. I was taken by the contrast of so much food, so many people with money to buy the food or eat in the restaurants and a number of homeless and beggars asking for help. I was especially bothered by an old woman sitting on the ground near the fountain. She was bent over, appeared to be very old and her appearance would be too disturbing to recount. She was dressed very warmly, yet the sun was out and it was a warm day. While yours truly and a few others put a couple of Euros in her collection plate, most people ignored her. It reminded me of the tremendous dichotomy that can exist in a city that gave rise to Western Civilization. I wanted to know more about her but, frankly, I was afraid to ask. Unfortunately, this is a scene one can see in any country of the world -- including the U.S.

So, today is Saturday and I have one more day in Rome before going on to Florence. I think I'll sleep late, do a laundry and nurse the blister I seem have one on my right foot!! Still, I've gotten some interesting impressions of the city. They go something like this:

• Rome has some of the most interesting "antiquities" that are still being used in everyday life. It is a delightful city that one must visit more than once.
• Everyone, or so it seems, smokes cigarettes. So, the tobacco companies need not fear!! Generally the street is the Roman ashtray.
• There are trash cans on many corners, but they are full and are emptied so infrequently that people use the street for trash. Trash abounds. Graffiti does too.
• Red lights mean stop, and green lights mean go. But in Rome, there is a cooperation between automobiles and pedestrians. Pedestrians cross the street anywhere and anytime, regardless of the stop light, and cars do their best to "miss 'em". I must say that I did see and hear lots of ambulances rushing here and there, so who knows??
• Italy has lots of trains and busses, and they have a "schedule". You know, when they will arrive and depart. BUT, the schedule is generally ignored.
• The underground (subway) and busses use the same ticket as a means to pay the transit fare. But, on busses, most people don't pay! One simply gets on, waits until their stop and gets off!
• I believe it is physically impossible for Italians in general, and Roman in particular, to talk without using their hands!! But when they do talk to each other, it is clear that they are engaged. They are communicating, and they obviously enjoy it.

Well, there thousands of other things I could list, but you get the idea. As always, more to follow....

May 23, trip to Pompei.

I was up 7:30 a.m. this morning and decided to go to the train station to see if I could get an earlier train. I could have, but was told that the "super speed" train I was on at 9:25 would be faster than an earlier but slower train. So, I had a bit of breakfast and boarded the train bound for Napoli. I was then to change trains in Napoli for Pompei and arrive around noon or so.

Once in Napoli, I boarded the train for Pompei. This was a rickety old train, a local, that made every stop along the way. It shook, rolled side to side and made lound squeaky noises when stopping. BUT, it left on time, so I was pleased. As I saw the stations going by, one by one, I decided to ask about the stop for Pompei.

So, now --- here is the pop quiz.

What does it mean when you see the following sign on a trip from Napoli to Pompei?

OK, so need a hint! Here's another picture of the square in front of the Solarno train station.

So, and the ANSWER is ---

You've missed the Pompei station and gone too far!!

Well, I mentioned all along that I was looking for adventure. I wasn't planning a visit to Solarno, so what the heck. I checked on the next train to Pompei (going in the other direction this time) and found I had an hour to explore. It turns out Solarno is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean. I wondered around a bit, took some nice pictures (one of which you see below) and thoroughly enjoyed the unscheduled visit.

I finally boarded the train, after checking twice that I was on the correct platform, and was rewarded with a thoroughly modern, quiet and very fast train. Pompei was the section stop north, about 15 minutes. Not a bad detour at all.

I arrived in Pompei in short order and was pleased with my navigation skills, at last. The ruins, it turns out, are a short walk through the new city. New Pompei, as is the case with most cities in Europe I've found, is dominated by a beautiful church in the center of the square. Turning left at the church and walking about one-quarter mile, I entered the Ruins and paid my admission. I noticed there was a "reduced" fare for seniors and was quickly asked by the clerk: "what country are you from?" When I said the U.S., I was just as quickly notified that reduced fares are for EU seniors only. So, pay your 11 Euros, please. I did gladly.

As I wondered around the Ruins, I noticed many folks has an "audio guide" and I was sorry I hadn't rented one. But, as luck was to have it (another example of right-place, right-time), I happened upon an English speaking tour-guide and joined the group. His English skills were excellent, and he had a great sense of humor. We wondered through the Ruins as our guide pointed out a variety of interesting buildings, adding some historical context and seemed thoroughly knowledgeable in the subject.

Ah, now the interesting stuff. Phallic symbols and brothels (Hey Jeno, I do listen to ya). He was quick to point out that, like other places in the world and through the ages, the "oldest profession" was practiced openly and without dishonor. The "ladies" advertised their skills with pictures over their rooms. Can you intrepret the one just above??

Phallic symbols, on-the-otherhand, related to the fertility of the land and not the body. An interesting interpretation, but there you have it! From the expert himself.

The picture to the right is yours-truly with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. It is Mt. Vesuvius which erupted in 79 C.E. that destroyed the city. The volcano eruption last for two days, burying the city under a thick layer of ash. After around 3 1/2 hours roaming the Ruins and listening to the guide, I made my way back to Napoli and then Rome.

What a great day. Lots of sun, beautiful weather, and thoroughly delightful. Tomorrow I'll make my way back to the Sistine Chapel for another try and see more of Rome.

Ciao 'til later.

May 22. My plan was to go see the Sistine Chapel this morning. I was told by more than one or two folks to "get there early". It opens at 10 a.m., so I figured 9 a.m. would be a good time. As I approached the chapel (it is part of the Vatican Museum), I thought I was in luck because there was no crowd or long line. As I approached, I saw a couple of Catholic priests walking away and figured something was up. As it turns out -- the museum and chapel were closed today!! Good planning on my part, right? So, as I've been stating new rules for myself from time to time -- the rule for today is: "get there early, make sure it's open". Makes sense, right??


I then decided to go to the Rome Termini (the main train and metro station) and find out about the train times to Pompei. After enduring yet another long line, I was rewarded with a English speaking clerk (ok, sort of English speaking). I made reservations on the 9:55 a.m. train to Pompei tomorrow. It's around a 2 hour train ride, and I'll have about 6 hours in Pompei to see and do the sightseeing I plan. At the same time, I made a train reservation for Florence and will be leaving Rome on Monday morning bound for that city. I'll spend at least one overnight there.


Since I was at the main station, I found the Tourist Information Booth and plotted a course for the Jewish section of Rome (suggested by Jennifer yesterday). As it turns out, I was able to visit the Jewish section, the Pantheon and the large and beautiful square called Piazza Navona. On the way to the bus, I spotted a "barbarie" and figured out how to get my hair and beard cut. For 10 Euros, I look like a human being again, and I had wished I brought my own clipper. Oh well, next time.

I figured I had found the Jewish section of the city when I saw a restaurant that said "Roman Jewish Cuisine". I made my way to the main synagogue for Rome and found that it is treated as a museum when religious services are not being held. I paid my entry and wandered through the interesting and informative display of artifacts. At 1:15 p.m. there was a tour with an English speaking guide. She was difficult to understand, but at the end of the tour I thought I had learned alot about Rome and its Jews.

As was the case in many parts of Europe, it's Jewish population has lived through its share of acceptance and rejection. For more than 1500 years, the Jews lived in Rome since its rise of Empire, and in 1555 Pope Paul IV segregated the Jews into a ghetto. There were three gates to the ghetto, all locked at night, and Jews were required to listen to compulsory Catholic sermons on their Shabbot. These conditions, and similiar restrictions existed for the next 300 years, and the Jews of the ghetto were re-accepted into Italian life in 1870. Of course, there was the Nazi occupation and deportations as well. There are now approximately 13,000 Jewish living in Rome with around 35,000 living in Italy. The Jewish section pretty much occupies the old ghetto boundaries. As I wandered through the section, I found it vibrant and friendly. Everywhere, people were talking, laughing, playing cards, eating and enjoying the day. Lots of tourists were there and it was wonderful to see life in that part of the city thriving.

I then walked to the Pantheon. This is a beautiful building built to "all the gods" in 125 CE. It's a majestic place, occupying a dominant place in the square. A fountain is in the center of the square and there were a huge number of tourists and visitors. I managed to exchange some comments in Spanish with a couple of kids from South America, took some pictures, wandered the square pretty thoroughly and completely enjoyed the sights.

I ended the day with a visit was to the Piazza Navona. It is an absolutely HUGE square, with a fairly large oblisk in the center and two large fountains at each end. It was once a circus and later a market. Today it is full of artists and restaurants. People sitting around the fountains and even a "San Francisco type of still-man" posing as a Roman statue in silver.


So, tomorrow I'm off to Pompei. Can't wait to see it and report back to you. Stay tuned.....

Tuesday, May 21, Roma (evening). So, the saga continues. I had a great day walking myself silly, but it was worth every step. After getting together with the Pope at "his place", I went outside and found the tour-bus and boarded. It had started raining very hard, thankfully I had a nice BIG umbrella from one of my friends in Rome, so I was high and dry. I stayed on the bus until I saw a stop for the Fontana de Trevi. I decided to get off at that point and see the "watering hole" made famous by the movie Three Coins in the Fountain. It is beautiful. I took a couple of pictures, and put TWO coins in the fountain. One for me and one for Jennifer. Putting a coin promises, it is said, a return to Rome. Next time, Jennifer can join me. I stayed for about 45 minutes and exchanged pleasant greetings with one or two folks. We traded taking pictures for eachother.


I went into the Metro station and saw on the map that I was within walking distance of the Colosseo, so I went back up to the street and headed there. On the way, I came across a beautiful momument, the Momumento a Vittoria Emanuele II and in the back was a Renior exhibit. I've always enjoyed this particular artist, so I paid my 7.5 Euros and took a long look. Seeing his work was wonderful. Something I recommend if you ever have the chance.


On the way out of the museum, I stopped at the "information" desk and asked about the David statue. Now, everyone -- I mean EVERYONE knows that the statue is in Florence. Except me, of course, but things happen for a good reason and the young lady behind the desk told me of a famous Michelangelo sculpture at S. Pietro in Vincoli. In fact, she said, it was the most famous sculpture in Rome. So, map in hand, I found my way there and found Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses. This is the famous, one many of you have seen, with horns in Moses' head. A beautiful piece of work. When visiting this venue, one needs to climb around 75 steps, but let me say it was worth it.


OK, so off to the Colosseo. I found a cute little bistro for a quick bite of lunch and then wandered around the curved streets looking for a way into the Colosseo. As I turned a tight corner, it was in front of me. In contrast with the cars, people walking and television antennas, it was a strange and wonderful site. Once I bought a ticket and get inside the Colosseo, I found it was worth all the effort.

Pretty much exhausted by now, I found my back to the tour-bus stop and headed for Ottavanio. I found a cool little cyber-joint, they call them internet points in Italy, and spent a bit doing what I like to do best -- oh, except for sightseeing throughout Europe, that is!! You believe me, right??

More tomorrow.....

Tuesday, May 21. Rome. Well, I've said it time and again --- "You gotta be in the right place at the right time!!"

I was out and about this morning at 9 a.m. and caught the bus to Ottaviano. I decided to look for a tour-bus and decided the best place for that was at the Vatican. The Vatican is a short walk from the bus stop. It's hard to miss, as thousands of people were headed in that direction. As I got closer, I could see Basilica S. Pietro (St. Peter's Basicilica for you non-Italian speakers!), so I followed the crowd.

As we enter the Vatican grounds, we passed through security -- which, by the way was very easy -- almost nothing, really. The person watching the xray machine screen was busy having a heated discussion with a co-worker, but who knows for sure. I then noticed the crowd moving toward the Basilica itself, so went along with them and entered the building.

I just kept walking into the deeper part of the Basicila. The first picture is what I saw. Very beautiful and impressive. As I continued around, I saw there were barriers here and there, and when I came to the deepest part I could get into, I asked what was happening. "The Pope will pass here just after 10 a.m.," I was told. "Here??!!". "Si, si." So, I thought -- what the heck, I'll spend a half-hour and see the Pope.

The rest is what you see in the photos. At one point, the Pope passed with 18-inches of me and, as I put out my hand, he shook it and blessed me! OK, not bad for a Jewish boy from the States -- Right??!!

With that experience in hand, I made my way to the exit to find the tour-bus. After all, I figured that everything was going to go right today. It started out pretty well, don't you think??

More later....

Click here for my present location.

Tuesday, May 20, Rome. I was up at 7 a.m. to get to the train station by 8-ish. I had an 8:55 train to Rome, and my motto is "better early". So, early I was. Getting onto the train was a breeze and I noted that we'd arrive in Rome around 12:15 p.m. I use the arrival time as a way of knowing when we're getting close to the destination. I get my bag, stand by the door and ask the question to anyone who'll nod or speak my language a bit -- "Roma Termini?" Two nods let me know I was in the right place at the right time.

Once at the station I found the information booth and asked directions to the hostel. "Take-a the Metro train A", I was told, then the 32 bus 7 stops. Off I went, found the "A" train and made it to the metro stop at Ottaviano just fine and figured I was in the clear. It wasn't to be, actually. First, it started raining pretty hard, and me with no umbrella. Second, where the heck would the 32 bus be found?? Only the bus gods and the rest of the Roman population knows. I did not, and I was having more than enough trouble asking the question while getting wet.

"Oh taxi!!" ---- Ten Euros later, I was at the hostel, checking in, getting the lay of the land and finding out a number of oddities about the place. For example, until now, I've been able to rent towels wherever I've gone. Here the towels are paper, so I decided I'd take the bus back to Ottaviano and buy a towel. After a quick tutorial by the desk clerk -- who spoke some English, but not quite enough for the both of us -- I was off to the bus stop, just around the corner.

So, here's a bit of advice. First when taking a bus in a strange town, decide on the direction you need to take, and second; remember the name of the stop so you can find your way back! I did neither, and wound up at a place called Lepanto instead of Ottaviano. I wanted the latter because I had seen a large number of shops and a market selling all kinds of interesting stuff. Who knows, maybe towels! Right?

So, I wanted to make my way back to the hostel and start again. I figured I'd need the practice, since I'll be here for 5 days and want to get myself around. Oh yes, another lesson to learn -- TAKE the name and address of the hotel in case you didn't remember the bus stop name. In my case, I didn't take the name either. Fortunately I had the receipt for the room charge with the name at the top of the receipt. A bus driver took pity on me, told me to "sit sit", and got me back to the hostel in around 15 minutes.

This time I was determined to do it right. I got a map, got the address, wrote down the name of the bus stop, got on the right bus for Ottaniano and tried again. With good results, I might add, I was on my way and it was still raining. I wandered into the first shop I saw and said "Inglesas??". No such luck, but I said "buy an umbrella" and the lady in the shop told me to wait and disappeared behind a door. A minute later, she gave me an umbrella and when I asked how much, she said "go go, free, free"! I hugged, took her picture and went on my way (her picture is at the top of this page).

I found the towel, had a great falahfal, got a free umbrella, found my way back to the hostel and noticed how Romans park their cars. So, here' some pictures for you to figure out.

Tomorrow I'll take a 1/2-day bus tour, start taking in the sights -- possibly the Colosseo, find the statue of David, plan some day trips and continue getting familiar with the metro, busses and people. So far Roma has been quite an adventure.

Ciao for now.

Monday in Pisa Italy. Yesterday Roger and I awoke and had a quick continental breakfast with Jean-Marie and Michelle. We said farewell to his guests and started out for Dijon. I had found that a 10:30 a.m. train was leaving for Pisa by way of Lyon and Turino. An interesting turn was that the leg of the journey between Lyon and Turino was by bus. At first I thought it would be a mess, but the bus was modern and comfortable. We arrived in Turino after a 4 hour journey.

I boarded the train for Pisa at 7:05 p.m. and settled into a nice cozy compartment. During our trip south, I busied myself playing game after game of Sudoku and lost a track of time. At one point, I looked up to see that we were headed to Pisa along the coast of Italy. I looked up to see the Mediterrean Sea on my right! More than that, the full moon had risen and seemed to be lighting our way. We passed through many little towns along the way, through many tunnels and over small bridges. At one point, don't forget it was Sunday night, there was a huge fireworks display in the early evening. It thought it was nice of the Italians to welcome me that way! Don't you?

We arrived in Pisa Centrale at 11:30 at night. A quick cab ride, I was at the Hostel and asleep by 12:30 or so. This morning I was up and out at 8 a.m. The hostel I've found to stay in is 800 meters from the Leaning Tower, so I walked into the old city. Coming around a curve and looking in the distance, I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa for the first time. It was a thrilling and overwelming sight!

Now it's around 11 a.m. and I am on the way to the train station to find out when the trains leave for Rome in the morning. I stumbled into this little cyber-cafe, and decided to catch up on my blogs. Once I return to the hostel this evening, I'll finish up the days events --- so, as always, stay TUNED!!

Click HERE to see where I am now.....

Pisa, 3 p.m. and back at the hostel. I've had a very interesting, enjoyable and educational aftenoon so far. After I posted the early part of this blog, I continued to the train station and found that there is an 8:55 a.m. train directly to Rome. I bought a 1st class voucher, needed in addition to my Eurail pass for 5 Euros, and headed back to the walled old city of Pisa. On the way, I figured out how to use my Europe cell phone as an alarm clock and got the phone number of a taxi company. I called just to be sure they spoke enough English or I spoke enough Italian to get a cab in the morning. Thankfully, they spoke a good deal of English. Hopefully the dispatcher in the morning will be just as good.

Once back in the old city, I thought it was time for a sit-down and a beer, so I walked into a "restorante" and found I needed to pay at the register for a beer. At the time, I was asked if I wanted to buy it at the bar, and I said I did. The beer cost 4 Euros and I gave the casher a 20 Euro bill. He gave me 6 Euros in change and we discussed the concept of "addition and subtraction". I pointed out that 20 Euros minus 4 Euros is 16 Euros. A couple of "no comprendi's" later, he gave me a 10. Lesson learned -- follow the money!!!

Once I had my beer in hand, I turned to walk outside and sitdown at table to enjoy the brew. Another employee of the bar, a woman this time, chased after me, telling me I had to stand at the bar. Afterall, I paid for a beer at the bar and if I wanted to sit, it would cost me extra!! OK, I got that and stood at the bar enjoying the drink and doing some people watching.

A fellow next to me was enjoying what appeared to be a small glass of wine and he had been given some peanuts to enjoy with his drink. When he left, I pointed to the peanuts and asked another woman behind the bar -- "OK??" She said "si si". Two peanuts later, the bartender, a guy, took the peanuts and when I asked for them he said "not with beer, only wine!" "But the lady said OK," I said, and he pointed out that "no, she's a-crazy!" So much for the peanuts. I shrugged my shoulders and laughed, and finished my beer. The bar tender starting talking to another co-worker in pretty rapid Italian. I heard the word Americano, but figured they were enjoying my ignorance and good nature. Or maybe they figured I was "a-crazy" too!!

'Til tomorrow in Roma --- Ciao!!

May 17. Saturday. I awoke around 9:30 a.m. and had a nice breakfast with Roger. It included coffee, a roll and yogurt, and was just enough to make me feel we had enough in our stomachs to start our day. Jean-Marie was there to greet us in his rough voice, big smile and good nature.

Around 10 o:clock or so, Roger and I set out into the French countryside. Roger suggested we visit a 14th Century chateau called Chateauneuf. It was around 30 miles to the east. As we set out on our journey, we took a turn off the main road and into the back roads of the countryside. As we passed through small villages and hamlets, I couldn't get over the beauty of the surrounding meadows and rolling hills. As before, they were every color of green, with dark brown soil. The meadows were cover with cows, cattle and sheep. It is everything one could imagine about the remote countryside of France.

As we got closer to our destination, we were able to make out the chateaus in the distance. It was atop some hills and made for an imposing site. Chateauneuf was built in around 1341 and around 300 years later, the “Lord of the Manner” built dwellings around the chateaus for his workers. The dwellings became a part of what was to be a “walled city”, and the gates to the city still stand today. The views from the property are breathtaking. Chateauneuf is considered an historical site, but people still live and work there. Not as serfs, of course, but shop owners and residents.

Roger and I stopped for a snack (and yes, a beer) at one of the two restaurants we saw on the windy roads of the chateau. The waiter, who turned out to be the owner, was a young Englishman around 30 years old. I asked him what had brought him to this beautiful, but somewhat remote, place. He explained he had come to Chateauneuf 16 years ago to be a waiter at one of the 2 hotels there. From that beginning, he met his wife and together they bought the restaurant we were sitting in.

After around an hour or so of looking around, Roger and I started down the hill with no particular plan except for the possibility of stopping in one of the small towns for some sightseeing. The idea of getting an early start on my way to Italy was brought up, and we decided to go into Dijon to check out the train schedules for the following day – Sunday. I was able to make my way to the train station and found out that a train for Pisa would leave in the morning at 10:30 a.m. It'll be a long journey with train changes in Lyon and Tourin (my first stop in Italy). I'll arrived in Pisa at 11:30 p.m. I made a reservation for 2 nights at a hostel 800 meters from the “Leaning Tower”, and will leave for Rome on Tuesday.

After getting back to Jean-Marie's and Michelle's at 7:30 or so, we enjoyed dinner with our friends from the night before. Let me take a moment to describe a typical French meal in the evening. Our dinner for the last two nights, started at around 8 p.m. with drinks of Pastis outside the kitchen overlooking the countryside. After 45 minutes or an hour, the 10 of us sat at the dinner table for an appetizer. Then the main dish followed by cheese and bread. The main course is followed by dessert. Of course, wine is served throughout the entire meal, and then finally an after-dinner liquor is served.

During the entire meal, much discussion is carried on by the hosts and his/her guests. Jokes, stories, lectures and more jokes finish the evening. As we made our way back to the RV, I realized that dinner had taken us until 11:30 – around 4 hours in all

Today is Friday May 16th. Roger and I spent a good part of the day driving into central France on the way to the Chambre d'Hote owned by his friend Jean Marie. Jean Marie is a 59 year old Frenchman who has lived in the area most of his life. About 6 years ago, he and his “lady friend”, Michelle, bought a large older farm house on 4 acres of land in a little hamlet called Jonchery. Over a period of 3 or 4 years, they turned it into a beautiful “inn” with two or three rooms for guests. Chambre d'Hote is a descriptive term which has the same meaning as an “Inn”, or bed and breakfast. They can accommodate up to 8 people at any one time.

Along the way, Roger and I stopped in a larger city called Saulieu. It is a beautiful town about 3 hours south of Paris and about 35 miles west of Dijon. We enjoyed a beer at one of the local pubs, and I enjoyed some chocolate éclairs I found in a local bakery shop even more. As we were getting ready to walk back to the RV, there was a cloud burst, and it rained for about 10 minutes or so. Once the rain eased, we continued our journey to Jean Marie's. We arrived around 5 p.m. or so.

We met Jean Marie, Michelle and their dog “unique”, and sat down on patio in the rear of the house. The patio looks over the countryside of light and dark green grasses and other foliage. There is a farmhouse next door and a horse was just a few feet away. No other people were to be seen, and the area is lightly traveled. Jean Marie's 4 acres are absolutely stunning, and every now and then we could see a streamlined polished silver color train streak noiselessly by. It was an exceptional site, and one I will not soon forget.

Later in the evening, around 8 o:clock, 2 other couples arrived and we sat down for dinner at the 10-foot table. Michelle arranged a beautiful table, and with Jean Marie's help, dinner was served. It consisted of drinks, a main course followed by cheese and after-dinner liquors. We spoke of politics, countries, peoples, language, science, industry and, often laughed and agreed or disagreed on just about everything. Dinner lasted until midnight, and we then all decided it was a good time to call it quits and get some sleep.

You can see there Jonchery, and the Chambre d'Hote is, by clicking here.