Last day of an amazing holiday!

On our final day we took the airport shuttle from the hotel and the high speed train from the airport to Rome Termini - the main train station. We had booked a 1:00 p.m. ticket to the Borghese Gallery which is full of beautiful art and sculptures. It was about a 30 minute walk so off we went. When we arrived we had a small lunch at the gallery dining room. An extensive park surrounds this amazing palazzo which was owned by the Borghese family. They were art patrons and one of their number became Pope Paul V.

The park has gelato stands, ponds, seating, lovely shade trees and bicycle carts for several people to ride. It was full of happy people. A group of young adults walked past us. Several people surrounded a girl with an elegant laurel crown and we deduced that she must have received a university degree. She was posing for photos with a folder. She had bouquets of flowers and a bag of gifts. More and more people showed up. Friends and family her mother, grandmother, grandfather and later her father. Mum pulled out glasses and a bottle to give a toast. They there were multiple snacks. We had to leave but it was wonderful to watch the celebration.

Words cannot describe the gallery. There is decoration from floor to ceiling - literally, Painted murals, marble floors and gold gild. Then there are the paintings and sculptures. Pope Paul v’s nephew, Scipione Caffarelli had the palazzo built. He recognized the talent of Gian Bernini who became an outstanding sculptor and architect. Many of the sculptures and some of the paintings are a result of his talent. In 1902 the Italian government acquired the villa and its contents.

After 1 1/2 hours we decided to go for a walk and find the Piazza Navona with its three fountains, all Gian Bernini. Also stepped into a church on the Piazza - Sant ‘Agnes in Agone.

We each had a refreshing gelato, the last on our trip. Sigh! We then got on a Hop On/Hop Off bus and hopped off at Rome Termini where we went to a restaurant called Eataly - Tim had pasta carbonara and Marija had spaghetti with wild boar ragout. Both delicious. Then on the train back to the airport and then to our hotel. There were at least 12 fishermen out on the cement dock fishing in the TIber River. We were also witness to some fireworks late in the evening. What a beautiful finish to our trip.

The next morning we ate, packed our bags, had a stroll along the river and got on the shuttle for our final trip to the airport.

We strolled through the high end shops after getting rid of our bags. Then we had a bite to eat in the airport lounge and boarded the plane.

Tim’s friend Bob picked us up at the airport in Calgary. He and Tim were in school together from kindergarten! He prepared dinner for us as his partner, Anne, was in Victoria visiting her grandson. She too was in school with Tim.

The next morning Tim was up at 4:00 a.m. Marija slept until 6:00! After breakfast and a visit we left Calgary at 8:00 a.m. and drove home. It was a wonderful trip.

What a way to celebrate Tim’s 75 birthday and our upcoming 50th anniversary. This morning it was -1 in Edmonton. Reality check!! Where are our gloves

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Athens - Day 1

Image
Yesterday was busy. We had a delicious breakfast at a quaint restaurant directly across from our hotel. It looks small, but there was seating inside, outside and around the corner. The street looked like a lane, but every so often a car or motorcycle would barrel down the street! We then headed off to the Acropolis where we purchased tickets for 5:00 p.m. Everyone wants to go there but it is better to wait til later as it is 31 degrees! We elected to go to the Acropolis Museum - air conditioned of course. Lots to see! Many of the pieces were collected and reconstructed. The Acropolis itself was built as a place of worship and, in fact, the entire hill was filled with temples. In 1867, the Turks bombed it and it was virtually destroyed. Later Lord Byron spent time in Greece and took some pieces back to the British Museum. Although they were lying on the ground, for some reason the Greeks are still upset. The building above is the museum. After the museum we went back to ou...
Read more

The First Days

Image
We drove to Calgary on Saturday morning with a short diversion to the family farm near Pine Lake. On the way we passed a large poster with the family name! We took a picture of the family to enjoy. Then we stopped at the grave of Tim’s parents. In Calgary we visited with old friends - TIm has known them for 70 years, when they all attended a private kindergarten in Medicine Hat. On Sunday morning Bob delivered us safely to the airport. The long flight transported us to Paris and we are now in the middle of a 7 hour layover which we are spending in a lounge. At 7:00 p.m. the flight leaves for Athens where a driver will be waiting to deliver us to our hotel. It’s hard to believe Tim, Bob and Anne are all 75 and that next year we will celebrate 50 years of marriage! How time flies!
Read more

Athens - Day 2

Image
Our second day in Athens began at a delightful restaurant named “Picky”. It spills out onto the shared walkway and road! All the lovely people seem to be there. The staff and food are lovely. We then headed off to explore the Agora or ancient market where the Apostle Paul would have preached to the Greeks! The two story building has been turned into the Museum of the Agora and stands under the shadow of the Acropolis. We passed some very extravagant baking in a coffee shop but resisted! We went back to the hotel for a shower and rest and then had an ice cream as we explored the shops. Planning a bus tour we went out for a “quick” dinner - gyro for Marija and gyro dinner for Tim! By the time we finished we had missed the last bus! Oh well, a wander in the shade of the evening through the busy Flea Market, and passing by more eateries with live music. Finally, we retired for an early night only to be awoken by a phone call at about 12:30 a.m. which one of you called?
Read more