Stephen's Top 5

1. The Colosseum. With more than three-quarters still remaining it is not difficult to imagine
how it was back then.
2. My rounds. Well, that is what I call them. What I do is I walk around the apartment grounds, maybe to the playground or to see who's around. What I like doing best is dodging and hiding from the "Evil Lady" and her "Evil Dog Sidekick." I know what you are thinking, "who are they?" Well, one day I was in the playground swinging a baseball bat (more or less a stick), and she must have thought I was hitting the tree because she started screaming at me like I had just pushed her dog off the edge of a cliff!
3. The Bay of Naples view. It is so pretty when you are standing on a cliff basically looking over the bay. Once, at night, we were eating dinner at a restaurant looking over the bay when all of a sudden fireworks went up in the air.
4. Ostia and Pompeii. The whole towns survived! It is too much to take in.
5. Making movies of all our adventures. Be sure to watch them!

Carter's Top 5

1. Vatican Museums- great Etruscan, Egyptian, Roman, and art collections. Raphael's School of Athens combines all of the Greek philosophers into one scene. Portraits of Raphael's contemporaries include Da Vinci (Plato) and Michelangelo (Heraclitus). Sistine Chapel- figures seem to jump out of wall. Also has good frescoes by others.
2. Naples Archeological Museum- most of the art from Pompeii and Herculaneum along with some stuff from Rome. Alexander the Great mosaic (in all books about him) and other famous mosaics and frescoes are here.
3. Caravaggios in churches- walk into a church for free and see one or two (or three) amazing pieces of artwork. It isn't overwhelming like a museum. Best two- Madonna of the Pilgrims- male pilgrims has dirty feet. Crucifixion of Peter- a line zig-zags all the way from the feet of a Roman to the rope which is lifting up the cross. Peter has a good expression.
4. Ostia Antica- port of ancient Rome, covered by silt and sand, this is a small intact town with great mosaics and the ancient "Wall Street." You can walk into all of the ancient houses and buildings. Also contains ancient public toilets.
5. Galleria Borghese- contains almost all of Bernini's masterpieces. A couple of Raphaels and numerous Caravaggios. My favorite is Raphael's Deposition of Christ. Each figure has a unique personality. Amazing color too.

Naples and Our Top Sites

My expectations for Naples were low, based on a very brief trip there previously as well as reports in guidebooks, etc. However, we had a marvelous time, mainly owing to the hospitality of an Italian economics professor who lent us his apartment on the Bay of Naples and who hired a driver to take us to Pompeii. The ruins at Pompeii are much larger than those at Ostia and much more crowded. Oddly, most of the gems discovered in Pompeii such as mosaics and glassware were removed and are now in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, which many people bypass. This museum was a highlight for all of us, another underappreciated site. As we approach the end of our trip, we've decided to list our top five sites/events/experiences individually. I'll go first; you'll hear from the other three Skeels in the coming days.

Sharon's Top Five (not really in order)
1. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Lorin Maazel on Easter Day near the Vatican
2. Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, an extraordinary Baroque church designed by Borromini
3. Bay of Naples
4. Three Caravaggios: Crucifixion of St. Peter, Conversion of St. Paul and St. Matthew and the Angel
5. Ruins at Ostia Antica -- these were good the first time we saw them and they are still good.
Honorable mention: San Clemente Church, Sistine Chapel, Rite of Spring ballet, the flowers, fabrics and food.

It goes without saying that we enjoyed immensely dinners with our American visitors. Thanks so much for coming!

Books

Responding to Sylvia's comment, we have discovered Caroline Lawrence's books--they are sold in all the English bookstores here. Because we have no television to speak of, both boys have become genuine readers. Stephen is now devouring Gilbert Morris's "The Seven Sleeper Series," which we checked out of the church library. He would read more of Lawrence's books but they are very expensive here, so he'll have to wait until he gets home. Also popular with both our boys is the Chip Hilton sports series by Coach Clair Bee. As a result of this trip, David and I are considering removing our television from the living room when we return.

May Day

My parents' trip lasted one week and during that time the Italians celebrated two separate holidays--April 28, which commemorates liberation from Fascism, and May Day, the Italian version of Labor Day. Throw in a Sunday and a Monday link to a Tuesday holiday and you have five out of seven days which were atypical, meaning we were not sure whether shops and landmarks would be open or closed. By Monday we saw all we wanted to see except Ostia Antica, the ruins of an ancient Roman port town about 30 minutes outside the city. But would it be open on Tuesday--May Day--the last day of their trip? Two guidebooks said no but the hotel concierge thought yes. His attempt to call came too late on Monday, so we planned to phone again Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, we made made a list of other things to do. (While traveling or living abroad, it's more important to be flexible than fit or smart. You need to have a Plan B, and in Italy you need to have Plans B, C and D.) Turned out that Ostia was indeed open on May Day and we spent a wonderful four hours exploring there. Afterwards, we headed to a particular restaurant, conveniently located on the route home. We arrived before six, however, and Italian restaurants open no earlier than seven. The neighborhood was empty and dark, but there was the chef, sitting outside, and despite the early hour, his wife beckoned us to a table. This was perhaps the earliest dinner ever consumed in Rome and proves that sometimes the Italians' maddening, fluid methods work to your benefit.

Mom and Dad in Rome

My parents arrived last Wednesday and are demonstrating extraordinary stamina. Just hours after landing, Mom was sampling water from a public drinking fountain. These fountains resemble fire hydrants and are rather dirty-looking, but the water is clean and the Romans love it. Dad remained wary, cautioning Mom "not to drink too much." Glad to report that Mom is still alive. They've seen the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Sistine Chapel and many churches, listening very patiently to our long commentaries. On Saturday we visited Orvieto, a walled hill-town an hour north of Rome. (Ask them about the eventful train ride there.) Dad especially likes the Italian soups.

Baseball, Italian Style

Carter and Stephen played in their first official Italian baseball game last Saturday. The parents built the field themselves, despite complaints by neighbors who wanted a soccer field instead. Baseball is not common here and the Italians who play it are renegades. But they know what they're doing and the boys love it. David and I felt as if we were watching a game back home...almost. Inning one was interrupted by a dog on the field, which ran about for some time before his owner corralled him. We could hear someone playing an accordion in the distance. Our coach moved equipment with one hand while holding a cigarette in the other. And when the score tightened, the fans began cheering wildly, "Die, Die, Die Bartolo! Die, Die Marco!" And this to the boys they were rooting for! We might use this cheer back in Lower Gwynedd and see how it goes over.

(According to the Italian dictionary, "dai" means "come on" or "go on." So it makes perfect sense, if you're Italian.)