12:06 a.m. Well, the plane arrived on time, at 11:15. We are sitting @ the baggage claim; there's been a delay in getting any bags over here. Beast suspects a wreck on the tarmac, I'm wondering if they can't get the plane open. The official reason is "weather-related." So we sit. Going on 20 hours fo rme now.

2:00 a.m. OK. We're home. It took over an hour to get our suitcase, and when the[y] did unload, it was to the wrong carousel; apparently there was lightning so they clared the tarmac. Wevs. Driver picked us up & we collapsed in the back. I think we may have gotten here abt 1:35 but with bathroom breaks and some basic unpacking (C-PAP), I'm finally settling down in my jammies. Heading upstairs soon -- gotta be up in 4 1/2 hours to say hey to Sparky. Whew. 24 full hours! 14 days!

9:23 a.m. I guess I need to catch up a bit before we head home. Yesterday we got up at 7:45 & showered & packed most everything up. Headed to breakfast where K&A joined us -- they woke up late -- and also Emily, one of Rosellen's friends who walked to dinner with us on Friday. She also caught the bouquet when Rosellen threw it (after we left). The usual lots-of-food, tho' I passed on bacon for a change. Back upstairs to pack, said goodbye to Emily, Reg called from Reception to let us know he was ready to take us back to his house, down we went to check out, checked our suitcases @ the desk to pick up later on the way to the train...off we went, stuffed into Reg's car. His sister & brother (& spouses) were there, Jan was making coffee for everyone. We chatted for a bit, then Richard organized the 3 of them into a copy of the photo that was taken of them 65ish years ago (hanging on the mantle). Around 11:15 Marguerite arrived and then we all piled into cars to caravan to Scraptoft to visit Jean's burial site. A&K and Beast had not been there of course, and the rest of us wanted a chance to say hello & see the amazing view from the hillside & generally pay our respects.

After a bit we went back to the little pub in a nearby village where we'd gone last summer. Lovely food -- I had fishcakes & veg. Then back to Reg's for a short time, where it was decided that Marguerite would take us to the train since she needed to get some things from home anyway. Goodbyes all around -- just realized that, surprisingly, I didn't cry! -- and after piling into Marguerite's tiny car we were off to the hotel to get our bags (only one of which fit in the boot -- TINY car!) and she insisted on driving us the 2 blocks to the train station. She only parked in the short-term spots, so she came in and we said quick goodbyes and off she went. We easily navigated to the platform & boarded our train (3rd one to pass thru in 20 min.!) and got situated for the 90 min ride which was uneventful. Free wi-fi though so we checked our email, etc. Still nothing from A. Not sure what the hell happened there. Arriving @ St. Pancras was a breeze, getting to the Tube also was easy, though large bits are under construction so there was a brief fear we'd have to chase around on a couple of lines/trains rather than just one. Nope -- aside from the ENDLESS stairs with no escalators or lifts, it was fine. 5 stops, Paddington, MORE stairs, and out on the street, which turned out to be the street our hotel is on! 2 blocks later and we were checking in. Very trendy, hip & happening place. Nice desk staff. Free wi-fi and movies, etc. Once we came upstairs & unpacked we headed back out on London Road (we're actually in Westminster City) down a couple of doors to a pub where we had Sunday roast w/ Yorkshire pudding etc. Beast had gammon, I had roast beef. It was REALLY good! Music was a little too loud for me, but otherwise it was a fun place. Stopped at a liquor store on the way back & bought a bottle of wine. Then stopped in the hotel restaurant & bought cake slices for each of us to bring upstairs -- REALLY confusing to the staff. I had red velvet, Beast had chocolate. Yum. We pretty much crashed @ that point. Oh no -- wait. Beast took a quick shower & we called Sparky to check on him. He'd had to work yesterday so couldn't talk when we texted him @ (our) dinner. So.

Now I'm caught up. And it's almost time for the alarm to go off & wake Beast up. Today will be long but I think we are solid. Beast printed boarding passes last night, so we just have to get back to Paddington[,] catch the airport train and figure out where United's checkin is. So, more about that in a few hours.

8.43 p.m. EDT Just boarded the plane from Dulles to O'Hare. The flight from Heathrow to Dulles was uneventful and boring -- really long! Neither of us slept. Beast watched 2 movies; I watched 2 Hawiaii 5-0 episodes and 3 Friends episodes before I bailed on that & listened to New Age music while I watched the map. Customs was a total breeze, though when we went through security, they stopped Beast & went thru EVERYthing in his backpack. Nail clippers threw 'em off (toenail). Long hike down the concourse to the RCC which closed about the time we had to head out to our gate anyway. Dulles is basically closing down behind us -- weird. As of right now, no one is sitting next to me -- if the doors shut with that seat empty I'm moving over & Beast & I can both spread out -- well, except that we're in a bulkhead row so the arms don't move. Beast just texted Sparky to say we'll be home soon.

Neither of us wanted this trip to end, but we're both ready for the day to end soon! We're looking 3 a.m. in the face right now. That's 19 hours more or less awake for me, 17 for Beast.

8:21 a.m. HAPPY EASTER! When we got back from the festivities yesterday we were pretty well shot. Had a nightcap from the bar & crashed. I slept horribly though: too much food.

So yesterday we were up @ 7:45, showered & downstairs by 9 or so to have breakfast w/ Alan & Katherine. The (not-very-complicated) breakfast options threw Katherine for a loop, but otherwise it was a lovely meal. Came back to our rooms, got changed[,] did my hair -- for a change, it cooperated -- and I went & sat in the lobby to wait for Katherine, Alan & Jan, Marie & Reg. Oh, forgot to mention that when we first went down for breakfast, Reg was dropping off Jesse for The Official Usher/Groomsmen Shaving Trip. We saw Spence too, looking relatively calm. :-)  Anyway. I sat in the lobby/reception area for about 20 minutes before Katherine returned -- she'd gone to the store for shoes for the wedding because the original shoes were not walk-friendly. By the way, at 11:30 it was already quite warm out; I had bailed on the dressy shoes I'd brought as well, plus the prospect of nylons just sounded horrid. So it was sandals and bare, freshly-shaved legs for me.

Once M&J arrived & we were all appropriately attired, we got everyone moving down the City Walk towards the Town Hall. Stopped @ The Slug & Lettuce for lunch (yes, even though we'd eaten just 2 1/2 hours earlier -- J&M had not). It turns out the restaurant is affiliated w/ Ruby Tuesdays. K&A had potato wedges, we had nachos, M&J split a wrap of some kind. Then we walked another couple of blocks & found the Town Hall, Ben & Jesse standing sentinel outside. There was another wedding in progress, so we all mingled in the hall/entry until everything was ready for Spence & Rosellen's turn. In, sit (like a city council chamber -- odd), Beast in back w/ the Flip, the rest of us near the front. Spence was already in his chair; the presiding clerk (?) across the (huge) table from him, and the registrar under the windows in the corner. The registrar waited till we were all settled & then pressed play on the boombox next to her, and Reg & Rosellen walked in. Beautiful dress, and Rosellen looking so freakin' happy! The clerk welcomed us, and spied Beast filming & TOLD him to come forward where he could film their FACES, so he had to walk thru the room to the front, but in the end he had a great spot to do it. So embarrassing though. :-) Next she asked the whole room if anyone knew of a reason Rosellen & Spence couldn't get married. ~~ crickets ~~ Next she asked each of THEM if they knew of any reason why they couldn't marry each other. More ~~ crickets ~~ On with the legal verbiage. blah blah Witnesses come forward. Legal vows. Personal vows -- sounding not QUITE religious but almost the same as the traditional "richer/poorer ... till death do us ..." Then they were married and they kissed and the clerk started bossing around the photographer for several posed pictures of them signing paperwork, etc. And we were done and back into the hallway.

9:59 p.m. We were shooed outside ahead of the bride & groom so we could throw confetti & take pictures of them exiting & getting into the car to head to the reception. Most of the guests boarded a hired double-decker bus for the trip to Belgrave Hall. We sat in front, we goofy Americans! Upon arriving @ the reception site, we all milled about the gardens for an hour or 2, then we all went into the marquee (tent) for dinner. Oh, there was champagne & snacks on the lawn. J&M and we shared a table with several members of Spence's dad's family, including 2 6-month old babies who are Spence's half-brothers. K&A sat far away from babies, near Jesse & lots of Rosellen's friends (I think). There were speeches from Reg, Spence, Rosellen & the best man. There were a couple of very well-timed thunderclaps during Reg's speech that may or may NOT have been Jean's input. :-)

Then we ate. Lots of Middle Eastern food we Americans couldn't really identify. I wasn't thrilled except for the naan bread, which was great. There was lots of red & white wine at the tables. Dessert was some kind of cheesecake thing with cream and pine-nut brittle that reminded me of Dad. Whatever it all was, it was absolutely great!

After dinner tables were cleared and removed (3 of them) so the dance floor was uncovered and dance music began to play. About 9:30 we had more food -- various sandwiches -- and the wedding cake. K&A and Beast & I bailed about about 10:45 and went back to the hotel. Beast had to go back down to the front desk because our room hadn't been cleaned, and we needed fresh towels. He got each of us a drink while he was downstairs, too. And instead of doing this, I lugged down my white wine and crashed. Or tried to. All that food & loud music had me more amped than I expected. I got up and ate some Tums, but I never did sleep very well all night. I need to take a break from writing before I start on today's events. I'm so tired right now that I could easily crap out, I think (I hope).

11:02 p.m. Up @ 8, breakfast @ 9 downstairs -- lotsa food! Reg picked us up @ 10:15ish & we spent the majority of the day at Reg's house with Marie & Jan while Reg (& Jesse) ran wedding errands. Came back over here about 4:30, had a drink, Reg & Beast went to the train station to pick up Alan & Katherine & brink [sic] them back. Then he headed home while we talked to A & S. He picked up Marie & Jan to take them to the dinner spot; the rest of us walked, along with a friend of Rosellen's named Emily. Dinner was delicious & quite posh. I'm afraid we were a bit gauche, but oh well. Split up afterwards to head to our various beds. We called Eric & Sparky tonite -- just a few minutes ago -- and we're going to sleep very soon. Need to be rested for the big doin's tomorrow. :)

P.S. We need to find Rioja wine.

11:30 a.m. Here we sit in Fiumicino @ the gate next to the one we are scheduled to leave from; our gate has a lousy view but here we can see the long row of planes on this side of the terminal plus planes taking off beyond -- about 50-75 yards away. I'm between small jets of Middle East Airlines & Turkish Airlines. our gate has a bigger Delta flight at it right now. Catching up -- the breakfast buffet this morning was stupendous: huge, lots of choices & full of interesting people, staff & guests. It was also €18. So, yeah.

(Kenya Airways small jet taxiing past right now.)

Anyway, we got up about 7:45 & showered before heading downstairs. Ate, giggled @ people's behavior; Beast was girding himself for a fight w/ Alitalia staff about the weight of our bags, etc., so he wasn't sparkling fun. Back to the room for final packing & we headed out. our lunch + bar + dinner bill for one night was €170+ (OMG). Still have not heard from Sparky, or A. in London.

(Air Uzbekistan just took off.)

The coach bus to the airport was fine and we got checked in with absolutely no problem; the desk clerk was like "it's over weight, but if you NEED it..." (shrug), so that was weird. Our big bag was way over too, but she said nothing. Security took 15 min. max. Way more organized than TSA. lol

(British Air taxiing past.)

Then we found our gate, which involved taking an airport shuttle out to a satellite place. Beast went & got us Coke Lights and here we sit. American Airlines just took off, there's a loud baby behind us, and we're a little nervous because we're a little worried about the fact that when Beast booked our seats the plane looked almost empty. Hope they don't cancel.

12:33 [p.m.] Still waiting but @ a different gate now. more people here, so less concern over cancellation. I did some shopping -- the guy @ the till looked JUST like Pete! So we're abt 30 min till boarding.

Maybe I'll just list airlines I've seen since we arrived:

Turkish Air ("Official Air Partner of Manchester United")
Middle East Air
Alitalia of course
Aeroflot!!
SAS
Kon Tiki Air
Egypt Air
Kenya Airways
British Air
Delta
American
Cathay Air

Seems like I'm missing something, but I left room. We're now watching landings instead of takeoffs. (Beast says he saw Aer Lingus & Norwegian Air too.)

1:25 [p.m.] Haven't boarded "cattle call" in awhile. But we are here.

5:40 [p.m.] Finally on the coach to Leics. It was late from Gatwick, so we are running about 1/2 hour late. Beast talked to Reg & he says the hotel is a good mile from the bus station which is NOT what it looks like on the map! So Reg's coming to get us to take us to the hotel then to the house. I can't write well on here & I don't want to get carsick, so I'll finish up the day @ bedtime. P.S. EVERYONE HERE SPEAKS ENGLISH! :)

11:07 p.m. We are in a huge room @ the Belmont in Leicester, getting ready to sleep. Beast snuck in the bar downstairs as it was closing & brought up a nightcap for each of us.

Anyway. Upon our bus's arr @ Milton Keynes, the driver was asked to stop & wait for the same route bus coming south -- they had a car key to give to our driver to bring back to Leics. for someone who had left it on his bus. Between that and roadworks, this put us an hour behind. Then, it turned out that someone had boarded our bus instead of the Heathrow-bound one, so we stopped @ the rest area outside Leics. to sort that out ... and change drivers, putting us 10 more minutes behind. But we thought the first driver was great: Jimmy Spencer on bus #YB10.

Reg & Jesse met us @ the bus & brought us to the hotel to check in. No probs -- dropped our things & headed right back down to go to Reg's house to see Jan & Marie and eat leftover lamb & veg. Delish! I was HUNGRY! Chatted for a bit, sorted out tomorrow a bit, & Reg brought us back here. I wasn't tired till I sat down here, but now I am wiped out. It is after midnight in Italy, after all! More tomorrow.

11:22 a.m. Nothing to do on the train since we are sitting across from each other next to one sleeping Italian man & another Italian (I think) businessman reading reports. We were @ breakfast this morning in record time -- by 9:15!! -- found that 9:30 isn't as late as we thought. Lots of people there today. Checked out about 10 -- yes they let us leave the Hotel California -- and hit the streets for our trek to the train station. Bought our ticket at the machine again. Turns out we're on a train that runs from Milano to Napoli w/ Florence & Roma Termini being the only other stops.

The Tuscan scenery is truly lovely. Beast is videoing it. Mountains in the near distance to the east, hills and rolling farmland nearer the train. Actually, looking out the other windows, there are lower mountains to the northwest. Red tile roofs on most buildings. Lots of vineyards, and tunnels; we're in the second one of those in 15 minutes on the train. We have 1st class tix again, different layout on the board, cushier but less comfortable seats (I know, weird, but basically the only good positions are sitting up like this to write or reclining a little too far back.)

I should talk a little about "impressions." Both Rome & Florence are cleaner than I remember, at least in the sense of dirt and smell. There is tons of graffiti everywhere; Florence especially has some that is pretty funny. Nice people, in spite of the throngs of tourists. I overheard someone yesterday say that she knows a student who's here for a year abroad and who said this week is the busiest it's been in her time here. It was hard to maneuver in some areas. I would NEVER want  to be here in the summer! Lots of kids, both w/ families and in groups. Apparently they are off school now at least in England and maybe France. There were 2 separate kid tour groups @ our hotel in Florence: the 2nd & 3rd night it was 11- [to] 12-year-olds. Last night it was older teens (Sparky's age, more or less). Both were loud. The younger kids were French or Italian, I think. The  teens were emphatically American. ugh

The first night in Rome, we realized we were sharing the hotel with Russians, Brits & other Americans (lots of 60ish Russians!). Later on, we heard Arabic, French, Australian English, Italian, Spanish, German, ...among others... in the breakfast room.

In Florence it seemed to be primarily French (or Belgian), British English and Americans. Some Asians, from Singapore, were at the bar last night. The one guy who was being a dick was from there. The funniest thing was that Beast has been mistaken for a German, a Russian, a Canadian & an Italian over the course of the trip, by Italians. Amusing.

When we get to Roma Termini today we'll get tix for the train to the airport (Fiumicino) and then a shuttle bus to the hotel. One plan we discussed way [sic] dropping our bags & then going back to the airport on the shuttles to see if Alitalia has any earlier flights tomorrow with free seats that we could swap. That would alleviate some of the panic of disembarking in Heathrow, getting thru customs & baggage claim, and then racing for a bus to Leics. that will arrive before midnight. We shall see.

OK there's another hour of train time. I'm trying to figure out WC time -- gotta ask the guy next to me to get up. Shoulda taken care of it while getting on a train to start. Oh well. Maybe I can wait till Rome.

(By the way, our bar bill for 4 nights in Florence = €73; not bad considering we were up there every night. Must remember the bartender's name was (is) Luca. he was lots of fun, very patient, from Sardinia & quite good at his job.)

1:15 p.m. Made it to Rome, despite sticky stuff under our feet that got on our bags & shoes, etc. Yuck. Bought tickets for the train to the airport and boarded this train. Similar to the old compartment trains, except the "room" dividers are plexiglass & compartments have no doors ... maybe they do have sliders. I can't honestly tell. Once we get moving I'll know. :) 'Bout 1/2 hour to the airport then we'll be seasoned Rome/Italy train folk. Ha ha ha.

7:00 p.m. We navigated the airport, found the shuttle bus with minimal trouble, checked in (slight hiccup there too) and found our room to be lovely, very WHITE and pale wood, and having dumped our bags, we headed back downstairs for lunch which was closing @3. Good pizza (me), good chicken (Beast) and some internet checking on Alitalia later, we asked the hotel clerk about contacting Alitalia & she rang them. No dice getting earlier seats, so we'll just hope for an on-time or early arrival tomorrow. Once we printed our boarding passes, we came back upstairs where I sacked out for an hour while Beast worked & took a shower. Spent the past half an hour rearranging for packing for the plane. I washed out some undies. We're headed for the bar now. :)

9:32 [p.m.] We do sound like drunks, don't we? So I had 2 vodka tonics (finishing #2 up here) & Beast had Tanq. rocks, + we had a fairly light dinner. Am really full up as far as food goes, can prob. skip lunch tomorrow. Maybe. Anyway. Still to come tonite: Beast is polishing his black shoes at the machine down the hall. I'm praying for my washed clothes to dry. We have some packing yet to do and we need to talk about timing four our departure from Rome tomorrow. "Departure from Rome" sounds sad. I cried leaving Florence this morning, tho part of that was cuz Beast accidentally kicked me as the train pulled out. Oh and we're watching TRL MTV Awards live from Piazza Santa Croce, where we watched 'em set up the stage yesterday. The current performer is sort of Adam Lambert meets heavy-metal-Prince. This is odd, there's someone doing Devil Voice in the background of the chorus.

11 p.m. So today was a slow day where we just took our time to see a few last things. Walked to Santa Croce, where they are setting up a big stage for the taping of MTV Italy's TRL tomorrow outside the church. Yuck -- glad we'll be gone, but it was fun watching them set up. Then we toured the inside of the church. Unfortunately, the main alter [sic] is being completely refurbished but there is a SHITLOAD of [other] stuff inside to see: Galileo's grave, Michelangelo's grave, Machiavelli's grave, monuments to Leonardo & Dante, Giotto works ... sheesh. Gorgeous garden too. Oh and Brunelleschi's dome. Grabbed a sandwich at a cafe on the piazza and walked to the river and then wandered alongside it and then back north past the Medici Chapel & San Lorenzo. Stopped for gelato and then came back to the hotel & crapped out for a couple of hours. By 6:45 -- far too early for dinner, but oh well. We had a nice meal at a place one block west of the hotel. By the time we finished it was starting to get busier. I had tiramisu, absolutely orgasmic. Then back over to the hotel and up to the bar where we had the place to ourselves (w/ the bartender) for at least an hour & a half before others showed up, including one guy from Singapore who was a dick, loud-mouth, rude & patronizing to everyone. We left, came back here to the room and started collecting belongings so we can pack up & leave tomorrow. BOO! Just texted Sparky goodnight; not sure we'll be able to text him in his a.m. if we're on a train back to Rome. We'll have to play it by ear. More tomorrow either on the train or from the airport Hilton in Rome.

[11:16 p.m. written as 11/16/11] Palm Sunday -- Not that we saw much of it. I woke @ abt 10:15, but then dozed off & on till abt 1:00 when I woke Beast. We, of course, missed the housekeeping service AND breakfast, but we stopped @ a cafe up the street and had lunch. Then another block north & we got in line for the Accademia where we saw David and lots of other Michelangelo sculptures, mostly unfinished, and large paintings from local artists from the Renaissance and older. Nice, also free because it's (?) Italian Cultural Heritage Week.

After the Accademia we sat in Piazza San Marco for a bit, checked out the church, walked a couple of blocks to Santissima Anunciata [Annuniziata] & had gelato on the steps of the old orphanage. We happened to still be there when a procession supporting PETA-ish ideals came thru the Piazza. That was odd, and clearly unexpected.

(Forgot to note that I snagged a palm branch from the stash @ San Marco)

So then it was back to the hotel and a leisurely drink on the terrace in the sun with the Duomo in the near distance. I read, Beast played on his computer; we just relaxed. Round about 7:30 we decided it might be time to find a place to eat. The place we picked was delish -- we were seated in the cellar, next to an unused (now) well, and had great food & more fun people-watching. Walked home and despite having only been awake 11 hours, Beast's already crashed out (sore back) and I'm not far behind (sore legs, perhaps sciatica too). Tomorrow: NO MUSEUMS!!! More gelato and gardens/piazzas.

Sparky is doing better; texted him a couple of times today. Apparently, they're getting some snow, but otherwise things have steadied out again. Thank goodness!

3:25 [p.m.] So, we set the alarm this morning for 8, but it was a slow start. Beast's back (low) was very tight and he was cranky as a result. We got to the breakfast room at about 9:45, justing beating the 10:00 deadline. Not much joy there, honestly, but we found enough to keep us going. Once we finished, we heading [sic] south towards the river, with a stop in the Piazza della Signoria to stare @ the Palazzo Vecchio, still the town hall. Took pics of all the statues, including the copy of the David we saw @ the Accademia yesterday. Then we started out of the square where I spotted a gelateria & had a (€6) cone while Beast had a (€5) espresso. Yikes. Good gelato tho'. From there we walked across the Ponte Vecchio -- CROWDED -- and on to the Pitti [P]alace. We didn't go in, just sat in the forecourt & watched people & pigeons for 30-40 min. Then started to head back north crossed the river @ the next bridge and walking right past the Ferragamo store (and museum). Finally sat down in a restaurant in Piazza della Repubblica & ate over-priced lasagna & gnocchi surrounded by several French senior citizens. Our waiter took close to 20 minutes (maybe more) to bring us the bill afterwards, thus earning a €1 tip on a €50 meal. While we were eating we did get a chance to text Sparky; he seems to be better except for the cough, so that's VERY good news.

Once we got back to the hotel, Beast decided he wasn't going to be able to nap. There are workers doing something on the front of the bldg -- sandblasting, jackhammering, no clue -- and it's loud. I had planned on a nap, so I stayed here -- earplugs and being tired will help. Also, I think I have kicked my sciatica again. Weired [sic] achy feeling in my right leg. Yuck. Anyway, more later.

10:06 p.m. So I woke up after an hour nap. Beast was back by 5 with clean clothes. [He'd gone to the laundromat with all our dirty clothes while I slept.] We headed out to the grocery store and stopped at a bar that was still open  for sandwiches to bring back. Then we sat upstairs on the terrace for a few hours.

(Oops, forgot: we sat at the bar near the checkin desk for awhile after Beast got back. The bar wasn't open, but there was a plug there so Beast could Facebook, etc. I did a crossword.)

Anyway we sat outside talking with another couple for an hour, then ordered sandwiches from the bar & moved inside for those & a little more reading. Back to our room for our in-room picnic: sandwiches, chips & cookies, and white wine while watching Piers Morgan interview Robert Redford et al. about his new movie. Now watching CNN (Europe) News, and getting ready to text Sparky & then go to sleep. If anything more happens today, I'll update tomorrow.

6:05 p.m. FLORENCE!

We had a nice leisurely morning @ the hotel in Rome; breakfast, packing, checking out. We were on foot to Ottaviano Metro stop by 11:30 or so, skirting St. Peter's where the lines were insane. About 8 blocks' walk w/ our bags thumping along on wheels. Tickets purchased at the Metro station we boarded the next train to Termini. One car the length of the train. Weird. Upon our arrival @ Termini we made our way to the train station proper. I got in line @ the ticket office while Beast tried to figure out the machines. He won and we went to the platform area to wait. Stopped for some pop/water & decided to use the bathroom. It took awhile but I finally found the servizi, paid my €1 and found them to be just fine.  When I got back to Beast, they'd posted our track & we boarded the train (First Class -- yay), maneuvered our way to our seats, and found ourselves by an American couple. So we had a good 2-hour chat with them. The train was great -- we had snacks & drinks available. Now we know, for the trip back to Rome next week. Beast's also more comfortable with the ticket-purchasing so that's good too.

Arrival in Florence was easy; we walked maybe 15 minutes to our hotel which is an old palazzo that's all chopped up with weird corners & hallways, 2 restaurants, & a bar on the roof. The room is small & there is work going on outside our window. Not gonna be sleeping a lot during the day! We unpacked and then headed out for a walk in the area to scope out possible eating places, and for gelato. I had hazelnut, Beast chocolate. We wandered to the Duomo & had a look around there. Also, finally found a shop in which to buy hair gel for me! We noticed some kind of ceremony going on outside the Duomo; seems to be a whole closing thing (?) so we walked around the Baptistery & took pictures of the famous (fake) doors and then watched the actual closing of the Duomo doors & the departure of the costumed ceremonial 'guard.'

Then we started to wander back. Stopped at a bar for a drink & piece of chocolate cake & had a chance to read the Int'l Herald/Trib & see some news for the first time since Tues. Then back to the hotel where I started this & Beast went off to the lobby to do some internet stuff. I'll probably try to grab a quick nap too, then it's off to dinner.

11:55 [p.m.] Yes indeed, a brief nap between the hammering & whatever is being done to the building. That finally knocked off abt. 7 as we headed to dinner; we wandered to the other side of the Duomo where we found a place off the street. Good, very family/local. By the time we finished, it was pretty chilly outside. Beast's (upper) back was sore so we chilled in our room for awhile then decided to give the Panoramic Bar a try. Surprise: it does have a good view of the Duomo! But since it's cool tonight we drank inside ... with a dozen noisy Belgians. Seriously loud boisterous older people (2 of the guys are 60). So last night it was drunk German college students/teens, and tonight it was drunk Belgians. It's a little noisy on the street yet, but hopefully winding down a little. We're on a pedestrian street, so there's no engine noisy.

OK, that's it. I'm tired -- more tomorrow.

5:15 p.m. We are sitting outside a wine bar. Beast has grappa, I've got water, and a Kit-Kat bar. :-) We only did the Vatican Museum today because the line took us over 90 minutes to navigate to the front and get inside.

Back up. We got up between 8 & 8:30 again, showered, headed to breakfast in the hotel & then prepped to head to V. City. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad getting moving today -- my feet hurt & we've definitely got sore muscles, but Beast's back & leg were just a little twingy. So yeah, across the Piazza San Pietro & around to the line for the Museums. We stuck out the line in spite of dozens of offers from tour guides. We were behind a group of 16-ish French kids which was fun, and we spent time making sure we didn't get poached in line. By 1:00 we were finally inside the museum & wending our way through various rooms & courtyards. Not much seemed very familiar from '85 (surprise--not). We ended up pouncing on some benches in the map room where we called Beast to see how he was doing. He sounded horrible and said he was achy, but assured us he's "fine" really. We found the thermometer for him -- in our bathroom -- & he hung up to take his temp. Called back in 5 minutes & said it was 99.3 so hardly awful, but I told him if he really is achy too, he should probably stay home from school. Eric concurred. Haven't heard anything since then. So after the map room we ZIPPED thru several more rooms and then went right in to the Sistine Chapel. Which was JAMMED. There were guards trying their best to keep everyone quiet and reverent. It felt a little Lenin's Tomb-ish at first. Then we looked up.

O M F G

Wow! The sybils are SO clear now, the main/center panels, too -- even tho it was hard to get into it w/ all the other people, it was STUNNING. I could have spent an hour sitting in there. There was a ban on cameras but Beast did get some Flip video. He's actually looking at it right now. (Beast finally texted back -- "Not 100% but ok. Thx for checking in")

I think I am going to stop & have a look. BRB. Yes he did get some video but nothing great -- still we can make stills from it! woot OK, anyway that was pretty much it -- we booked to the gift shop where I bought a few tschotskes & then to the cafeteria for another sit-down. Once we had a little more energy we exited & cross the street and had bread & cheese & a rest in a ristorante right by the entrance/exit. This was followed by wandering to the nearest Metro stop to scope out our trip tomorrow a.m. to Termini to catch a train to Florence.

-- Going to break here & relax a bit more.

6:20 p.m. OK, it's chilly outside so we came back across the piazza to the hotel for a nap before dinner. Or at least to chance to lie down. We noticed last night that there is a pub down the road from us. When we went down @5, it wasn't open, so we're hoping it will open tonight & we can have dinner there. ANYWAY! We trucked back from Ottaviano Metro, following a couple of women who had just arrived (suitcases ahoy). We stopped in Piazza S.P. for a few more photos & then came back to the hotel, footsore again. The bar in the hotel is nice, bu PRICEY. I was hoping to find a place for a drink & peanuts -- we found a place like that yesterday. No luck today. Hence the hope for the pub; we never really had lunch (Sparky texted again that his temp is now 100.5 so it's good he stayed home). That's it for now. Time to chill.

10:25 p.m. So we really did chill -- at Happy Cottage, a pseudo-Irish pub staffed by the most amazing 3 people ever. We had gimlets and dinner with a bunch of German teenagers and some random Italians. OK, I'm more than slightly drunk right now so I'm going to sign off, prob till Florence -- or the train -- at this point.

10:30 p.m. Yes, more than a day has passed. We didn't get up till after 8, which meant over 11 hours' sleep. Woot! The shower was great and we headed down to breakfast after checking email & getting a general idea of what to do today. Breakfast spread was plentiful and pretty tasty: cheese, meat, fruit, pastry, cereal, yogurt, juices ... yum.

So we were well-fortified as we set out twoard teh Pantheon via St. Peter's because we got a little turned around. Beast was suitably impressed by the Pantheon, as was I, again. I don't remember there being pews & an altar there last time, but it was a LONG time ago! We wandered there for a bit then went to Trevi fountain where we found hundreds of people crowding around to throw in their pennies. Us too, of course. :-) It is a very impressive fountain but we couldn't wait to get the hell out of the vicinity. We headed further east & stopped at Piazza San Marco -- at which [sic] I thought was the Spanish Steps. It's not: it's the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & monument to Vittorio Emanuelle II. Oops. However, to backtrack a bit ... Piazza San Marco is still terrifying to cross! After the monument, we traipsed past the forum (actually fori) until we found a restaurant on Via Cavour to eat at. It was mostly outside -- we ate outside anyway -- but had indoor, good bathrooms for customers ... and GREAT food. I have [sic] tortellini, a house special; it came with cream sauce and fresh peas. Hum. Beast had a calzone. While we were there, Beast called Sparky & we [...] chatted for 10 min or so. Several school things had come up, so we dealt w/ those. He has a plugged-up nose, but otherwise seems fine. After our fairly leisurely lunch, we continued on to the Colisseum where there were far more people again. The entrance fee is waived this week -- LUCK! -- and so we just wandered on our own till my legs started sending messages & we headed back around the V. Em. monument & points west, i.e., our hotel. Then, well, just lots of walking, but lots fewer people and lots more traffic. Stopped just over the hill for wine and a break. Snax w/ drinks -- peanuts. YAY! We sat outside and watched traffic (insane) and dozens of ambulances pass by. Then after several wrong attempts we finally found our way back to the hotel & collapsed. In the midst of said collapse, Beast's phone rang w/ calls from Sparky. We figured he'd butt-dialed since it was about 12:30 @ home by then. Nope. He sent a text & we call[ed] because he had spent a couple of hours @ the dr. & ER due to shortness of breath. Looks like he's fine but on an inhaler to curb any more serious issues (we hope). So Eric's presence has proven useful for a reason we did NOT expect. And I got stupid-maudlin for a few minutes. Once we'd settled down again we headed to dinner & accidentally found the nearby tram station that we'll probably use to get to Termini & thence Florence on Saturday. Dinner was good -- pizza again, but this time in a place that reminded me of a pub. Dark-panelled and lots of English posters. Then back to the hotel in the rain where we've been sitting in the bar as I write this. Beast's been chatting w/ some other people, doing work stuff & sending our insurance info to Eric & Sparky. And he's being nosy about what I'm writing because the connection is slow. :-) Once he does that & maybe lets me check Gmail, I think we'll call it a night & go to sleep. Assuming it connects @all. More tomorrow. The current plan is to see St. Peter & then stand in line forever to get into the Vatican Museums. Ugh (line) but yay (Sistine Chapel). 'Night.

3:50 p.m. We are descending into Fiumicino right now. Despite a chaotic boarding procedure and departing Heathrow at least 40 minutes late, we'll be pretty close to the scheduled arrival time. Six-plus hours in Heathrow were boring -- got breakfast, sorted out the Nat. Express as much as we could, repacked our bags to Alitalia spec, sat around (a lot), and wrote postcards. Both of us are exhausted & a little hungry for "real" food and will be happy to meet our pillows in the next few hours. The highlight of this flight has been the long nap we each got, and flying over the Alps. Oh, and free wine! We're just abt to land so I'll sign off, prob. till tomorrow. Ciao.

8:20 p.m. Made it to the hotel, slowly. Good cabbie just lots of traffic. Hotel is good, nicer than a pensione, on a quiet street (we're across from a garden, I think) and a block from the walls of the Vatican. We walked over the St. Peter's tonight then found a place to eat around the corner from our hotel and shared a pizza & 1/2 l. of wine. There was a group of about 15 teens & their minders @ the restaurant. Typical Americans; made me sorta miss Sparky. The 1/4 l. of wine has hit me hard, having been more-or-less awake now for over 31 hours. We came back to the hotel, came upstairs & got ready for bed. Hope I can sleep -- [at home] it's 1:30 p.m., which could be considered primo naptime, right? Tomorrow we're sleeping in, prob [till] 8 so we can shower & eat breakfast. That's 11 hrs. Should be enough. I hope.

1:45 p.m. 
At the airport. A very uneventful trip with a driver who talked nonstop. Her name is Pamela and she's Greek -- from Chicago. Right now, sitting in the Red Carpet Club, but really the airport is very quiet. Security was quick -- no line -- but we have so much electronic stuff it took awhile to sort that out. The next 3 legs will be easier that way, I think. Heading over to check on the food. More later.

4:10 p.m.
We're just about to back away from the gate, about 5 minutes early! The plane is only about half full, so the guy who was next to me has already moved across the aisle.