Finally, My Tosca Moment

The joys of travelling.  Mama was taking care of the B & B yesterday (Giordanno, our host, was sick), and accidentally switched of the internet access, hence the delay.

Yesterday, I finally had my Tosca moment.  (for those of you who are not opera afficianados, I suggest a Wikki moment here).  We toured the infamous Castel San Angelo, originally the site of Hadrian's tomb, used by the popes through the middle ages, and place for the housing of republican prisoners during the revolution (something not mentioned in the official description).  It is a five pointed castle/fortress, massive in size, but full of goodies, including remnants of the aforsaid tomb, other artifacts, a dynamite view, and, for me, the confirmation that Tosca could indeed have thrown herself from the parapet into the Tiber.



Castel San Angelo





View of the Tiber from Castel San Angelo




Winger Victory at Castel San Angelo



As you can see, the ramp to the top contains many artifacts that have been unearthed.  Appartently, one can't put a spade to earth in Rome without coming up with something old and rare and wonderful. 







We mastered the bus system today (prior to this, we had been taking the Metro underground, which is not as extensive (or clean as London, but does work, and, for 1 Euro, a relative bargain.



 

Part of Original Roman Wall



Everywhere one looks, part of the original wall.

And, finally, the infamous Hadrian, he of the Wall fame.



Bust of Hadrian



Having found, and navigated payment for, the bus (small, but given the width of some of the side streets, just as well), we made it half way across rome to the Monument to Victor Emmanual, the first king of a united Italy in 1870.

Truth in advertising; we did not climb to the top.  Even had we been so inclined, the number of tourists mobbing the place, and the amount of walking we had yet to do, would have disuaded us.

Our next stop:  the National Museum of Rome, full of remains from Pompeii and elsewhere, including the infamous discuss thrower (no photo opportunity, sorry.)




Bas Relief Showing Banking in Ancient Rome 




More Banking

Now, we have a first - Hank suggests eating - indeed, we haven't eaten since breakfast 8 hours ago - but then Hank doesn't eat!  We stop for a gelato, and, another first, Hank finishes first!

Then, we are off to the Baths of Diocletian, which have been pretty much subsumed into the Church of Santa Maria di Angeli.  One could be sorry, I suppose, but quite probably nothing would have been left had the church not been built over the ruins.

 
As you can see, the church itself is pretty spectacular.

  

And now, we are done, for the day, at least!  We grocery shopped, at the train station nearby, which had a full service grocery store, getting beer (first and foremost, always; as well all know, if beer did not have calories, Hank would be dead!), wine (for me, although I am getting to be a white wine girl instead of my usual red - the Italian whites are great!), olives (fresh olives - what a concept!), cheese, prosciotto, crackers, melon, dates - all that one needs for Italian dinner for days to come.  Viva Italia!