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2/14/60 really!

Here we go again- still in Rome and quite interesting to hear bout we think.
By today, Sunday Feb. 14th George is back at the Burg and probably doing a
bit of studying to get ready for this week.

Feb 3rd 7 AM

We had one major change in circumstances yesterday- spring and sunshine left and
then ruins came. When we left the hotel after breakfast for our tour of Vatican
Museum it was grey and foreboding overhead and by noon it was raining.

The Vatican Museum was quite different from others you might see. There are very
few displays of relics etc or of old documents though these are kept here.
Rather it was sort of a study of the history of the paper residences, the expansion of the modification of the building over the countries. The museum is the seat
of some of the finest Renaissance art not so much pictures are painted (frescoed
really) walls and rooms. The Sistine chapel being most famous. During the years
1450-1550 the Fopes brought to the Vatican a series of particularly fine artists
lead by Raphael and Michelangelo to execute particular commissions (decorate
papal apartments or paint certain events much as the creation of the papal
library) and then toward the end of the time under Juline II just to remain in residence as permanent artists of the Vatican. We saw yesterday several of these
papal apartments most especially those painted by Raphael. It is hard to describe
these except to say they are large covering whole walls and thus free spacious
and every beautiful in form and color. With the help of our guide also an assistant
at the Academy of Arts and also an expert in the relevant field of history and art
we noted the revolution of Raphael's style the particular significance of each
of the pictures and a lot about art and history in general. This was true of
the whole fascinating morning. After seeing some of the finest papal aprtments
we went on to the Sistine Chapel. Here again I am at a loss for words of des-
cription. The ceiling of Michaelangelo is magnificent even beyond my expectations.
The figures are large bold and so alive looking that they seem literally to
lean out of the wall at you. One could spend hours enjoying the beauty of that
ceiling which Michaellanglo spent fours years on his back painting. From here we
stopped briefly to see a lovely little chapel and then moved on the the art gallery
built quite recently 1928 I think to see some of the fine original oil paintings
looking primarily at the Renessance and Brouqe periods. Many famous names here.
We finally left the Vatican about 1:30 and walked through the rain to a nearby
restaurant for lunch and then on to the hotel to change clothes and get dry ones.
The Mary Ann Campbell and I obtained a guide book and the directions for reach
ing Ostia Antica. This is a small town about 5 miles south of Rome which contains
the ruins of the old Roman seaport town. Sort of like Pompeii but it much better
presentation. The buildings stand in fine condition mostly foundations but
many walls and even second stories are still up. The amphitheater was in almost
perfect condition. Found one house in which the oven and mosaic floors and bath
were perfectly preserved and out the front doorway a small patio courtyard with
three growing up between the tiles to offer shade. Back to Rome and after dinner
I spent the night walking about Rome. We had hoped to find a horse-drawn
carriage to ride around in the take up to the Borgheese Gardens for a view of the
city by night. But they were not to be found in being supposedly to cold for
the horses- actually a beautiful night and quite comfortable. So instead we
just walked around going first to the fountain of Trevi (from Three coins in a
Fountain fame). I threw in my 3-Fate, Love and a good return to Rome- and
tried some time exposures with my camera. Then a 45 min. Walk back to hotel.