Rome, Blogna, Revenna, Geneva

SO...a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. I flew into Rome, Italy on Saturday and stayed at the Medici hotel three nights. In which time, I visited the Pantheon, saw more fountains then I could imagine, went to a couple of Catecombs, swam in the Mediteranean, explored the Roman ruins at Ostica, saw the Colosseum, visited the Roman Forum and where Caesar gave his famous speech at the death of Julius Caesar and went inside the prison there that held both Paul and Peter, climbed the Spanish steps, explored the Vatican and St Peters Cathedral holding many fine works of art including several by Rafael and Michaelangelo, and enjoyed a few gelatos with good friends. I was absolutley overwelming so see so much art and history. My favorite was the Colosseum, it gave me chills to realize that I was standing and walking where people of the most powerful country stood so many years ago. The movie Galdiator was running through my head. I walked and saw what Paul and Peter once did and went down into the main prison where they were held. The Vatican had piles of famous pieces of art and statues that some were stored in rooms because they did not have enough room to put them all. My favorite thing to see in the Vatican was the painting of the Last Judgement and where Adam and God are touching fingers. To see things that I grew up studying as a kid was so thrilling and overwelming. I also loved Ostica because you were allowed to explore the Roman ruins as you pleased to. We found an underground tunnel system that was loads of fun to explore. We discovered beautiful mosaics and frescos, saw the amplitheater and stood on its stage, as well as found steam rooms for baths and public restrooms. It was all so great. I even got to go down into ancient Catecombs from the 1st century AD. It was crazy to see rows and rows of shelves that held the bodies of martyered Christians and to see the names and Chrtian sybols eteched in the walls as well as beautiful frescos in the underground chapels. After visiting Rome, we took a bus to Blogna and Revenna where we explored the town and went to some old bacilicas of the Christian Chruch from the Byzantine Empire and an Arian church which was set up by the king of the Ostrogoths, Theodoric, at the time. From there we have continued taking the bus back to Germany. I am now in Switzerland, and it is just gorgeous here. The Alps are amazingly beautiful, words could not describe nor pictures justify. We drove throught the Alps for 6 hours today. We went through tunnels that stretched for ten miles. We are currently staying at a hotel in Geneva and will be seeing Calvin's church tomorrow as it is his 500th Birthday. I'll keep you updated.