Basilica and Vatican Musem

We had another great day of exploring the sights of the Vatican. We toured the Vatican Museum and the Basilica. I don't recall ever seeing so many tourists (like us) in one city at one time. I can only imagine how it is in the summer months when school is out. Tomorrow is our last day in Rome.

Piazza Navona and the Pantheon

We had a great time today visiting the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. It has been great weather so far.

Segway tour

First Full Day in Rome, Italy

We had a wonderful time riding around the old Roman ruins in Rome on Segway scooters. What fun that was! You can learn to ride them pretty easy and they allow you to visit sites in half the time. We are going to ride them again on a tour of "Nights in Rome" on Monday.

This is definitely a pedestrian city. The walking locals and tourist are everywhere with street cafes doing a great business. We are also getting acquainted with the underground subway system. It's pretty easy with on two lines. I'll post more photos tomorrow.

Chuck and Cynthia on holiday in Rome

British Museum and British Library

On our last day here in London we spent our time visiting the British Museum and the British Library. Both of these have exhibits that could take several days to see completely. The British Museum is used by the local schools for field trips to teach students. It was very funny when you read the signs in the museum that read, "Do Not Touch Exhibits" and then you see all of these grade school age children climbing up and looking into several thousand year old sarcophagus expecting to see a mummy. It was very funny to see their curiosity in action.

The British Library is also spectacular. It is a wonderful collection of ancient documents like the Magna Carta and original manuscripts by Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, and Milton as examples.

We will be headed home early tomorrow with fond memories and wonderful photos of our visit to England. Click on our Web Photo Album to see our photos.

The London Eye

This scenic London ride is a wonderful way to get spectacular photos of downtown London. The views of the River Thames, Big Ben, and Parliament are just a few of the spectacular views. It was a great morning break. Click here to see a short video of the view

Cynthia had to visit Abbey Road where the Beatles made the famous cover photo for their Abbey Road album. It is amazing how we are learning how to easily get around London in just a few days. We even know where the best public toilets are.

London's Shakespeare and Dickens

Today we joined a London walking tour about the places known and visited regulary by Shakespeare and Dickens in their different life times. Of course, it also included many old former London pubs and historical locations. These tours cost about 7 pounds ($10 to $13) a person and usually take about 2 hours to complete. There are many different walking tours scheduled at locations through out London where you just meet at a pre-established time and are greeted by your local tour guide. The tours are moderate paced walking jaunts in and out of alley ways and narrow streets as you hear wonderful historical stories and see famous locations. This was a very special treat for us both. We recommend them for anyone visiting London.

Their web site can be located by clicking on http://www.londonwalks.com