Roma or Bust - A look back at our first trip to Europe in 2007

This is a continuation of my ‘Looking Back’ series on our previous trips overseas.

Still no Internet access on my laptop (groan) so emails will be infrequent.
We have been in Rome for a few days now and the Romans have managed to squeeze every last cent out of us. The harsh exchange rate (it was far more reasonable in Holland), the 500% mark-up on water or when you order food for 5 Euros then when you pay the bill it becomes 7 Euros.
The city is filthy and covered in graffiti – monuments too. About the only things you find are being taken care of here are the churches and I suspect that is because they are looked after by the religious institutions and not the government.

The police are something out of a bad Italian porno movie with 3 day growth and chest hair bursting out of unbuttoned shirts. A few times the police have sped past us with sirens blaring; the car fishtailed around a corner with the driver grinning from ear to ear and the police motor bike did a wheelie the entire length of an intersection!

All that said, this city is like some kind of ‘Rome amusement park’ with every second building dating back to the times of Michelangelo and Botticelli.

The Vatican is an advertisement for what unlimited funds and influence will get you. Kate was lucky enough to take communion during a small service held there this morning (we got there VERY early).
As we were leaving the Vatican (going back tomorrow for the Sistine chapel) the line to get through security had grown to wrap the entire public square.