Rome

Pictures from Rome. My prediciton of good food, wine, ruins and churches came good. We walked our legs off for four days making sure we saw all we wanted to see. The crowds were somewhat off putting as were the prices but all in all a good time.



St Peters Bascillica and St Peters Square. No Pope though.












Service inside St Peters. Felt like you were on the set of 'Angels and Demons'.

The obligatory photo of the Popes body guard.

I'm fairly sure the Pope isn't a wargamer, but this table in the Vatican Museum struck me as a great example of what a wargames table ought to be.

Leonardo de Vinci's 'Last Supper'. (Vatican Museum).

A sneeky photo in the Sisitine Chapel (cameras weren't allowed).

The Colloseum.

Inside the Colloseum showing the reconstructed arena (arena being the latin for sand) floor which was wooden which was covered in sand to soak up the blood. You can also see the below ground structures. A tunnel led away from the Colloseum to the Gladiatorial training camp down which the Galdiators were taken to access the arena.

Myself with Linda and Adrian (parents in law) on the road down to the Colloseum

The Forum. A pile of rubble to Lisa, a piece of magical ancient history for me!

Piazza Campidiglio

Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon. The most intact building from Ancient Rome.

All in all a great trip with some nice memories. Plus we saw some great paintings by Caravaggio and sculptures by Bennini.

Holidays

Well Christmas is a comin and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a nice couple of days off with family and friends in front of the box with turkey and mince pies a plenty. Unfortunately, not for me as I am working nights Christmas Eve and Christmas night, which for anyone who has ever had to work Christmas is about the worst shift you can pull.

I have worked in 'public service' for 18 odd years now and worked on Christmas day probably for half of those(*). I didn't used to mind much. Its usually not too busy and the money is nice. However as I have grown older and climbed the ranks, I like the idea less and less. So this will be my last I think, requests for alternative duties next year!

Off to Rome for a few days tomorrow. I have never been to Italy so really looking forward to it. Lots of good food, churches and ruins. Pictures WILL follow!

A pertinent comment by Bob Cordery on his blog 'Wargming Miscellany' (link to the right)about the theraputic nature of blogging made me think about blogging in general. This blog has only ever been intended as a public method of motivating me to paint figures and game more. Whether or not my ramblings are of interest is a side issue. In fact I am now looking on this as a diary, much like people used to right pre microchip. Back then someone might make an entry in a journal and put it way in a drawer somewhere, never to be seen by anyone, until maybe they died and their children find it on clearing out their things. Blogging is really a public diary and if anyone finds something of interest all the better.

More soon..........