Breakfast @ Hotel Cicerone (Rome) before our visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. That's why mumsie likes going on holiday with the family cos this is the only time that we can "eat together, play together and ? sleep together???
At the entrance of the Vatican City the world capital of Catholicism...being sooo early (befoe 9am there's already a BIG CROWD...and we were told that one might have to queue for about 4-5 hrs to get in....but luckily GLOBUS..has arranged for us some special entrance so we got in within 20 mins ...Phew...we did save a lot of time...!!!!!!!!!!
See the queue has already started and in the very hot hot hot sun tooooooo
Here are THE CHUs all getting their cameras and videos ready to "shooooooot"
Headsets are included for the local guided sightseeing ..since there are 44 of us and not all can be near our guide so she talks to us via our "ear phones" Here we are trying them out.
Cat with our tour Director ELEANOR
The CHUS with Joel and tour director and Joseph and Josephine.....see all of us have our hearing aids hanging round our necks...and we were warned that we must not carry backpacks...and due to increasing security checks at tourist sites, we were advised to leave all sharp obejects in our hotel room or the mortorcoach during sightseeing (to avoid possible confiscation)
The 'Happy Happy CHUS and Joel..are all set and ready!!
This is the entrance to the VATICAN...Actually mumsie had been here once....some 3o +++ years ago but without mumsie's "loved ones" so this time is very different and also mumsie was not a ' Catholic' then so this time round it is like a pilgrimage for mumsie....(praying and praying thru out her visits to all the churches)
You never know , but this is a staircase leading down from the museums...is in the form of a double helix consisting of 2 spirals, one to walk up and one to walk down.
This is part of the ceiling @ the museum!!!
Guess what this statue represents???? Ya FERTILITY....(the tell tale sign are the 'fruit like' things hanging all over her!!
The celing of the Vatican Library
The Swiss Guards.. They must be 'cooked' in this uniform...it is sooooooooooo HOT!!!
The very FAMOUS MICHELANGELO"S "PIETA" When mumsie was here the last we can get very close to it...but now there is a glass panel infront of her so quite difficult to get a good photo....
Look mumsie met HARRY POTTER????? at the Vatican !!!!!!!!
Couldn't catch what the tour guide said...something like a VIP
The inside view of the dome of St. Peter's by Michelangelo MAJESTIC isn't it...remembered mumsie's tour guide of some 30++ years ago said..since it gave us neck ache by just admiring it...what about the fella who is painting it???
The bronze statue of St. Peter, though it is made of bronze if you look carefully at his feet...they are smooth...no toes...cos of the millions and trilions of pilgrims who pass him by ..touch his feet...(proof of 'wear and tear') St Peter's Basilica is Catholicism's most sacred shrine drawing pilgrims(mumsie inclueded) and tourists, from all over the world. St Peter the Apostle, the "rock" on which the Christian church was founded, carries the keys to heaven. So touch his feet and say a prayer...He might help you to go to Heaven
We are standing at this door which is supposed to open only once 25 yrs..and whosoever passes this door when it is opened all your sins will be 'washed off' So we're trying our best to squeeze part of our bodies under this door..at least we can get part of ours sins 'washed off?????'
At the far end a mass is in progress that's why no people around here and Liny is able to have this space all by herself!
There is a real life nun cleaning the altar..but she looks like statue and a part of the structue here
The incredibly vast interior of the Basilica of St. Peter's. Many Popes are burried at the lower level of the basilica including Pope John Paul the 2nd. In fact we were allowed to pass by / pray infront of his tomb....one can feel the peaceful atmosphere as one pray/ pass by his tomb....
Mumsie 'struggling' to fill her bottle with "holy" water....to take home to Malaysia to be distributed to mumsie's friends...
The Pope is supposed to BLESS the pilgrims every Wednesday @ 12 Noon from one of this Windows...We visited the Vatican on Wednesday but no Pope cos he's away in his Summer Palace...better luck next time???
After the Vatican we were taken to the Colosseum(built by prisoners-Jewish) The Colosseum had the same fuction as a modern giant stadium .
This is the road used by the Roman Gladiators to enter the colosseum...some 100s and 100s years ago...and now we are treading on the same road.....!!!!!!!!
See the big slabs ??
The Roman Forum ....just outside the Colosseum
Liny is trying to SNUGGLE as near as possible to Dadda to get some shade ..just for a short while is goooooood enough....cos it's sooooooooo HOT!!!
The suterranean passages and the area around the Colosseum as it once appeared....
It took us quite a while to walk into the actual Colosseum...and we are walking under hot hot sun...no shade not even an umbrella!!!
This guy is selling "ICE COLD WATER" @ 1.2 Euro per bottle...(7 Ringgit???) no choice so mumsie bought 2 bottles from him
From the Colosseum some of us who opt to join the optional excursion - "Roman Highlights and Dinner" where we were taken to the famous Spanish Steps and to browse around the fashionable districts of Rome before our four-course dinner at a popular Roman restaurants.
The Spanish steps....tourists everywhere!!!
At the foot of the enchanting Spanish Steps is the Piazza di Spagna and the Fountain of the Barcaccia (leaking boat)
Tourist wetting their heads with the coooool water at the fountain
The tall thin columm here is the Column of the Immaculate Conception, built to commemorates the proclamation of the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary
A closser picture of the Column of the Immaculate Conception
Dadda trying to capture everything into his video cam 
This is the street just beside the Spanish steps where all the "branded" stuffs are found...and this is the season of the summer SALES...mumsie regretted that she didn't go into any of these shops to snoop around and get back some bargain!
Louis vuitton
? Celine's favourite ?????
Italy is one of the leading light of high fashion.....(mumsie was told) Many famous designers may be based in Milan but Rome is the home to a cluster of sophisicated and internationally distinguished fahsion houses...as you can see on this street alone...The most notable are probably PRADA (Nope mumsie did not buy anything on this street...not with Dadda's watchful eyes watching) WHAT A WASTE!!!! COS THE SUMMER 'SALDI' was on....
Celine is standing in front of her 'name sake' s shop'
Inside one of those shops....couldn't remember what shop this is .....PRADA ????
Look it is crowded everywhere!!!!
Look @ these chestnuts roasting over fire..never seen them so big...wanted to buy some but dadda was not keen... Used to see this in the streets of UK only during the winter
There seems to be a lot of artists in Italy...one of them here is trying to sell his paintings...
Whilst waiting for our coach we were sitting around this square...forgot its name....and as usual every square you go in Rome you are bound to see HUGE fountains
Soaking in the sun before dinner...
During our dinner Walter our singer for the night...and his CD is for sale.... He was goooooood cos he sang all the ' oldies' so most of us were able to sing along...some
of our friends bought his CD and promised us that he will burn it and send it to us via e-mail
After our trip we joined some of our tour companions to an Italian Restaurant for dinner. (Must say that out of the 8 nights only 3 dinners are free...rest is included in the 'optional excursions' Josephine and Joseph joining us for dinner
This is Walter!!!
If you ask mumsie I would have said this looks like our M'sian Indian vegetable curry dish....taste??? not bad
Italian salad doesn't have 'thousand island' salad cream ect ect ..it's just fresh vegi (of cabbage and salad) with vineger and olive oil and it taste nice................ (nice than it looks) But mumsie likes thier plates... In case you don't know by now mumsie loves to dine with "nice china " that's why there were times when mumsie goes over to S'pore to smuggle (whole dinner set) but gotta bring in plate by plate (to avoid being taxed..)
Couldn't remember what is this.....
Italian pasta dish...unlike in Malaysia Pasta is served together with the main dish...here you gotta finished your pasta first before your meat or fish main course comes out..
Rasberry cheese cake???
At the entrance of the Vatican City the world capital of Catholicism...being sooo early (befoe 9am there's already a BIG CROWD...and we were told that one might have to queue for about 4-5 hrs to get in....but luckily GLOBUS..has arranged for us some special entrance so we got in within 20 mins ...Phew...we did save a lot of time...!!!!!!!!!!The VATICAN has been the residence of the popes for many many years. Since then, there has not been a pope who has failed to contribute to the grandeur and dignity of the Vatican to make the holy hill an increasingly worth seat of the SUPREME HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. And St. Peter is the very first Pope and he is burried HERE IN THE VATICAN!
See the queue has already started and in the very hot hot hot sun tooooooo
Here are THE CHUs all getting their cameras and videos ready to "shooooooot"
Headsets are included for the local guided sightseeing ..since there are 44 of us and not all can be near our guide so she talks to us via our "ear phones" Here we are trying them out.
Cat with our tour Director ELEANOR
The CHUS with Joel and tour director and Joseph and Josephine.....see all of us have our hearing aids hanging round our necks...and we were warned that we must not carry backpacks...and due to increasing security checks at tourist sites, we were advised to leave all sharp obejects in our hotel room or the mortorcoach during sightseeing (to avoid possible confiscation)Still photography and filming with video cameras may not always be allowed inside churches, cathedrals or museums so mumsie might not be able to take some photos epecially at the Sistine Chapel which housed one of the worlds's most important art collections...Michelangelo Frescoed the celing with scenes from Genesis and the altar wall with the Last Judgement. This is the place used by the cardinals when electing a new pope.
We were also informed that there are restrictions at religious sites...no shorts (or mini-skirt) and bare shoulders are considered inappropriate..in fact at some churches there were some 'paper disposable shawls' for the ladies. And some churches charged 1 Euro whilst some are free.
The 'Happy Happy CHUS and Joel..are all set and ready!!
This is the entrance to the VATICAN...Actually mumsie had been here once....some 3o +++ years ago but without mumsie's "loved ones" so this time is very different and also mumsie was not a ' Catholic' then so this time round it is like a pilgrimage for mumsie....(praying and praying thru out her visits to all the churches)
You never know , but this is a staircase leading down from the museums...is in the form of a double helix consisting of 2 spirals, one to walk up and one to walk down.
This is part of the ceiling @ the museum!!!
Guess what this statue represents???? Ya FERTILITY....(the tell tale sign are the 'fruit like' things hanging all over her!!
The celing of the Vatican Library
The Swiss Guards.. They must be 'cooked' in this uniform...it is sooooooooooo HOT!!!
The very FAMOUS MICHELANGELO"S "PIETA" When mumsie was here the last we can get very close to it...but now there is a glass panel infront of her so quite difficult to get a good photo....
Look mumsie met HARRY POTTER????? at the Vatican !!!!!!!!
Couldn't catch what the tour guide said...something like a VIPis being burried just below this HOLE....
The inside view of the dome of St. Peter's by Michelangelo MAJESTIC isn't it...remembered mumsie's tour guide of some 30++ years ago said..since it gave us neck ache by just admiring it...what about the fella who is painting it???
The bronze statue of St. Peter, though it is made of bronze if you look carefully at his feet...they are smooth...no toes...cos of the millions and trilions of pilgrims who pass him by ..touch his feet...(proof of 'wear and tear') St Peter's Basilica is Catholicism's most sacred shrine drawing pilgrims(mumsie inclueded) and tourists, from all over the world. St Peter the Apostle, the "rock" on which the Christian church was founded, carries the keys to heaven. So touch his feet and say a prayer...He might help you to go to Heaven
We are standing at this door which is supposed to open only once 25 yrs..and whosoever passes this door when it is opened all your sins will be 'washed off' So we're trying our best to squeeze part of our bodies under this door..at least we can get part of ours sins 'washed off?????'
At the far end a mass is in progress that's why no people around here and Liny is able to have this space all by herself!
There is a real life nun cleaning the altar..but she looks like statue and a part of the structue here
The incredibly vast interior of the Basilica of St. Peter's. Many Popes are burried at the lower level of the basilica including Pope John Paul the 2nd. In fact we were allowed to pass by / pray infront of his tomb....one can feel the peaceful atmosphere as one pray/ pass by his tomb....
Mumsie 'struggling' to fill her bottle with "holy" water....to take home to Malaysia to be distributed to mumsie's friends...
The Pope is supposed to BLESS the pilgrims every Wednesday @ 12 Noon from one of this Windows...We visited the Vatican on Wednesday but no Pope cos he's away in his Summer Palace...better luck next time???
After the Vatican we were taken to the Colosseum(built by prisoners-Jewish) The Colosseum had the same fuction as a modern giant stadium .This is the road used by the Roman Gladiators to enter the colosseum...some 100s and 100s years ago...and now we are treading on the same road.....!!!!!!!!
See the big slabs ??
The Roman Forum ....just outside the Colosseum
Liny is trying to SNUGGLE as near as possible to Dadda to get some shade ..just for a short while is goooooood enough....cos it's sooooooooo HOT!!!
The suterranean passages and the area around the Colosseum as it once appeared....
It took us quite a while to walk into the actual Colosseum...and we are walking under hot hot sun...no shade not even an umbrella!!!
This guy is selling "ICE COLD WATER" @ 1.2 Euro per bottle...(7 Ringgit???) no choice so mumsie bought 2 bottles from him
From the Colosseum some of us who opt to join the optional excursion - "Roman Highlights and Dinner" where we were taken to the famous Spanish Steps and to browse around the fashionable districts of Rome before our four-course dinner at a popular Roman restaurants.
The Spanish steps....tourists everywhere!!!
At the foot of the enchanting Spanish Steps is the Piazza di Spagna and the Fountain of the Barcaccia (leaking boat)
Tourist wetting their heads with the coooool water at the fountain
The tall thin columm here is the Column of the Immaculate Conception, built to commemorates the proclamation of the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary
A closser picture of the Column of the Immaculate Conception
Dadda trying to capture everything into his video cam 
This is the street just beside the Spanish steps where all the "branded" stuffs are found...and this is the season of the summer SALES...mumsie regretted that she didn't go into any of these shops to snoop around and get back some bargain!In Italy anyone purchasing counterfeit items such as bags, CDs/DVDs, wallet, watches, sunglasses etc risks a substantial fine (equivalent to thousands of Dollars): plain clothes policeman circulate in crowds....So buy the real stuff !!!!
Rome has always bee a thriving centre for design and shopping Italian designers have a well-deserved reputation for their luxuriously chic style in fashion knit wear and leather goods. Rome is not a place for bargains but the joy of window shopping here will offer plenty of satisfaction!!!
Dior
Cucci
Rome has always bee a thriving centre for design and shopping Italian designers have a well-deserved reputation for their luxuriously chic style in fashion knit wear and leather goods. Rome is not a place for bargains but the joy of window shopping here will offer plenty of satisfaction!!!
Dior
Cucci
Louis vuitton
? Celine's favourite ?????
Italy is one of the leading light of high fashion.....(mumsie was told) Many famous designers may be based in Milan but Rome is the home to a cluster of sophisicated and internationally distinguished fahsion houses...as you can see on this street alone...The most notable are probably PRADA (Nope mumsie did not buy anything on this street...not with Dadda's watchful eyes watching) WHAT A WASTE!!!! COS THE SUMMER 'SALDI' was on....
Celine is standing in front of her 'name sake' s shop'
Inside one of those shops....couldn't remember what shop this is .....PRADA ????
Look it is crowded everywhere!!!!
Look @ these chestnuts roasting over fire..never seen them so big...wanted to buy some but dadda was not keen... Used to see this in the streets of UK only during the winter
There seems to be a lot of artists in Italy...one of them here is trying to sell his paintings...
Whilst waiting for our coach we were sitting around this square...forgot its name....and as usual every square you go in Rome you are bound to see HUGE fountains
Soaking in the sun before dinner...During our dinner Walter our singer for the night...and his CD is for sale.... He was goooooood cos he sang all the ' oldies' so most of us were able to sing along...some
of our friends bought his CD and promised us that he will burn it and send it to us via e-mail
After our trip we joined some of our tour companions to an Italian Restaurant for dinner. (Must say that out of the 8 nights only 3 dinners are free...rest is included in the 'optional excursions' Josephine and Joseph joining us for dinner
This is Walter!!!
If you ask mumsie I would have said this looks like our M'sian Indian vegetable curry dish....taste??? not bad
Italian salad doesn't have 'thousand island' salad cream ect ect ..it's just fresh vegi (of cabbage and salad) with vineger and olive oil and it taste nice................ (nice than it looks) But mumsie likes thier plates... In case you don't know by now mumsie loves to dine with "nice china " that's why there were times when mumsie goes over to S'pore to smuggle (whole dinner set) but gotta bring in plate by plate (to avoid being taxed..)
Couldn't remember what is this.....
Italian pasta dish...unlike in Malaysia Pasta is served together with the main dish...here you gotta finished your pasta first before your meat or fish main course comes out..
Rasberry cheese cake???Well that's all folks for the time being....shall continue some other time....its bed time for mumsie
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