Last night, I joined an american and another Canadian for an unbelievably delicious supper washed down with chianti in the Centro Storico, somewhere in the vicinity of the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona. The former is more magnificent than any picture could possibly lead you to believe. Lit up with floodlights, it is like an exquisite piece of early Imperial Rome transported through time completely intact and dropped down smack-dab in the middle of a 21st century city. We wandered around rather aimlessly staring at jaw-dropping sights until we happened upon a little bar tucked away in some alley. It proved to be full of people so we ordered some beers and sat down. Just as we were settling in, some guy hollered something to those assembled, and they got up as one, and filed out of the place. I quickly asked one of the limey girls whether or not they were on a Pub Crawl.. "Yeah, Rome-ing tours" she told me... I kinda found that funny, for reasons known only to myself and one other person.

Pub crawls seem to be a real hit with the hostel crowd here in Rome (The one I am staying in is both cheap and close to everything, so I will be staying put here for at least a few more days... besides, it looks like most other hostels in the area are full... some of the people here did some checking)... I'll be going on one tonight, God help my liver --two nights ago, I gave that particular organ a pounding watching Chelsea play Milan with an Englishman... I should have known better!

Today, I went to The Vatican Museum and Saint Peter's Basillica with Jinead (who is a pretty good guy, for an American). The Vatican was breathtaking... I was nearly brought to tears by some of the masterpieces of Italian art in there, that is how moving it was. I didnt even get a chance to see The Sistine Chapel (Crazy crowds!) So I'll definitely be going back in a couple of days. Saint Peter's is immense. Worthy of comparison to the great palaces of Europe. It is a true monument to the power and majesty of the Church of Rome in its heyday. I saw the crypt where the bones of St Peter are kept, and those of dozens of other popes besides. Many photos were taken, and most will not do justice to its magnificence... but that is just an incentive for people who see them to come to Rome and see the real things for themselves... I highly recommend it!

SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS ~ THE SENATE AND THE PEOPLE OF ROME

SPQR

Everywhere you go in Rome, you see those four letters. On the signs, on the manholes, on the buildings... On the ancient monuments that the Caesars put up when the republic had long ceased to be about the people and senate of Rome and the divine emperors ruled from the Black Sea to the Atlantic, it was still stamped on everything... perhaps hearkening back to a nobler, more idealistic time? Like anytime an American politician refers to the declaration of independence, and the idea that they hold certain truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, etc. etc...

Today I walked in the forum, where 2000 years ago Marc Antony delivered Caesar's funeral oration. I gazed upon Titus' arch, comemorating his victory in the Jewish war. Today, I pretty well gorged myself on history, wandering through the Colosseum, where civilized people gathered and gorged themselves on magnificently decadent and bloody spectacles of battle between man and man, and man and beast. -Interestingly enough, I also found out that contrary to popular belief, Christians were not martyred there, but in another location entirely. The Colosseum was about sport... and watching helpless Christians get eaten by hungry lions... well, there isnt much sport in that!

Ive seen so much today... I am almost scared that it will all be downhill from here! Well gotta have FAITH!

*Have Faith!

I'm in Devon today! Visiting my Grandmother. Very isolated area... right now I'm in the Public Library in the town of Barnstaple... Very close to the sea. Words cannot describe the North Devon Coast... I think I know where I want to live when I retire.

Update...

THIS sucks... I'll be in Rome in a few days. This kinda thing reminds me of how quickly fun times can turn tragic.

Oh, yeah! I've found my new playoff headquarters to keep abreast of things while away from my home and native land. With a site called CANOE, ya gotta figure they have the Canadian content covered.

At the risk of angering some, and alienating others permanently... now that the Sens have tanked...

GO LEAFS GO

It has only been a couple of days, and I already miss talking to some of you people... and the one I miss talking to most of all, well, you know who you are... :-)

The swompdonkey chronicles... uk edition.

I'm sitting in an internet cafe somewhere deep within the bowels of Heathrow airport, reflecting on how lucky we are to still be able to move with such ease from one side of the globe to the other in spite of all the crap that has happened in recent years... A few hours ago, I was celebrating my brother Joe's birthday with him and his friends in Mississauga. Now I'm about to hop on a bus to go see my Grandma in Devon. Some had warned me that security in airports was becoming tougher again, after an incomprehensible little lapse somewhere between 9-11 and 3-11 (the Madrid bombings). Well, if it has been tightened, it isn't that noticeable... which I suppose is a good thing. Nobody wants to feel like they live in a police state. No heavily-armed guards at Pearson and I breezed through customs on my EU passport. Almost enough to make you think that we are back to business as usual in this twisted little world of ours...