Berniniathon

This morning we headed off to a very big park called the Villa Borghese in which there is a palace which houses a famous gallery, the Galleria Borghese. Typically Italian system - booked tickets and time online, lineup to claim tickets, line up to check all bags and get token, leave token as ransom for return of audio guide, order snack and pay at counter, take ticket to ask for food...

The gallery was amazing, highlights for me were everything there by Bernini, (it was a bit of a Berniniathon in fact), a Raphael, a portrait of a melancholy Venetian whose name I've forgotten, and Cardinal Borghese's rather surprising pair of bedroom paintings - two Venuses - one by Cranach wearing nothing but a smirk and a hat. Lyn found the Cardinal's ideas of interior decoration a little too carnal for a cardinal.

Nice hat!

We amazed ourselves by finding a bus that took us to the National Roman Museum - Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. This is one of several national archaeological museums. Gasp! Whole floors of ancient Roman painted rooms, mosaics, bronze and marble sculptures etc. The sculpture of the boxer and a room painted as a garden were the highlights.

Next was Santa Maria Maggiore - another awesome church. Lyn lit candles to keep all of you safe and then we were kneeling at the altar rail, Lyn in prayer and me looking at the 5th century AD mosaics. We stood up and realised we'd been kneeling on a tomb - Bernini's...

We were too tired to go out and crashed last night. Quiet day tomorrow...The Vatican. Looking forward to an orgy of candle-lighting and kneeling on dead people.