I met Peter and Yvonne for breakfast in the hotel; the regular continental style breakfast, in a room mostly below street level. But there was sufficient breakfast type food, and we were energised for the day.
Not much was planned for the morning, as Keiran and Natalie were arriving from London around 10AM at Ciampino, the older airport for Rome (they were flying a budget airline, and as with Southwest in the US, they tend to use less popular aiports to save money!). And, as luck would have it, the Metro was on strike today, although the effects of that were somewhat indirect, as there is no service to Ciampino. But there is bus service to the Termini, and so that's where we planned to meet, using SMS to keep in touch and track movements.
Figuring that the arrival would not be much before noon, we had a morning to fill in, so off we went to ...
Peter reaching out and touching a modern sculpture in Santa Maria Degli Angeli. The sculpture looks a little out of place in a building of such age - remembering that the building was original a Roman bath!
Yvonne examining a statue of the Virgin Mary, with an illuminated crown.
Looking down the main cross aisle of the building, towards the astronomical equipment. The little things at the bottom of the image are people! You have to hand it to the Romans and their building abilities - things were not done on a small scale.
The Basilica's organ - quite a piece of work. I would like to have heard it in use, as I imagine it really sounds grand in such a large environment. But then I really enjoy listening to large pipe organs. At full volume!
The archway leading into the Sanctuary, with a pair of angels guarding it.
And, by golly, those angels are showing a bit of leg!
Italy In July