WEDNESDAY JULY
5, 1961 – UDINE, ITALY
Checked out of Vienna. Had
a pleasant surprise when we discovered our hotel bill for 4 nites & for
breakfast was only $18.00. We hit the
road for Italy about 10 AM. We drove toward Italy and passed for several hours
through the Italian Alps. They were beautiful & we were glad we were in the
valley & didn’t have to go over them.
We had no trouble at the Italian border so we headed for Venice knowing we’d
never make it. Dad drove 300 miles today
& was tired, so we stopped at the first good sized town, Udine, Italy. Our room, very beautiful is $5.00 including
tips. This is the most we‘ve paid so far but we were due for a bath. We‘ve been
bathing in the washbowl & I’m beginning to feel like a bird. Our dinner was
good but expensive. This seems like a
prosperous town, lots of new buildings etc. Venice in the AM.
Arrived here about 10 AM from
Udine where we spent the night. We came by
way of the Italian Alps. Our room in
Venice was app. $6.00, too high hotel De La Gace. Venice has no streets so the car costs $1.00 overnite
to park. Venice itself was just as I’ve
always pictured in our geography books. Lots of water & gondolas only now
it’s very commercial, lots of ferries & cargo boats etc. We took pictures
at San Marcos Square & took
in the other sights. Several ferry rides & 2 gondola rides. Dad fell
getting into one. Our hotel was right on the Grand Canal. Sat outside & had
beer & watched the crowd go by. Bought
an Italian straw bag in white for myself, more to carry!
AM - Drove south on Auto
Strata (thruway) from Venice, south to Padova, Rovigo & Bologna. At Bologna we got the thruway to Florence (Firenze). The cost to drive this short way was app. $2.00 or
1200 Lire. We have a nice hotel here “Alberto Firenze“ $2.25 app. – 1,435 Lire.
Tomorrow we do the sights & leave for Rome. There’s much to do & see
here in Florence. Beautiful art etc.
Well we did the arts of
Florence until my feet could take no more. We went through the National
Galleries & saw many famous works. Also did the Dom & St. Giovanni
Cathedral. All very old and full of history. A door here (doors of paradise of gold). A copy is in Forest Lawn in gold. Florence is a lovely city but impossible to
drive around. Streets are one way & very narrow. Parking is at a premium.
There just isn‘t very much of it. Took many shots & will add more here when
I get my notes together. Passing along the highway we spotted an American
soldiers’ memorial cemetery. So we pulled in & paid our respects. It was a
beautiful place just outside of Florence with white marble headstones
(crosses).
We left Florence later & got on the road to Rome. They should
give it back to the Romans or someone. I never saw such a crooked, hilly,
curved road in my life. We finally got worn out & here we are about 70
miles outside of Rome. We get an early start & get in early, get settled
for a few days & some mail from home we hope. Just one month from the day
we left. Hope all’s well!
We took in St. PetersCathedral. It‘s just about the greatest there is. We
spent most of Sunday here, even stayed for Vespers. It was very nice & we
both enjoyed it. At least a dozen
priests etc. officiated.
Saw:
1.
St. Peterschair (high alter)
2.
Pillar, which is said Jesus
leaned against when he preached.
3.
The stone on which St. Peter built his church. Surrounded with oil
lamp.
4.
Two popes dead over 100
years in glass enclosed caskets interned in alters in the cathedral (catacombs).
5.
The spot where Christ
stood when he spoke to Peter and said “Thou art Peter, & over this stone I
shall build my church & I shall give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven
“
6.
There are keys infloor entrance of church.
7.
Took a trip up to the Cupola. Wandered around the top of St. Peters & took some shots
of city & statues gracing the roof.
8.
Went through the catacombs& caves under St. Peters where all the ex-popes
are buried in large exposed vaults (like a mausoleum). Dates way back to the
very beginning & took shots of the Swiss guards that guard the entrance. All guards are “Swiss” and all over 6 feet tall. Went to American Express & got one letter
from Carole - sure glad to hear from home! Mailed lots of cards etc. Lots of hot weather
here & lots of tourists.
Visited the Vaticanmuseum. One can easily see why
all the poverty exists in Italy. The riches, jewels, priceless arts & etc. lay
here ¡n the Vatican City museum. Saw the following that I can remember. There‘s
really too much to remember in a 1-3 hr. trip: Sistine Chapel, Vatican Picture Gallery, Egyptian Museum (1/2 dz. mummies
ages old), the Borgia Apts. 6 rooms decorated
by Alexander VI, Borgia – Pinturicchio, Raphael’s Loggias, Nativity –
Epiphany, Baptism of Jesus & Last Supper, Hall of Maps by Danti (1581), Hall of Tapestries containing XVI century tapestries
(famous one of Leonardo‘s Last Supper). Crowning of the Virgin woven in Brussels
after Raphael’s design, Hall of Chariots (see book), etc.
1.
Roman Forum
5.
Piazza Argentina, The Republican
Temples
7.
Tiber River (out of St. Peters)
10.
Il Duce‘sBalcony
13.
SpanishSteps
14.
The ImperialFora
15.
Quo Vadis
16.
RomanCatacombs
Went to St. Peters &
saw Pope Giovanni give the general public its weekly blessing. Thing that amazed
me was the people applauded him like in a theatre instead of a church. He was
carried in on a chariot like chair by 12 men, 6 in front & 6 in the rear.
Bet St. Peter must turn over in his grave every time this goes on. Boy is this place ever commercialized. Whoa
no wonder there are so many beggars here. Highly overrated.
Rome - We retraced our steps & took some pictures of the Roman ruins. Chas. did have some but my camera was at the hotel. A word about this hotel, I strongly recommend
it to youngsters traveling in Europe. It’s
$1.00 a nite for a bed in a dorm (6-8) a very fine social life within the walled
hotel, good Amer. hots & hamburgers
& reasonably priced other foods & car park. We enjoyed all of this. Our room was more; We
had a shower etc. ($4.00). Casa Del Turista, PalazzoSalviate, Piazza della Rovere #83 - cared
for by “nuns”, We bought ice cream for the nuns.
P.S. The Mediterranean Sea
is lovely. This makes another for my list.
1.
After leaving Roma, we
headed north to Pisa. It’s a nice town we got in early enough to get
a few shots of the tower & the 2 oldest Basilicas, really beautiful
2.
Carrera (noted for marble)
from here we went onto La Spezia on the Italian Riviera where we spent the
night.
3.
We walked along the
Riviera, it was a lovely night. All the
flowers, trees, shrubs etc. are the same as in So. Calif. Don’t know where to go tomorrow.
Left La Spezia around 10
AM & headed for Milano. Here we wanted to see the La ScalaOpera & the original Last Supper by Leonardo daVinci, which is painted on the
wall of a very old & poor church. We found
both plus a few other places of interest. A 14th century Dom, very beautiful
windows, about the most beautiful we’ve seen yet. The LeaningTower of Pisa was quite a sight &
very beautiful just like we always pictured it. Loads of tourists here. Along
the Tower of Pisa were 2 very
old 14-15th century cathedrals. These too were very old & beautiful.
Milano - (gas $1.00 / gal) - The LastSupper by Leonardo daVinci is the one that Forest
Lawn in Calif. had copied into a stained glass window. On either wall is a
painting the Supper on one & the Crucifixion. When a bomb hit this church during the last war. It hit
right down the middle saving both of these rare paintings. The building around
them was reconstructed in 1945. We tried to get out of Italy today but didn t
quite make it. We’re about 40 miles from
the Swiss border & will be out of here in a couple of hours. Spent the nite
in a small hotel on a very beautiful lake. The rent cheap ($2.50) for 2 but Dad
makes up the difference in beer. The food not so good, so so.
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