An ode to the right calf.

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred steps.... How do you measure, a weekend in Rome? Well how about... pain.

Shall I compare you to a Roman god?
Thou art more worthy and I dependent.
Rough rocks you climb but never once relent;
On you I rely much more than the quad.

On you in London a glass pane did fall.
In Rome you fought when I wanted to crawl.
Battered with bruise but without a complaint,
A god, perhaps not; but right calf – a saint.

St. Peter's

The ascent.

The view from the top.

The views inside.

The Vatican (I won't mention how these pictures were obtained)

Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II
The Spanish Steps.

Piazza del Popolo
La Republica.

Gianicolo hill- on the way up and the view from the top.

URGENT: Please read before completing morning TPS reports!

To all employees at Grantham & Wells, Inc:
It has come to my attention that our Hartford branch consumes 5% more water than the company average. That said, we have attributed this egregious over usage to employees flushing toilets more often. Consequently, we will now be enacting a new policy to curb this recent issue of toiletry waste.
If it's brown, flush it down. If it's yellow, let it mellow.
This policy will go into effect in all Hartford branch lavatories as of the start of the next fiscal year, 10/1/08.
If you have any questions, please contact HR at extension 1122.
Thanks to everyone for ensuring our continued growth.
Sincerely,
H. G. Pennypacker
CEO, Founder

You have not lived until...

79 hours…

19 flavors*…

18 cups…
(2 obese - but extremely content -Americans…)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelato

Stop no. 1 and no. 10. You can't beat this shit.

And the brief stops in heaven continue...

The last bite... :(
*in no particular order…lemon; strawberry; raspberry; cookies ‘n cream; lime; chocolate; green apple; cheesecake; blueberry; cream; caramel; pistachio; nutella; after eight; chocolate and nuts; pineapple; kiwi; banana; blackberry

Rocks. Old rocks. And very old rocks.

Unfortunately we just missed Russell, but this place was still kinda cool.

Forum Romanum. Hot.

And there aren't goddesses still alive and kickin in rome...ha

It may be a grass field now, but back in the day, the Circus Maximus could accommodate 300,000 peeps. Eat your heart out Rose Bowl.

And now, presenting Ostia Antica... Rome's Pompeii, but not quite as ashy

First, you're not really a proper old town without a castle.

Or baths...

Or a bar...

Or a theater....

Or a mare.

And as they say... when in Rome... wear sunscreen.

In celebration...

of Australia and Kiwi day... a few pics.