Wednesday 15th October

Hitched to Rapallo and then caught buses to Genoa and on to Ventimiglia.  A rather long walk then to the frontier and to Menton, where we had great difficulty in finding the hostel.

Tuesday 14th October

Unsuccessful day - reached point north of La Spezia and camped in bitter cold.

Monday 13th October

Leaning Tower of Pisa

We enjoyed a most successful day hitching and reached a point a few kilometers north of Viareggio, passing through Pisa with its famous tower. 






Awfully cold camping.

Sunday 12th October

After Maurice attended morning service at a nearby Church, we caught the bus to the outskirts of the city.  We hitch-hiked, rather unsuccessfully, for about 74kilometres and camped just north of Civitavecchia.  Although it rained during the night it was quite warm.

Saturday 11th Octcober

We commenced the day by visiting the Church of St. Peters in Chains to see the Statue of Moses by Michelangelo.  We then went outside the city walls to see the Catacombs of St. Callinto (St. Callixstus?)  - the tombs of various Saints and early Popes, including that of St. Celia.

Returning to the center of the city we saw the Monument to Vittorio Emanuel (II).  Again no mail for us at the post office.

We joined the crowds and filed past Pius XII laying in state in St. Peters Basilica.  It was most impressive!

I then managed to sneak a photograph of the Stuart Memorial, without being seen by the Papal guard!  Once again we returned to the hotel rather worn out!!

Friday 10th October

Coliseum, Rome

We commenced the day by visiting the Coliseum, the Forum, the Arch of Constantine.  We then proceeded to the River Tiber, St.Angelo Bridge, and Castle St. Angelo.


Roman Arch

Castle St. Angelo &River Tiber

Awaiting the body of the Pope

After lunch we gathered with the crowds outside St. Peters and waited until about 5.30p.m. to see the coffin of Pius XII passed by, into St. Peter’s from Castle Gondolfo (where he died).  Our long wait was rewarded, as we were quite in the front of the huge crowd, and managed to get some photographs as the coffin went slowly by.  It was most moving , with many hundreds of priests and monks preceding the hearse.




Funeral of the Pope



Pope Pius XII entering St. Peters

Utterly exhausted we returned to the hotel in the evening.

Thursday 9th October

We arose early and managed to get a couple of lifts, which took us to the youth hostel at Monte Sacro district of Rome.  Before entering the Eternal City we learnt the death of Pope Pius XII, earlier that morning.

After leaving our kit at the hostel, we visited the tourist office, the post office (no mail!), and St.Peter’s.

I had great pleasure at discovering the Stuart Monument in St. Peter’s, together with a monument to Clementine Sobieski.

The death of the Pope does not appear to have greatly affected everyday life here!!