On her own,doing it her way

This morning I woke early so I could make it to the vatican to see the pope. I arrive 9.30am and make my way with the crowd toward he vatican and St Pietro Basillica. I am under prepared for what I am about to encounter in the basillica, I walk in and my mouth is wider than ever. I come to a complete stop without realising,stunned by the magnifcence. After realising Ive stopped I walk on and my mind can barely take it all in as my eyes dart all over the place, I start to cry. It was overwhelming,beautiful,breathtaking and a million of other words.Of all the thing so far - this has been the most amazing (am yet to do the sistene chapel). Afterward I make my way out to the where the pope will hold a 15 minute service. I am surrounded by people from all around the world who have made the pilgrimage to see this incredible man who acknowledges them all in their native tongue.It was more than an amazing experience and I wish I had a taonga to leave for him so I too could have left some kind of mark as he did with me.

So far I seen so many incredible things. The Trevi fountain - OMG, magnificent.I filled my bottle with the spring water that was for drinking. From there I moved on to the Pantheon, again incredible and amazing.The colloseum - it was a nice way to come across across this ancient monuments. It was my first day and I was walking around Rome wanting to get my bearings and there it was in all it glory, the first of the monuments for me to see and it knocked me over amazing.

I am going to the Sistene Chapel tommorow and will post your postcards from the Vatican post office and after that head for a quick trip to Tivoli.

Viva Italia

What an absolutely beautiful place Bath is. I have never seen anything like it. As you descend down into the township you see all these houses made of honey coloured brick.

The first thing I visit is Bath Abbey - A M A Z I N G with its grandeur and stained glass windows.

I next visit the Roman baths, This was only discovered 150 years ago.

I walked the streets for 2 hours after that,sat in a park, wrote postcards and took in the beauty of this large village.

Absolutely S T U N N I N G !!

WOW is the first thing you think,say - its amazing.

I learnt so much about the stones. Like the big outer stones are Sarsen stones which were dragged to the site over 4000 years ago and weigh up to 40 tonnes and the Blue stones the smaller ones came from as far as Wales and these ancient people mapped out the sun and the moon to build this monument.

There are also burial sites nearby which look like little hills, big mounds.They say that this was contructed and redone many times, in wood until the wood rotted then in stone. It was 800 years in the making.

It really is a spiritual place.

I am happy that I have been able to see Stonehenge with my own eyes and am starting to have a real apprecition for English and Roman history. I am now fascinated.

It really was amazing.

Brighton - beautiful/coastal/windy/sunny/touristy/pebbly . I arrive at midday to the sun shining,winds and the sound of seagulls to remind me that Im coastal. I want to dip my toes as is my thing when Im next to a body of water however its blowing a gale and is not easy for me to dust off my chuckies so instead I put my hand in and its freezing and I have to be quick cause the sea is thrashing against the shoreline.


Brighton Pier is filled with shops,gaming domes,rock shops,fish n chips shops,rides,games etc reminds me of Santa Monica.
I grab some rock (famous Brighton hard candy) and walk along the pier and then beachside to take in the ocean.

I then meet my friends John and Nalini who take me coastal to see Deans Grove ( Alice in wonderland looking houses )Seven sisters which are the white cliffs and are amazing to see , Birling Gap where the surfers are out and would be stunning in the summer time , Dover,Beachy Heads which is parrallel to the The Gap in Watsons Bay - unbelievable view and then to a local pub via the beautiful picturesque country rds . In the morning I am taken to New Haven heads which is more ocean - beautiful .

I then head into town to take a tour of the Royal Pavilion http://www.royalpavilion.org.uk/ which is lavish,decadent and outrageous , I have tea in the Victoria tea rooms which overlook the royal gardens before I head off to the lanes which are these old walkways which have been transformed into trendy boutique shops and eateries , there is still an undertone of what may have gone on yesteryear.

My time is up in Brighton and Im off to catch my bus - I woud definately come back again , this time in the summer !

Ma te wa - Bx