Our earliest start yet! We met our tour guide Raphaela at 07.20 and signed up, for a guided tour of a QUEUE.

We Joined the longest queue on the planet. We walked a good third of a mile to get to the back of this enormous human hell, which could likely be observed from space.
The pavement wide mass followed the route until we got close to the security scan stations, then it spead across the wide piazza.
The painfully slow pace, reduced to a crawl with elbowing and pushing, even the nuns & clergy were trying to jump the queues. Brides & grooms there to have their marriages blessed, in their finery were not given an easier route.

We were lucky enough to be not too far from the front, behind the chior.

The auditorium can seat 5000, an optional 1000 can be crammed in, perhaps standing. We were glad for a seat & to be spared the blistering sun.

The Pope was having private audiances prior to meeting us..At 09.30 the audiance erupted, we couldn't see much from our vantage point.

The big screens showed the pontif approaching the building via St Peters square.

The pope gave an address after he was welcomed in, by the cardinals.

The address was based on a passage by St Luke regarding forgiveness.
Both the reading & the popes address were repeated in the 6 major languages represented in the auditorium, this proved to be a slow bussiness, interupted by hymns & finally we were all blessed.

Finally a good pic of the Colosseum as we say goodbye to Rome.
Off to the airport to deliver our beautiful girls, a sad farewell..

And welcome to Florence and our Duomo view room.

A great little Italian restaurant for anti pasti & Ians Pizza, my tuna salad was what it said on the box..

Goodnight dear reader..The pixies are back safe in the UK we have just heared & have George the worlds most interesting taxi driver for company !