Craig in Rome- Part Two

Another picture of Dad and me at Tivoli- this time Villa d'Este!!
Let's see...when I left you last, Dad and I had just gone to Tivoli for the day. On Monday, he braved the half-hour+ tram ride to come out to my area of Rome to see my apartment. What I didn't realize is that, because of track reconstruction, half of the trip out here was given over to a bus, a fact that Dad had to discover on his own, which he did admirably. When he got here, I showed him my apartment, which I was very excited about- I love it. Then we wandered around, looking for a cute little restaurant to have lunch- such a thing apparently does not exist out here in Centocelle. The afternoon was given over to separate endeavors, and that evening we went to Mirabelle for dinner. Located on the 7th floor of a hotel overlooking the Villa Borghese, this one-star Michelin restaurant had the most outstanding views of Rome, especially after the sun went down and St. Peter's was all lit up. The meal was excellent, although I confess to having preferred the one from Il Pagliaccio. But the whole evening was lovely. After dinner, I joined my team at Pub Quiz, which they had lost miserably without me. The next day it was early to rise for the Vatican. It was a rainy day (we've had a lot recently), so being at the Vatican's extensive museums was a good activity. Brandon again did a fantastic job showing us around-- the Vatican is his best tour, so it was really a treat. We've been there before, but the massive collection of art never fails to amaze me. Some highlights: The Laocoon, the Apollo Belvedere, Michelangelo's Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, Raphael's Transfiguration, and my personal favorite- The Raphael Rooms. The School of Athens is my favorite painting, ever. I'd be hard-pressed to tell you why, but it is a truly awesome masterpiece. I had to work that evening, but when I got off we met Brandon and Erin for dinner at a place near the Pantheon that a couple of us had discovered a number of weeks ago. I'm glad Dad got to spend some time with two of my favorite people, and it means so much that he wanted to! Wednesday was Dad's last day, and we met Brandon again for a less structured tour around- we stopped in a few churches that I wouldn't have thought of, which were great, and got to see Bernini's 'The Ecstasy of St. Theresa,' the obviously sexualized, beautifully rendered statue of St. Theresa in the throes of passion, being pierced over and over by an angel's golden arrow. Dan Brown didn't do it justice- it's an incredible piece of work. I had to work again that evening, but Dad and I met again for dinner at a place near his hotel. The dinner was bittersweet. We reflected on the week, and had a lovely time, then parted ways, as he was leaving early the next morning. I returned home and burst into tears when I walked in the door. I had such a great time with my Dad, and it meant so much that he came all the way over here just to spend some time with me. Seeing him made me a little homesick, so when he left I was a little sad, but it was a wonderful week.