For sale!

Getting ready to go home, we had a decision to make... give our stuff away, sell it or leave it. I offered it to some friends and then tried to sell it to our landlord for like, 100 euros or something. They didn't ever get back to us so we put up some signs around the block of flats and I put a free ad in the local paper.

It was stuff like this... without the clothes (this was actually the stuff that I had to fit into my backpack).



For Sale!

So we had a kinda 'garage sale' for all the stuff we had accumulated over our four years in Ireland. Glasses, duvets, bedside tables, wine racks, muffin trays, small furniture, a small tv, my playstation2, towels, a scale, a feather-duster, etc.

It was pretty much pnly foreigners that were interested... no doubt knowing a good deal when they hear it. Most of things were about 2-5 euros and only the furniture was a bit more.

But it all adds up and by the end, we had made about 300 euros. That's about R4000! That will go bloody far once we get back home.

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Why did I include this photo? To show you what a spread Cath cooks up. Oh and so I could include this one photo below. ALAN! This is how she cooks for me - I had to show you. Now from time to time, the meal is, say, only a seven out of 10. But presentation is always a 10!

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Before we left Ireland, we had one last stop at Gabs and Stew (and Thomas). Michele came round to wish us off too, which was awesome. Look at me... get a few glasses of wine in me and I'm a cheap date.

Courts n Michele to Cork

You can't get rid of these two!
We had visited them enough and they were getting sick and tired of hosing us whenever we came up to Dublin, so we decided enough was enough and they MUST come down to Cork again.

Now would they do it cheap and come by buss? No no no, they had to travel in luxury and come by train... just showing off how much money they're making! We picked them up from the station and spent a cool evening catching up on the goss.



The last time we were here we took them around the attractions of Cork, which took about three hours. Don't get me wrong, I love Cork, but there isn't much to see and do. This time we headed to the English market for something to eat.

But in the end we opted for the warmth of a pub and a pub lunch. look at these two, who's the married couple around here? Really.

Now it wasn't Paddy's day. But Cork was getting prepared about a month in advance... so in a few years time, when I look back at this photo, it's going to really confuse me... we wandered the streets and did the tourist thing.

And then the crazy thing. Courney wanted to vandalise something and Michele wanted to steal something but we managed to control them.

Aaaah, cute.

Rome - day 3

This is the little spot we used to have breakfast, across the road from our hotel. Nice vibey little spot.

I also wanted to see where they used to race the chariots, this was it - no more stadium alas. I got into my athletic mode.

Then if you've been to our house in CT, you'll notice a small stone replica of this thing... the Wall of truth... you stick your hand through the hole and if you're a lying bastard, it'll chop down on your hand. So the legend goes.



Cath got away with it. It must have been malfunctioning.

I knew I had nothing to worry about... but lo and behold...
My case against the Italian government continues.

From there we headed to Campidoglio. Scene of the massive bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, gladiator extrodinaire. We actually thought we had seen him a few days earlier but turned out after some guide reading that we had the wrong place - too many bloody buildings and statues.

So Delboy, this one's for you. Who's the man? Me! I'm the one with Marcus.
Marcus and I go way back.

Cath under some geezer with a tiny pecker and me with the Nile (again). I dolike the Nile.

Then to Piazza Navona. We bought a painting and posed at the Four Rivers. If anyone watched / read Angels and Demons, this is the fountain where the fourth Cardinal got dumped into the fountain.



A quick meal at the Pantheon - and a beer.

Inside the Pantheon.

Outside the Pantheon, Cath has a face-off with a fountain statue.


And all this water made her thirsty.

Lastly, we headed to a small lesser-known church where the monks make everything out of bones. Yes bones, they believe their bodies should be put to use, so everything from their skulls, to their hips, their fingers, etc make the light sockets, decor, etc. was kinda creepy but very cool.

On that note. That was Rome. Lots to see but the locals weren't very friendly at all. Got ripped off more than once. Was good to go back to Ireland.

Rome - day 2

Day 2 - a trip to the Vatican and its museum.

Turns out the museum is actually free one day a month - and what day were we there on - the free day. Woohoo. Meant the queues were a bit longer but we got up quite early and only had to queue for a few hours. Well worth it for everything you get to see.

Calendar outside showing when it's free to get in.

The queue. Down the street and around the corner.

Once inside, we ran around checking this and that out. It was just too much to take in. This was me posing with the Nile (I think).

My angel, posing with, well, a hall of statues.

What I shall call, the wall of busts.
And seeing as my parish back home is St Pius X, I was happy to come across a plaque on the floor to him.



Now, believe it or not, this was a tapestry. It is the size of a normal wall, and there are about 50 of these in one hall - massive bastards!



The DETAIL of these paintings on the ceiling of this hall... whew... each one a masterpiece.

I enjoyed this one... the inscription above is 'Non Nobis Domine, to O' da gloria (sorry for my Latin spelling) which was my school motto at Plumstead High (Not unto us O Lord - to you the glory). Was cool to see it in one of the world's most famous places.




The Sistine Chapel.

Walking out afterwards... this staircase was made so that whoever could ride horses up it.



Outside in St Peter's Square. We needed some gelati after such a lot of walking.



A few fountain photies. Cath was willing to rest now... poor pregnant woman, carrying around a sack of potatoes. So I went for a quick wander to Castel St Angelo.

Back at St Peter's, scene of the masses when the Pope speaks.




I think this was his window. If not some old woman is going to be really P$%^&ed off at me for taking snaps at her window.

Looking at the bascilica.



The Swiss guard at the Vatican. Go ahead laugh, they can kill a man in 247 different ways. Go on, laugh.

We went downstairs to the tombs - once again, we should have paid to get in but there was no-one there taking money ...excellent.

Pope John Paul I. Photos strictly not allowed. Oops. John Paul II had a bunch of people around his tomb.




Inside the bascilica... we went for Mass.

Inside, looking towards the altar.

Behind the altar.

After mass, looking out from the bascilicaover St Peter's sq.



And looking back.



The mega-babe.