(Explanation - Cyril Underwood was an associate of Burt's on the United Nations, FAO, project the last year we were in Cairo. The project was ending and Burt and Cyril were in Rome to write up the reports. Bea was Mrs. Underwood and while they were there, she and I spent many hours together.)

1967

Met Bea at the B.E.A. office at 10:30, and we walked toward the Borghese Gardens, hoping to visit the museum. However, we stopped frequently to look at the shop windows, and Bea said she wanted to have an ice cream in Rome. When we walked past the Excelsior, she said she'd treat me. I told her it would cost her, and it did. We each had a SPUMONI CASSATA, and they cost 450 each. I noticed on the menu that even A CAPUCCHINO was 300, if I read it correctly. Our spumoni was pretty good, and it was fun sitting on the sidewalk and watching the people. After Cairo, I should say at a sidewalk table, since in Cairo people actually did sit on the sidewalk. A woman next to us had a plate of potato chips and a small glass of wine, and her check was 350. Perhaps that wasn't too high a price to pay to sit in front of the Excelsior on the Via Veneto in Rome. Bea and I enjoyed ourselves immensely.

We continued walking toward the Villa Borghese and had no trouble finding it, but once inside my guide book didn't help at all. Anyway by now, it was getting late and I found my way to the look-out above the Piazza del Popolo. We walked down the stairs and caught a #90 bus to take us to the FAO for lunch with our husbands.

I met Bea in the FAO lounge and we caught a #21 "circilare" bus to get us back to the Borghese Gardens to where we had left off yesterday. By following the city map, we soon found the museum. This was Bea's first visit to this gallery, and I think a real pleasant experience. I was happy to see again the sculptures, Pauline Napoleon Borghese by Canova, and the several sculptures by Bernini - Apollo and Daphne, Rape of Proserpine, and Aeneas and Anchises which Bernini did when only fifteen. Since we've been in Rome this time, a sculpture was found which Bernini did at just thirteen.

The second floor - calIed primo piano - has many valuable paintings among them pieces by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, and many others by both well known artists as well as by lesser known painters. There were many madonnas and Susie Weston would have had a field day identifying them all.

The men had gone to lunch before we got there so Bea and I had our lunch alone, and then went out on the terrace to treat our eyes again to the lovely view of the old Roman Forum and the Colosseum which were just down the street. Every day after lunch in the FAO cafeteria, I was thrilled to come out on this 4th floor balcony to view ancient Rome.

Met Bea at the La Bella and we walked to the Campidoglio to visit the two museums. The Capitoline Museum is supposed to be the oldest Museum in the world dating back to 1471. Much of the collection was contributed by the Popes. We stood and admired the Piazza from all angles and then went into the Palazzo del Museo Capitoline. I studied again the Dying Gaul, the Capitoline Venus, which stands in a nook all by itself, and admired again the dove mosaic. We went around the room with the statues and busts of the early Greek and Roman orators, writers, and artists, and the room with the busts of the Roman Emperors. We tried to scratch up from our memories of long ago learned history what we could remember of names which we might never have heard, or maybe just which we had forgotten.

Bea, a Britisher, is a good companion for sightseeing. She is intelligent and well educated though she is terribly handicapped now by poor vision, the result of an accident some years ago. We would both have liked to spend more time in both museums with a good guide book, and I was distressed again by seeing how people just cruise through these places without even a good look at a few of the best things.

We crossed over then to the Palazzo dei Conservatori which is an official building for the city of Rome. We walked through the reception room for distinguished guests with its tremendous frescos and the huge statue of Pope Urban VIII by Bernini. I saw again the charming bronze of the boy removing a thorn from his foot. I would love to buy a copy for my granddaughter, Heather. (I didn't buy it then, but was given it for my birthday by some friends when traveling together some years later, and I finally gave it to Heather this Christmas.)

Got to the FAO just in time for lunch, and the Underwoods and we enjoyed our last lunch together for now.