We finally made it over the Atlantic, arriving in Frankfurt a little after noon, and landing in Rome about 3:30pm.  After a wild minibus ride from the Leonardo Da Vinci airport, we checked into the Starhotel Michelangelo (which is about 1 block west of St. Peter's Cathedral in Vatican City.

(Click on the small picture to see a larger version)

	Here is a shot of St. Peter's Cathedral.  The last time we were here, there were a lot of scaffolds erected along the front, fixing up things for the Year 2000 celebration.  It looks much nicer now.
	We went walking in the misty rain this evening.  Just across the street from St. Peter's Cathedral, we found these two men, playing chess under the protection of a doorway.  Michael, since you have recently joined the "Chess for Juniors" program, we thought you'd enjoy this picture.
	This is Linda, standing by the Tiber river.
	If you look closely near the river edge, you will see where some of the disadvantaged people live in Rome, under the shelter of the bride.  There are bridges crossing the Tiber every 3-4 blocks of through the city.
	This fortress is called the Castel Sant' Angelo.  It was first built in 139 AD as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian.  It has a corridor that links it with the Vatican Palace, historically providing an escape route for the pope during times of political unrest.  It is now a museum.
	Since we had an earlier picture for Michael, we have included this picture for Sara.  We thought you would want this reminder of something you like about Italy.  Tonight, we had chocolate, strawberry, and raspberry.  If you try hard, you might be as happy for us as you are jealous about not having some yourself!

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