I Go to Musei Vaticani or Vatican Museums

The upper picture was taken in Vatican Museums.
Where, do you think, was the lower picture taken?

I took the left picture and the upper picture in Guggenheim Museum in New York City last year.
Aren't they look similar?

According to the Wiki, the Museums celebrated their 500th anniversary in October 2006.

What a long history they have!

In 2017, they were visited by 6 million people, which makes it the 4th most visited art museum in the world after Louvre in France, National Museum of China and Metropolitan Museum of Art in the USA.

Metro in Rome

Subway systems are different in every city.
People can ride on them with dogs; there are graffiti on train bodies; there are only two major limes and shorter branch lines in Rome.

What, do you think, is the most big difference between those in Rome and other city's ones?

There are many pickpockets there. They act in groups. My wife and I met them twice at the hub station of two major metro lines.
Their thief techniques were splendid and far beyond our imagination.

I was robbed of about 100 Euro out of my wallet in my waist-bag. To be exact, the female thief took only big notes and left a five Euro bill for train tickets for two of us so as to come back to our hotel without any difficulty.

Please be careful for pickpockets when you are in Rome.
They lead you to an elevator. Once you get in the lift, all persons standing around you are members of the same robber group.

I Walk around the City of Rome, Colosseum and the Roman Forum

It is hot in Rome as it is in Utsunomiya. But, in terms of humidity, it is lower than that of my city in summer.

My wife and I walked to Colosseo, just 20 minute walk from our hotel to the historical monuments.

It is said that the construction of Colosseum began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir.

More Than Ten Hour Travel from Japan to Italy

We went to Rome via Doha which is a capital city of Qatar.
We stayed only two hours at Doha airport, though, we walked about here and there and took some snap shots.

These three pictures are snap shots I took at the airport.

Following pictures are of in-flight meals.
I rarely drink Heineken beer in Japan.
The taste of Heineken is not so different from that of Japanese brand beer, I think.

I Spend My Holidays in Rome

 I have been in Rome since 5 days ago.

The city is itself a big biiiiiiiig museum, I think.

There are lots of sightseeing spots scattered all over the city.

One week travel is too short to fully enjoy seeing this city.

Okuribi Ceremony

festival on August 16, people do Okuribi or "send-off fire" ceremony.

It signifies the moment when the spirits of deceased family members, who are said to visit this world during OBon, are believed to be returning to the spirit world.

In my home town, people put expired Ofuda in an old rice cooking pot, then set fire on them.

The Ofuda is customarily renewed annually before the end of a year, and then attached to a door, pillar, or ceiling. It may also be placed inside a private shrine. It is believed to protect the family in residence from general harm, such as a disease. 

A portable form of Ofuda, commonly called Omamori is typically wrapped in a small bag made of decorated cloth.

I Stay in My Mother's Home

For just one week, I stayed in my mother's home in my hometown.

I met my old friends, went shopping with my family, visited my father's grave and took lots and lots of pictures.

I only go back to my hometown once a year though, whenever I may go, I always feel at home with my mom, brother and sister-in-law.

Overnight Bus Trip to Shimane

I had jumped into an overnight bus heading to Shimane prefecture and here came back to my hometown Matsue city yesterday.

Now, we are in the middle of summer holiday or Obon season in Japan. 

Obon is a Buddhist festival to honor ancestral spirits in Japan.

It is believed these spirits return to their families during the period.

Statue of Liberty from the Hudson River

It was more than one year ago, time really flies, when my wife and I joined a tour called the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises.

Seeing Statue of Liberty from the Hudson River became one of my precious memories while staying in New York.