Bangkok  12-14 November

We had a stopover in Bangkok on the way home.

The foyer of our hotel, the Amari Watergate.

Rooftop of the hotel.

More on the rooftop.

The free cocktail hour.

 Trains and shopping!

 Street food vendors.

 Of course you have to have a ride in a tuk tuk.

 Street shrine.

 View from hotel.

Naples 

 We headed off to spend the weekend in Naples.  What a crazy city.  Had fun, but felt more comfortable back in Rome.

 Relaxing at our hotel, a lovely retreat from the madness that is Naples.

The busy, crazy alleyways that make up the Centro Historico. There’s plenty of washing to inspect!

                                                Watch out for all the speedy motorinas!

Naples is famous in Italy for its Nativity scenes, or Presepi. Presepe means cot or crèche. This is one of the lanes that produces and sells them.

All the pieces are for sale.  Huge Presepi are in the churches over Italy, or you buy what you like to make up scenes for your home.

We were surprised by a parade coming through on of the lanes.  They weren’t exactly joyful folk, so not sure what it was about.

Bride meets policeman.  A more jolly and typical Neapolitan scene.

           Rome  28 October - November 11

Here we are back in lovely Rome again for a couple of weeks, while Bill goes back to work at the UN IPPC.

Balcony of our hotel in the Aventino.  We moved into an apartment into Celio after a few days.

The Teatro di Marcello and the Tempio di Apollo.

Palazzo Altemps a national museum.

Palazzo Altemps.

Largo di Torre Argentina.  Apart from containing an amazing  collection of ancient ruins,
it is also a cat shelter for some of Romes many homeless felines.

Cloister of the Baths of Diocletian.

There is a museum at the baths.

The Great Hall of the Baths of Diocletian.

Trajan's Column.

David and Bill lunching on the roof of the FAO building.

A military display on Circo Massimo

A random church in the Celio area.

Geneva

We headed off to Geneva for a few days so Bill could run part of a course with the World Trade Organisation.  Probably not the most exciting place in Europe we have been, but never the less, quite pleasant.

View from our hotel room towards Lake Geneva.

Joy took a tour around the United Nations buildings while Bill was at work.  This is the Aisle of Flags at the Palace of nations.

The World Trade Organisation building where Bill hangs out.

International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Reformer's Wall.

Floral clock.

On of the ferries that cross Lake Geneva to the other side of town.

Enjoying the ride.

The water fountain made us feel at home!

'Sisi"-Elizabeth of Austria, wife of Franz Joseph 1.

These witches brooms must do a good job as Geneva is spotless!

The surrounding mountains were capped with snow.

                                          Joy also took a tour on this cute little train.

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
This Museum was the last spot we visited in Portugal.  For us it was a wonderful surprise and one of the highlights of our time in this wonderful country. 
 Calouste Gulbenkian was a wealthy Armenian oil magnate with a passion for fine works of art.  He lived in neutral Portugal during WW 2 and on his death, bequeathed his fortune and his magnificent art to the nation.  His Foundation supports it's own orchestra, libraries, a ballet company, concert hall and the Museum.  The collection has a well deserved reputation of being one of the finest in Europe.  

A Mosque lamp - Egypt or Syria, enameled and gilt glass.

Eastern Islamic (Turkey) cylindrical tankards 1550.

Book of Hours - French.

French ivory triptych of scenes in the Life of the Virgin (14th Century).

St Catherine by Flemish artist Rogier Van der Weyden (1400-1464)

Portrait of an Old Man by Rembrandt, 1645.

French clock.

Diana, 1780, by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.