Hello both dear readers, we’re back from Italy – yay.  Rome was an endless series of amazing places tucked away in and around other amazing places, and Pompeii was wonderful and fascinating.  Sadly, we’re waiting on a few supplies needed for props, as certain editors mentioned their displeasure with our sets and lack of quality prop creation.  We also have a good dozen toy chickens that are critical to our story that are still on order, and there are some island-related props. that also still need fabrication.

On a hedgehog related note, here is our long suffering hedgehog hero in a sweater.  The trick to hedgehog clothing is to make sure outfits are oversized so the quills can fit when they’re fully extended.

And on a non hedgehog-related note, here are some gratuitous vacation photos we are forcing on strangers as we enjoy doing that kind of thing:

Sophie and a Fiat 500

Pantheon at night

Basilica near the forum

Colisseum

Pantheon at night

Colloseum

Museum

Arch of Titus in the Forum

Basilica of San Clemente

The Forum

The Temple of Diva Faustina

A column thing

Bernini’s model from 1661-1663 for the casting of the bronze figures of the Altar of the Throne of St. Peter in St Peter’s Basilica.  The models were straw and clay lain over a wicker/iron base.

The Laocöon in the Vatican – The Laocoön is of the most the famous Hellenistic sculptures in the Vatican (and well known and discussed in the ancient world).  Laocoön in mythology was a priest who warned the Trojans not to take the horse into the palace and was punished by the gods by being killed along with his sons by snakes.  On the flight tomorrow, back home eventually.

Inside the Pantheon. We visited the Pantheon a lot, it’s just stunning.

Inside the Pantheon.

Inside the Pantheon.

Phoenecian Lion

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (which as it turns out we were not supposed to photograph).