All Roads Lead to Rome

Sunday: Our last day in Firenze was great. We spent most of the day exploring the streets, checking out the markets, and eating... lot's of gelato of course! The weather was perfect so we even took some time to relax in the park near the Duomo. We caught an evening train to Roma. So, back on the move we go! We arrived in Roma in the dark and it took us a little while to find our place (we have been lucky, our hostels have been more like hotels... almost), luckily it was not too far from the Termini train station.

Monday: Croissants and juice for breakfast, yum. The Italians usually eat their breakfast standing at the bar. It's cheaper to stand at the bar or take out then to sit down at a table... makes sense I suppose.

We used Serena's awesome guide and map to strategize our first day. We are staying a 10 minute walk to the Colosseum, so we decided to start with ancient Rome. After a minor set back, me forgetting the camera battery, we were standing beneath the massive remains of the Colosseum. Despite seeing it in photographs your entire life, it is truly amazing to see it in person. Similar to when I came upon the Taj Mahal. We got pulled into a guided tour, which ended up being a good deal and extremely informative. The guide had the heaviest Italian accent I have ever heard, which I thought gave the tour more character.

After the Colosseum we explored the ancient Forum. First with the guide, and then on our own. Sometimes I cannot believe how hot it is here for the middle of September, while being on the same Latitude line as NYC. Hot! So, we try our best to stay hydrated, even if this means filling our water bottles up from the "potable" fountains that are scattered around the city.The Colosseum and the Forum took most of the morning, the afternoon, and our energy supply to explore, but we continued to truck on afterwards. We visited the Capitol, Piazza Popolo, Piazza Spagna, and the Trevi Fountain. Along the route up Via Del Corso we explored some of the high end shopping district. Oh joy!... We were near the Piazza Spagna when we passed through a huge group of paparazzi. We stopped to see what the comotion was about. Someone famous came out of their car and was hit with hundreds of camera flashes right as we passed by. Tori and I both really wish we knew who we saw, or at least got a photograph so we could figure it out later. Oh well!By night the weather actually gets a bit chilly. I took it easy because unfortunately I'm battling a little cold...which seems to progressively get worse. Annoying as it is, I refuse to let it stop me from enjoying myself.

Tuesday: The Vatican! We were up and out before 7am. When we reached St. Peter's square it was pretty empty. The sunrise was stunning. We explored the inside of the Bascillica, absolutely beautiful! It fascinates me to think of how they could have constructed it. I also noted all of the marble that covered the Bascillica, which I was told was "recycled" (a.k.a. stolen) from the ancient Forum.

We were one of the first in line for the Vactican museum. Once inside, we were able to explore the exhibits. It is incredible how much art, and how many artifacts they have in there. I can't even imagine how much $$$ the Catholic church must have had to aquire all of it... well minus the "borrowed" artifacts from the ancient city. And finally... The Sistine Chapel. How much patience must Michelangelo have had to create such a masterpiece! We took our time absorbing the atmosphere of the room before finally moving on.Getting up early is nice, you feel like you have so much more daylight to utilize. After getting Tori's daily caprese (mozzerella & tomato) & pizza at a local cafe, we walked to the Castello del Angelo. This gave a great view of the city. While up there, we noticed some smoke rising from the Vatican area. By the time we were crossing the Ponte Sant' Angelo bridge the smoke had become a thick dark cloud that covered most of the sky. We are still investigating the cause. We walked along the river to the Trastevere area. There we visited the church of St. Maria, and ate more delicious gelato! Our goal is to try all of the different flavors that are offered. You do the math : ) It was time to do some laundry and relax. We found a romantic outdoor restaurante for dinner near our place and enjoyed the evening with more Italian cuisine accompanied by a violinist.Today (Wednesday) is our final full day in Roma. I have a feeling Tori may not leave the country and return home, sorry Mama Maruca : )Tomorrow it is off to the Amalfi coast! Tori cannot contain her excitement. Stay tuned.

- M