Roma, my new love!
After a week in Italy I believe it is safe to say that I am in love! We crossed through the Swiss Alps (rain, clouds, and snow) on Good Friday into blue skies and abundant sunshine! Over Lake Como and into Milano! Yes, vacation!
First Night, crashing in a not so lovely hotel in Milano! Hotel giant minus... but the city, oh the city! The people, the streets, the sites, and let me say it again the people! The Italian people are a large part of what made our trip so much fun! And the food...so much pizza and gelato it hurts! Scott would say so much wine:)
Milano was our "let’s be tourist" city, we only had 8 hours to be awake and running around, so we caught the double Decker bus and went stop to stop! We saw Milano shine, Good Friday is an amazing day to be in a historical rich Catholic country! We saw the Dome, went to the fortress, and even spun on the Bulls Balls (look it up)!
Saturday we decided to stop by Pisa on our way to Rome! It is still one of the funniest things an expat says "Stop By Pisa" hehe! Yep, we saw it, yep it leans...really that’s all I got! It is a funny city with tons of junk for sale, and ok food but, the tower leans!
Onward and Outward! Off to Roma, the city that stole my heart! We arrived late in the afternoon Saturday full of nervous energy. We had no idea what to expect, what our house would be like, and what the week would hold! Thank goodness instantly all our fears were put to rest! The place was perfect, the neighborhood amazing, and we weren't too far away from the historical center!
Giuseppe (our apartment manager, of course) was a great host candy on the counter, prescco in the fridge, and a tour for Monday night planned! Yes, vacation was off to a good start!
After the service we headed into town to find lunch! Tourist trap...we let our stomachs get the best of us and stopped at the first place we saw, Big Mistake! So, we paid for bread and over priced food, and 8 Euro cokes! Ugh...lesson learned a mistake that will not be repeated! Than we wondered through Rome, we saw the Pantheon, and climbed the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Finally we ended our night in a quaint eateries http://www.osteriadiagrippa.it/index.php!
Monday begin with a early call to hit the road! Off to Pompeii, Ethan (my 9 year old) had to discover the ruins of Pompeii! After an interesting driving and parking experience we found our way into the crowded streets of a rediscovered city! I have always had a curiosity for the story of Pompeii and the way the Volcano trapped its people, making this moment one of my personal favorites! I had such little understanding of how big the ancient city of Pompeii was/is. I also had such a limited knowledge of the wealth of some in the village. The structures were remarkable, and the talent is unbelievable!
Tuesday was the day of ruins...by that I mean Roman Ruins! I can never describe how impressive these structures are, I simply do not have the vocabulary to capture the beauty that they possess! Hopefully my pictures do them some justice! We walked through the ruins for a couple hours before taking a lunch break and heading to the coliseum!
The Coliseum is an amazing building often used to capture the beauty of the Roman sky line and it does! Then you hear that within the first 100 days 5,000 men and animals were killed there for entertainment! We purchased the audio guide for the kids here, and that allowed us to move freely around the building for over an hour. We enjoyed the view, read the postings, and relaxed while the children had story time in an amazing theater!
Wednesday we went back to the Vatican, but this time for the Museum tour. I had read that the Vatican is home to the world’s longest cue's and you should book your tickets ahead! Luckily I did, because it is! Yikes, the lines went on forever but luckily we walked straight in, but still had to wait in line 30 minutes to get the children's tour on audio guide (well worth every penny, tour told with humor and secret tips)! We loved the museum so much art in the churches collection, I had no idea! The children love the large collection of Egyptian art, I loved the painted ceilings, and Scott loved the history! Towards the end of the museum is the famed Sistine Chapel! Hmmm, what can I say amazing but not what I expected! I think I had my expectations to high! But then St. Peter's Basilica...my expectations were too low, that place is HUGE! It is amazing; it is everything the Pope's church should be! The small staircase leads you below the church in the tombs of past Pope's is an amazing getaway from the heavy crowds above!
Thursday and Friday ended up being our wonder Rome days with trips to the Spanish steps, the Villa Borghese, shopping, and a family bike ride!
After 7 days in Italy the last thing ahead of us was the 10.5 hour car trip home!
Our vacation in Italy was simply amazing, was simply breathtaking, was simply relaxing, was simply yummy, and was simply Roma!
Than dinner Thursday night was at a local place http://www.voy.it/, if you’re ever in Rome it is just a couple blocks from the famed Bridge for Lovers. Our dinner there was the best meal we had in Italy, the best service, and there was even a live Jazz band after 9pm!
Friday, as vacation started to wrap up the rain came rolling in...But we still had one more place to visit Scala Sancta. We braved the rain to see the steps that Jesus Christ stood on during the passion, on his way to trial. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scala_Sancta
After 7 days in Italy the last thing ahead of us was the 10.5 hour car trip home!
Our vacation in Italy was simply amazing, was simply breathtaking, was simply relaxing, was simply yummy, and was simply Roma!
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