This family vacation was six months in the making, but I don't think that is too bad when you consider it was the trip of lifetime. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever take a Mediterranean cruise, but we were so very lucky to take this great trip in August. It was the perfect way to end our awesome summer vacation. Last October, we had the opportunity to spend four days in Rome. It was a great trip and packed full of sightseeing. So, when we scheduled a cruise to leave out of Rome, we were looking forward to spending time in the city but not feeling like we had to rush around to see everything. We made it a point to hit our favorite spots and see a few new things. We have now done the "Top 10 Things to do in Rome" on Trip Advisor. Mission accomplished!
First stop was Trevi Fountain.
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| Crazy busy on a Saturday in August |
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| It really is quite a site! |
Just a short walk from Trevi Fountain is the Pantheon. This building really is amazing with its dome.
We opted for lunch right across from the Pantheon. We generally try to avoid these touristy restaurants, but this one had really great pizza. Really, how can you go wrong in Italy??
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| My guys at lunch |
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| They are imitating the fountain behind them. They aren't that bored yet. :) |
The light coming in through the Pantheon was beautiful.
Next up was a walk to the "wedding cake". It's actually called The Altare della Patria or the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. It was built to honor Victor Emmanuel the first king of unified Italy (yes, I had to look that up.)
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| Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...well they are actually standing right in front of it, so you can't really see it. |
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| Sunshine and blue skies....something we did not see much of on our first trip to Rome. |
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| The view from the top of the "wedding cake." |
In Rome, fountains are all over the city where you can refill water bottles. Thank goodness! This one was a little happy to get drenched in the process. It was really hot.
The Roman Forum is just behind the Victor Emmanuel monument. We did not walk through it this time. We only admired it from above.
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| Roman cerveza |
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| Striking a pose |
The Colosseum...a must see again!
From the Colosseum, you can take the metro to Vatican City (not sure if I've mentioned, but the metro in Rome is not as advanced as Paris or London.) Yes, we wanted to see the St. Peter's again (from the outside only,) but we were really on a mission. We were looking for a Pope opener (yes, that is a bottle opener with a picture of the Pope on it.) But, we just couldn't find the one Chris was looking for.
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| They loved playing in the Vatican fountains to beat the heat. Turns out, that is frowned upon. Thank goodness the Police had words with a little boy on the other side of the fountain first. Oops! |
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| Entertaining ourselves |
Vatican city is considered a separate country. So, the kids are attempting to stand in two different countries at once. We really have no clue where the dividing line is, but they thought they were pretty hot stuff anyway.
Not too far from Vatican city is Castel Sant'Angelo. This circular building was once used as a castle and fortress by the Popes. Now, it is a museum.
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So so tired.
After an exhausting day, we had a delicious dinner at a restaurant recommended by the hotel where we were staying. It was a hefty amount to pay, but Chris was delighted by the baby octopus we all ate. I really can't even talk about it. I still get the willies. |
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| A stop at the Spanish Steps on the way to dinner. |
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| Getting ready to eat baby octopus. Bleh! |
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| My problem was the tentacles. I could feel all eight in my mouth. OMG! |
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| The amazing dessert. It was like an icy gelato and served in the fruit it was made from. |
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| Surprise for Mom...Limoncello! Yummy! |
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| Second dessert of the night. More gelato! |
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| Crazy girl! |
Tomorrow is the day! We will finally set sail on the blog. I cannot wait to share the trip with you. It was amazing!
Until next time,
Wendy
