Anyway, we flew over on Thanksgiving night (no turkey or mashed potatoes for us) and all went well. We were ready for bed (well past Lindsey’s bedtime) and our sweet daughter decided to throw a massive fit (i.e. I WILL NOT GO TO BED!) even though the lights were out, and we were all under the covers. I was nervous our whole trip was going to be like this, but it was not the case.
Rome was a pleasant change from Belgium as the sun was out most of the time and the weather was mild. It is a huge city and the buildings are enormous! I’ve decided that Super Size was invented in Rome. Friday, we paid to have a tour guide take us around town and get us in/out of places quickly. Marco was well worth it. (If anyone is interested, he also offers a tour where you can drive a new Ferrari around Tuscany for 4-8 hours, for about 1,000 euro.) Saturday we were on our own and went at a much slower pace. Most meals this trip involved pizza and pasta except for our lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe :-)
Some of the places that we visited/saw:
• the Roman Forum -- was the commercial, religious, political, and legal center of the city. Our book on Rome has cool overlays that show what Rome used to look like and then what it looks like today. This was especially important for the visit to the Forum which includes the Basilica Aemilia, Temples of Saturn and Concord, the Arch of Titus, the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Basilica of Maxentius, etc. It was great to walk to the same streets as Julius Caesar once did.
• the Colosseum -- (forgive my misspelling in the slide show) was known as the Flavian Amphitheater and took 10 years to build. Counting those that were standing, the Colosseum could hold 70,000 people.
• Caesar’s Palace/Circus Maximus -- the Circus Maximus could hold up to 300,000 people in its oval shaped arena built for chariot races. There are no blackjack tables at the Caesar’s Palace in Rome ;-)
• Saint Peter’s Basilica -- where Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel. You cannot take pictures inside or talk. We also learned he was threatened by the Pope to do the painting (up to this point he had never painted a thing).
• Vatican City and museums -- this is the world’s smallest country and operates by itself from the rest of Italy. There are 54 galleries inside the museums and one could spend days there with a guide (without young children of course). We also saw the Pope’s residence, and the window from which he blesses the crowds every Sunday.
• the Catacombs -- a series of underground cemeteries that span 19 kilometers and used to be places of burials, rituals, and celebrations of the deceased. You cannot take pictures here either.
• the Pantheon -- a temple erected in honor of all the Olympian Gods; the interior is a perfect sphere with a 9 meter in diameter hole in the ceiling.
• Spanish Steps -- the longest and widest staircase in Europe and located between two piazzas (squares) with a church at the top. There are 138 stairs and an incredible view of Rome at the top.
• Trevi Fountain -- is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. It’s located where 3 roads meet and took almost 30 years to complete. Traditional legend says that if you throw a coin into the fountain (over your back), you will ensure a trip back to Rome. It has been estimated that over 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain daily!
