When in Rome ...

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And now on to the European leg of my trip! Venice is a mesmerizing maze of canals and alleyways. Part of the charm of Venice is to wander the streets, stop for gelato, admire the ornate buildings, and wander some more. I stayed in Venice for only 2 days before moving on to Rome because it was raining. You know how I like the sun 😊 and there was plenty of it in Rome! By the time I reached the campground, my clothes were sticking to me - I had to peel them off and jump in a cold shower.

I stayed at a campground in Venice that was about 20 minutes outside of town and one in Rome that took me about 45 minutes to get into town (I had to take two buses or one bus and the Metro depending on where I wanted to go). But it was a little city in itself with a grocery store, restaurant, bar, laundry, volleyball court, video games, ping pong table, and pool/spa. And it was a great value at only 13 Euros per night. Being in Europe is a shock to my finances! Everything here is 10 times the price of South America or Morocco. I had a bit of a shopping spree my first few days in Italy 😊 I splurged on some clothes and a pair of sandals. Considering I hadn’t really bought anything other than food and gloves and a hat for the 2 months before this, I think I deserved it. Now it’s back to being on a budget. It’s a good thing I’m only in Europe for 3 weeks. 😊

Like Morocco, Rome is a blend of old and new. The Colosseum, Pantheon, basilicas, and even Vatican City are surrounding by apartment buildings and restaurants. It’s strange to see a big building next to ruins of the Roman Empire. But I suppose that is the price of progress. Italy itself is gorgeous: rolling hills, beautiful beaches, charming cities, fabulous food, gelato - what more could you ask for? Most people speak English but I can actually understand a bit of Italian! It’s similar to Spanish and I was surprised to find that I can understand it.

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Photos

Vatican City
The lines to get into Vatican City were enormous! People must have been standing in line for hours.

The Colosseum
The inside of The Colosseum

Roman ruins
Ruins of a city next to The Colosseum

Italia!
Mom - this picture is for you :)

Comments

[Bapsy]

Rome
Hi Jen, All the pictures look just beautiful, wish I was there with you. This is one place I would like to go some day. Have fun and take care :)