Semana Diez- Rome!

---

Ciao!

To start off my spring break I headed off to the eternal city of Rome!! Of course the day we headed out there was a general strike in spain, so possibly all transportation for the 29th was closed and we had to stay the night in the aiport but it was worth it!

After being up all night in the airport, when we arrived in rome we decided to take it easy in our WONDERFUL hotel and figure the plan of attack for the upcoming days. There were so many things to see and just enough time 😊 We had dinner down the block and enjoyed some Gnocci and chicken!

Early friday we went down to Roberto's where the hotel gives us a ticket to get breakfast, the off through Termini station to the Vatican we went! The whole station and city were SO crowded this weekend because of Holy Week which made the metro quite the experience haha. Once at the Vatican we could see the forever long line of people waiting to get into the museums and Basilica and decided to book a tour for the next day. We made a game of combing through the vultures with brochueres outside and picked the nicest one! Then we were off to wander around and hit a couple spots on the map! The first place we hit was the beautiful Piazza del Popolo, which is also perfectly symmetrical! Getting lost in Rome was just part of the fun, since around every corner there is art and sculptures and more monuments that one can count! We randomly heard, then promptly found the Trevi Fountain, after getting some gelato of course. Another place crowded with tourists was the perfect place to relax, catch some sun, and people watch (you'd love it mom!). On our way home, we ended up circling a fountain we were trying to find and ran into the Teatro d'Opera, Piazza de Repubblica and one of my favorite things, Quattro Fontane which is a 4 way street with a different goddess or river god represented in the fountain! After that we happened to be at the top of the Spanish Steps! What luck?! From the very top you can see most of Rome, and once passed through the little market shops and down the steps, you realize just how high up you are! At the very bottom of the steps there is a leaking ship fountain.
Friday night dinner we went to another nearby restaurant and enjoyed some spagetti and fish!

Bright and early Saturday morning we headed to the Vatican to take our tour. Being able to skip the lines was a huge help but it was still so very crowded! We were taken first to the museums through the Belvedore courtyard with the bronze pinecone that was an ancient fountain and golden sphere, one of few scattered over the globe. The next few rooms we saw where the roman statues and busts; all found underground in ruins and during excavations, the tapestry room, library and map room. Our british and clever guide explained the religious importance of the works we were lucky enough to see. Of course the most well known and amazing part of the Vatican City is the Sistine chapel, and what an understatemnet that is. Since it was so crowded, we were able to take pcitures without getting tossed out! (Don't tell!) It was most interesting to know the meaning behind each section, and that he actually started from the back (walking in now) to the front and it when he began it took 3 months on the first section, and only one day on the last using less and less color along the way. Taking a minute at each work in the largest museum in the world, it would take you 11 years to get through! and we only went for 3 hours so you can imagine how much is housed there! Last stop on the tour is the St. Peter's Basilica, and we were able to see the square getting set up for Sunday's Mass, what a production! The Basilica is beautiful inside with sculptures triple the size of one's in the museums, with doors of good and evil, death, and sacraments. There is also an amazing canopy with detailed columns that covers the tombs. There is no ability to go up into the dome now but the painting on the inside was absolutely breath taking.

We grabbed lunch outside the city walls and I enjoyed a great sausage and zuchini pizza! Afterwords we went back to the Trevi Fountain to throw in our coin, ensuring our return back to Rome someday!

Every Sunday the Pope comes out on a balcony at 12 and makes 'shout outs' in many language to all that gather. Since it was Palm Sunday, going to the Vatican was survival of the fittest, and we were able to see a Mass given by the Pope instead! The ceremony was held outside the Basilica fit with a choir, screens and speakers for all to hear and pray together.
After listening to the mass and see the gifts be brought to the Pope, we headed to see the ancient part of rome. Coming out of the metro we weren't sure what to expect and BAM there was the imense Coloseum. I never thought I'd be able to say I enjoyed a salad outside one of the places at the top of my list to see, but I can say it now! Even more terrific than the outside of the Coloseum was the inside. Trying to imagine it during it's grandiore made it all the more of an unbelivable experience to be standing inside of it, about 1900 years after it was built! Next to the stadium is the Arc of Constantine and the Roman Forum. The forum is marvelous, and thankfully there was a layout of what used to be where in my book! Full chunks of columns that have fallen rest exactly where they belong, and now even grass grows around them, keeping them there. One really interesting part was the site where Julius Casear had been executed, now is a site where people leave flowers for him. After the forum we took a walk to the Tiber Island, crossing over a bridge built in 62 B.C. The island has charming cafes and and a great gelato shop I just COULDN'T walk by 😉 The island is small and connects to the other side, where the Holy City rests. Our last stop to find was the Piazza Navona, a place where circuses and other events used to take place, that now has 2 fountains and a statue represents 4 different river gods. Here was a lot like ramblas, with different market shops and cafes, character drawings and breakdancers. The last night we enjoyed our last real true Italian meal, fit with dessert then rested up for a long next day!

Monday we were thrown for a loop, arriving early for our flight already, when it was delayed first by one then two then three hours. Of course, once on the plane the third hour we were told the plane wouldn't be depart until 11:30, 5 hours after the original time! We ended up getting back home safe around 2:30 am safe and sound!

Between the three cities in Italy I've seen (so far 😉 I loved Rome the most!

Until next week! Ciao i Gratzi!

---

Photos

Spanish Steps
top

Spanish Steps
From bottom

Spanish Steps
Leaking Ship

Spanish Steps
top

Spanish Steps
From bottom

Spanish Steps
Leaking Ship