The other sites in Rome :)

On our last full day in Rome, we decided to hit a few of the other popular sites in Rome. We headed out pretty early to get a head start on the heat of the day. We walked toward the Spanish steps and along the way saw the Pantheon, a former Roman temple commissioned in around 20 BC that is now a church.

The Spanish Steps, a stairway of 135 steps, was built in 1723. It's a popular tourist destination on the Piazza di Spanga. There is a fountain that was built in the 1600s at the base of the steps. Danielle and Melanie climbed the entire stairway to verify the 135 steps and Melissa went about 1/3 of the way up while Mickey and Dawn played in the shade at the base.

After the Spanish steps, we went to the beautiful Trevi fountain, one of the most famous fountains in the world. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the world and everyone was making wishes in the fountain. It is estimated about 3,000 Euros a day are thrown in the fountain. We were joking that it was "ultimate tourist" destinations, but in reality, there is a reason these locations are top tourist destinations. And yes - we added to that 3,000 Euros :)

After our site-seeing adventures it was time for food. Having had such amazing food in the Jewish quarter before, we decided to head back. We found a "restaurant row" area and had another amazing lunch including our fav's of Jewish style artichokes and fried squash blossoms.

We went back for a refresh in the afternoon, including packing for home, wine and snacks. Melanie and Danielle went back to the wine place - where everybody knew who they were by this time and asked "what wines have you not had yet" - and we had our almost last bottles of wine in Rome! We then went out for a fantastic dinner in our quarter. Our last night of food was just as amazing as our first night. All in all, a great trip.

Colosseum and Roman Forum

Rome Giorno 2 (or, Rome Day 2)

We got moving really early in the morning in order to beat the heat and the crowds at the Colosseum. We were given advice on the best way to get tickets and get in quickly - and it worked! The Colosseum is amazing - it is the largest amphitheater eve built, and even in ruins the scale is breathtaking. It is cool to see all the remains of the elevator shafts that would have allowed them to transform the space into battlegrounds, put on mock sea battles, and of course - all the animals to come up from the floor to challenge the gladiators.

We took a coffee and pastry break, as we didn't have any before getting to the Colosseum, then we headed to the Roman Forum. The forum was the heart of ancient Rome - today it is a sprawling ruin that includes the temple and living complex of the Vestal Virgins, and old Senate buildings - including ones built and used by Julius Caesar. 

Right by the ancient Roman Forum is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - which is part of the monument to the first King of Italy - and has an eternal flame.

We had our afternoon rest and then went out to dinner near our place. Had a great fennel salad, more artichokes and fresh seafood. Yum!

Vatican City

Our first full day in Rome!!! We headed to Vatican City to hit the museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Every day we crossed a bridge over the Tiber to reach all the different places we wanted to visit.

The museum has different routes that take you through different areas all leading to the Sistine Chapel. It was CROWDED!!!! So many people, and we took the long route without realizing it.... But, we saw a ton of great artwork, maps, statutes, tapestries,  rooms, amazing frescoes everywhere, and of course, the Sistine Chapel.

After leaving the museum, we headed to St. Peter's. By then we were all getting VERY hungry, so we headed into the Jewish Quarter. We had been told we must try artichokes Jewish style, especially as they were in season. It is basically a fried artichoke - and it was delicious. We also had our new favorite - fried squash blossoms.

After lunch it was mid-day siesta time - it gets so hot in the afternoon! We had some wine at home and then decided to stay in for the evening and have pizza from a place our Airbnb host recommended. It was a nice end to a long day!

Pompeii to Rome

On our last morning, we packed up and did some shopping. The weather cooled off, which was nice as we were heading to Pompeii. We had a driver take us to Pompeii, then on to Rome.

In Pompeii, we had quite the adventure. We looked for the brothel first, as it was off a main road. With genitalia carved into the streets to lead us, we found that building quickly. Then we set off to find the "Garden of the Fugitives" which is where a few of the casts of people who were in Pompeii are located. This turned out to be a nearly impossible task as the maps were not great. We also ran into multiple others seeking the same place. We finally found it, saw the casts, then made our way back. We helped a few others who were lost after we had found it! Pompeii was very hot, so we were glad for umbrellas to provide shade. We spent two hours wandering, but you could spend days and still not see it all. Dawn shared her memories of what she remembered from previous visits.

We then took off for Rome. It rained while we drove. We made it to our rental after a few missed turns. The apartment is adorable and has plenty of space. It is in a popular restaurant area and  most everything we want to visit is within 30 minutes walking. We had a great dinner, including fried squash blossoms with cheese and anchovy, a new favorite.