When in Rome

We arrived in Rome on Monday at 2:15 pm. We tested our luck by trying to find our lodging once we got off the train, so of course the supposed 5 minute walk from the metro station took us 2 hours. Google maps works really well in Europe (not). Thankfully, our new hosts Marianna and Luca were absolutely amazing! Our room felt like home (though a little hotter than Detroit), and they gave us a full breakfast every morning for free. Anyway after we cooled down a bit from our latest adventure we headed to the center of Rome. We waited until the city was dark then saw the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Both were beautiful and lit to perfection, but were too packed with tourists and street vendors for our liking. We were approached countless times by foreign men trying to take our picture or sell us roses, umbrellas, or those stupid mouth kazoos that we hated so much in Barcelona. At least both spots were great photo ops and the weather had cooled down a bit. 

We reserved our first full day for general sightseeing, and we woke up at 7:30 to get a jump on the day. We got to the Coliseum right when it opened at 9 am to avoid the lines. It was very impressive and made us want to watch Gladiator, but we didn't spend much time here. We spent the next few hours exploring Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, the sites of the largest and most famous ancient Roman ruins. From living quarters to stadiums to government buildings, we saw examples (or at least what is left) of architecture from the greatest empire in history. 

From there we moved onto the Pantheon, stopping at the modern day Roman capitol building along the way. The Pantheon, tall as it is, pops out of nowhere since it is hidden by other buildings. The view from the front was spectacular, as was the walk through the portico. The basilica inside wasn't really anything special, but of course the dome and oculus were a wonder. The only thing we can figure is that the Romans were really lucky and good at math. 

Next we saw Piazza Navona and Piazza del Popolo. Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona is probably our favorite statue yet (and not just because it's in Angels and Demons). We considered seeing more after these famous squares, but realized we could not possibly walk any further in the heat. So we gave up and went back to the apartment to nap. That night we ate homemade pasta at a nearby restaurant and tried homemade tiramisu! We were disappointed by the gelato selection in Rome, but the tiramisu and cannolis definitely made up for it. We hear the gelato is great in Florence though so look out for additions to our flavor checklist--and waistlines.