In Paris and London we had been fortunante enough to have people around us that spoke at least some English...but Rome was a different story!! We were met by a airport transfer taxi driver that spoke absolutely NO English and was a fiery Italian with no patience for tourists that did not speak the language. Considering it was midnight and he drove us through the scariest part of town...it got interesting to say the least!!
Rome was not as "pretty" as Paris...but beautiful in another way! The Italian atmosphere was everywhere and full of excitement and constant drama..haha And good news...THEY HAD ICE!!! :) We must have visited Rome on the hottest days of the year!! and officially the busiest!! It was a religious holiday-St.Peter & St.Paul Day!
We began our first day with The Colosseum and The Forums!!! Incredible to see!! Chillbumps! Almost as if you could hear the crowd and the battles...and I'm being serious! Although I am glad last semester is over, I couldn't help but appreciate more all I had learned in Philosophy!! It was incredible to get to walk where so much history had taken place!! It was another extremely hot day...record temps again! When we left the Colosseum, there were actors playing Roman Guards to get pictures with...haha...of course we did!! After we left The Forums, we got lost on our bus route...not fun in heat of day...but God understood, and as we stood turning in circles wondering how to get to our hotel...Mom noticed we were standing right in front of it!!! haha
After cooling off at hotel, we went to Piazza Narvona for dinner! We ate right in front of the beautiful fountain on a patio...and then got our first Italian Gelato!!! Mmmmm...Addicted!! Italian food was definitely easier to choose from than the French!
Day 2 we were off to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St, Peter's Basillica! It was the official busiest day of the year with over 45,000 visiting! Lines were around the entire building with more than four hours wait in the hot sun. Tour groups have a quicker entrance...so we took a tour and were in the Vatican in about an hour. Again, it gives you chills!! Loved learning the history and more about Michelangelo's life! You aren't allowed to take pics inside the Sistine Chapel because flashes will destroy the artwork, but our guide suggested if we could secretly do it without flash we should...so I did, but haven't got to upload them off my phone yet :)
That night we went to see Trevi Fountain...huge and full of sculptures...takes your breath away!!
Along the way, we seen the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and other beautiful fountains and piazza's! Italian's are incredible and rich on life and family...I love that!!!
After 10 days of non stop planes, trains, buses, metro's (subway,tube), taxi's, scooter's, walking, running, climbing, sweating, searching, 3 countries, 3 languages....never taking a second to breathe...we were now exhausted and off to our fourth country & language in Barcelona!!!
Funniest thing: The Italian people telling each other off over nothing! haha & getting my picture made with the Roman Guards!
Favorite Sayings: Phhhfff!!!, MamaMia, Ciaoooo
Favorite Thing I seen: Sistine Chapel
Difficult Thing: Taxi driver ripping us off...haha
Lesson Learned: When it seems like you are the most lost, look up...you are probably in the exact right place after all!! :)
I will end my trip with a day in Barcelona...so I will do the blog about it then! So next blog is CAMP!!! :)
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