When in Rome

After 10 hours of flying and 4 hours in airports, we finally made it to Rome, Italy! Our driver from the airport spoke absolutely no English, so we crossed our fingers when getting into the car. After about an hour of crazy driving on highways to tiny streets, we made it to our hotel. Our room wasn’t ready yet, since it was about 10am, so we handed over our bags and went exploring!

The Metro in Rome is absolutely the best way to get around. After riding it all day, we felt like pros getting around the city. The first stop was the Colosseum, Rome’s trademark. As soon as we stepped out of the metro station, there it was in front of us. I must say, it’s much larger than it looks in pictures. We walked around, taking in the beauty and avoiding the tourist traps as much as we could.

Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain. This landmark was the one thing I looked forward to seeing the most in Rome. And it definitely didn’t disappoint. After a short stop for lunch – some yummy flatbread pizza in a cute little shop on the way – we made it to the fountain. At this point, it was raining a bit, but we didn’t even notice as we looked upon the amazing sight.

Near the Trevi Fountain we found the famous Spanish Steps. You know, the place in movies, TV and commercials where people propose. Russel and I witnessed a bride and groom having their wedding photos taken there – I must admit, it was so pretty I snapped a few myself. And of course then we had to pose for this one:

Our next stop was the Piazza de Popolo - a huge square filled with people, statues, monuments, fountains, all things Rome. Afterwards, we returned to our hotel to finally check in and take an afternoon nap. For dinner, we decided on going to the Vatican area. Before eating, we headed over to St. Peter’s Square – and of course neither of us was prepared for the awe-factor, I think both of our jaws dropped when it came into view.

After spending some time in St. Peter’s Square, walking down a lane full of foreign embassies and visiting the bridges by the Castle of St. Angelo, we were ready for our first “real” Italian dinner! We found a small restaurant that served pizza and pasta, and had a wonderful meal and some amazing house wine. What a day and night – and of course these pictures just graze the surface of the beautiful things we saw in Rome.

Now off to the cruise ship!