Rome

Let me start by saying I have been seriously slacking on blogging for the past couple of months and have some serious making up to do. You should expect an obscene amount of posts in the next couple of days. We have been busy with family, the house in Utah and now I am finally done with majority of the Christmas tasks that are time sensitive...now it is time to catch up.

So on to Rome...I LOVE ROME!!! It was very close between Paris and Rome, but I think Rome won out for our favorite (maybe partly because the weather was MUCH better here). We spent most of the days like this (see picture below)-

We had a map of all of the local attractions and sites and would check them off as we wandered around the city (stopping at as many Gelato stores as possible). Since Wade had been here before it helped us get our basic direction and then we explored the city from there, utilizing the subway and train systems. Only once did we miss the last train and get stuck in a not so nice part of town.

I LOVED all of the fountains all over the city. We would walk for miles every day and stop to rest and enjoy the beautiful fountains. Rome also was great because it had free cold water, you just have to find an aqueduct and it had cold clear water running at all times.

This square that had three fountains in the middle of it. The place was always busy and all of the local artists set up booths to showcase and sell their art. There were also restaurants that surrounded the square to get great Italian food or Gelato. We bought our favorite painting from this square (thanks Gayla - birthday money put to good use)

Our favorite fountain by far was Trevi. We went to Trevi everyday, and most days twice a day. We would come sit during the day, people watch and just relax in the heat. Even with the crowds it was so peaceful and relaxing.

Trevi at night is amazing. We would finish dinner (we ate within a couple of blocks of Trevi almost every night) and get some Gelato and sit and enjoy the sites and sounds of Trevi. Wade's birthday lunch was spent eating the best pizza we have ever had in front of Trevi.

The coliseum was very interesting to see. I was amazed at the history and the stories behind this place.

Inside the coliseum - and getting a view of the underground tunnels and systems that made the coliseum.

The Vatican

Michelangelo's sculpture Pieta in St. Peter in Vatican Rome. His first sculpture and the only was that he signed.

On the long journey to the Sistine Chapel.

The ceiling...

On our last full day in Rome we rented a car and drove the Amalfi Coast. It was beautiful and an experience we will never forget. The car was a "midsized" and the driving is indescribable. I think this was Wade's favorite day...he says that when he retires he wants to drive cab in Rome. The only rule they really follow is stopping at red lights...other than that, it is a free for all and if "your nose is in front you go". They don't have laws on merging, or how many cars can be in a lane, or how fast you should go...it was perfect for Wade. After we made it back to Rome that night (after getting lost a bit in Naples - not a place you want to get lost) Wade drove to Trevi and we ate dinner in Rome. We had a Griswold experience in one of the roundabouts and it took us about 5 times around before we knew which way to go and could get "our nose out in front" to get out of there. All in all it was a very fun experience.

Lunch in the town of Amalfi; some of the most beautiful sites I have seen. The white buildings sitting on the cliffs that drop into the aqua water...breathtaking!

Rome was the final stop in our Europe trip. It was a vacation we will never forget and one of the best I have ever had. It only made me want to go back and explore other places and to eat more of the great food they have in Italy. I feel so lucky that we got to experience this and have this wonderful memory together.