Italy - Rome

Our 4th and final destination on our tour of Italy was Rome, and it did not disappoint.  Surprisingly my top two cities were Cinque Terre and Venice, and Matt's top two were Florence and Rome.  He loved the Coliseum especially.  There really is something for everyone to love in this country!  

I'm so grateful to have had an absolutely fabulous time in Italy with my love and so grateful to come back home to the two most adorable kiddos on earth:)  It was so fun being in Italy, but coming home and enjoying those every day moments with Luke & Claire was pretty awesome, too.

Arrivederci Italy!

Dinner the first night in Piazza Navona (a favorite of our cousins, Katie & Bryson)

Just what I always pictured when I thought of Rome.

Our apartment(another airbnb rental) was in a great location by the Castel Sant' Angelo, pictured here out our window, very near to Vatican City and on the river.

The other side of the view out our window.

Borghese Gallery in the morning, an art museum in a former palace.

This was a famous Bernini statue I liked.

Every room was more amazing than the last, every ceiling more beautiful.  

The Vatican and St. Peter's Square

We managed to do a Rick Steve's tour book tip to avoid this SUUUUPER long line to get into St. Peter's Basilica.  We "blended in" with the tour groups and went out the tour group exit out of the Sistine Chapel (in the Vatican Museum), which dumps you out right at the entrance of St. Peter's.  Perfect!

Here we are proud of ourselves for not having to stand in that crazy line.

St Peter's

The next day we hit the Coloseum.

That's the "thing" of the Coliseum, thumbs up or thumbs down on if someone lives or dies.  Hard to believe what horrible things were watched for sport in this place.  

After a relaxing gelato in the park we had an awesome 5 hour panoramic bike tour of Rome as our last official activity of the vacation.  Not only was the tour scenic and informative, but we got to ride e-bikes!  These are electric bikes that basically do all the hard work of pedaling for you with the slightest pressure on the pedals.  It was so wonderful and fun, especially on those cobblestone hills going up to see the panoramic views.

There was some sort of national holiday going on, so it just happened to be an appearance by a public official, complete with marching band, at one of the piazzas on our tour.

Stopped at the Parthenon

A hole in the ceiling!

By chance nobody else signed up for our Saturday evening tour, so we basically had a private tour with Bruno all to ourselves.

Piazza Venezia.  I thought it was a gorgeous building, but Bruno, our guide, hates this building!  He says it is just "for show" and doesn't have any purpose, or heritage or architectural features of the rest of the city he loves.  I got the feeling he thought it was just a tourist thing.  I still think it is amazing!

Selfie in front of the Coliseum at the end of our tour, with the warm night air and the sun setting behind us.  Memorable moment for sure!

Bruno took this one for us.  It looks kind of fake, but I assure you it was very real!

Trying out the Grappa that night in Trastevere after our last dinner.  I also had amazing tiramisu that night (which I'm not usually a fan of, but I was REALLY into during our trip)

Last breakfast in Rome - the usual: bakery item, cappuccino and OJ.

This says it all!  

….and hello HOME!