Travis and Alazda's European Adventure: Rome

From Florence we headed towards Rome. We have found the high speed trains to be exceptional in getting from place to place in a hurry. We arrived in Rome and were greeted with sunshine and the warm weather we had been dreaming of. After getting checked in we headed out for dinner choosing the Trevi Fountain as our location for the night. We found a nice, yet tiny restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was packed with locals and tables were practically on top of each other, but the food was amazing! Again we had pizza and pasta (can't mess with a good thing)!

After dinner, we headed to the Trevi Fountain to snap some pictures and throw some coins in the fountain. Legend has it that if you toss a coin into the Trevi, you will visit Rome again. While joining the hoards of visitors to the fountain we watched a couple get engaged and took in the atmosphere of this truly magical fountain. Of course, we tossed our coins into the fountain as well.

The next morning we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel. Europe has an excellent specialty coffee selection and it seems every place has the biggest expresso machine it can find to work with. After sipping our cappuccinos, we set off for the Colosseum.

The Colosseum is truly a marvel at ancient architecture and history. As we excited the Metro station, we caught our first glimpses of the impressive exterior. Again guided by our trusty audio guide, Rick Steves, we were able to take in the immense history of this stadium. From the Colosseum, we walked almost literally across the street to the Forum, an ancient city uncovered by archeologists. The Forum is a grouping of buildings and historical sites dating from early BC (yep, thats over 2000 years old). We were even able to see the site where Julius Cesar was killed.

We ate lunch near the Spanish Steps (a gathering place in Rome). We enjoyed sitting on the steps as a break from sightseeing and a chance to people watch. We were also able to walk back to the Trevi Fountain which was much more crowded during the day, before heading to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is the oldest Catholic Church in Rome, most notable for its hole in the ceiling.

On our walk back towards our hotel, we decided to visit the Castle Saint Angelo, yet another site from the Dan Brown books. We were able to tour the Castle, but found the view from the top to be the most impressive.

We capped off the night with a trip to a local Piazza. We were shocked and surprised to see the Piazza full of Italians celebrating an Italian Cup victory. The square was packed full of supporters waving flags, honking horns, and singing the praises of their team. We took in the sight before heading back to the hotel.

Alazda and Travis