Spring Break was upon us– a time we had always spoken of in imaginative, hypothetical terms. “Greece would be so beautiful to visit,” we’d say. “The Amalfi Coast could be magical,” we thought. Spring break seemed like this time that would never really come and we would just be able to imagine and wonder and picture ourselves in these places that we had only seen in magazines. But now, it was here and we were able to actually make these imaginative, hypothetical thoughts into real life experiences… something that is still sinking in as I write this post.
So, we planned our itinerary for the 10 days, booked the necessary modes of transportation (two flight tickets and one train) and set out for our first destination, the land of the gladiators and gelato– Roma. Most of what I knew about this monumental city came from the one, the only… Lizzie McGuire movie (a clip shown below). I was excited to see what it was really all about.
After a short plane ride which I slept for the duration (no surprise) and Sophie and Emmie watched episodes of their respective shows, we arrived. We took the bus from the airport to Roma Termini, the city’s major train station, and then took a short cab ride to a little bed and breakfast we had found online for a cheap stay in a great location. We dropped our bags and headed out the door to Trastevere for dinner. We wanted to eat at the restaurant that had been a strong recommendation to us by some friends called Da Enzo, but discovered upon arrival that the entire city of Rome also had this desire. So, we rolled with the punches and walked along the dark, quiet streets until we came across a different little restaurant with dimly lit rooms, large mahogany tables, and a band that walked around to each table when their pasta and pizza arrived. Needless to say, we were happy campers. After filling up on some Spaghetti, we went back to the bed and breakfast to get a good sleep before not one but two three-hour tours we booked for the next day.
The first tour started at 8:30AM so we ate bananas and drank coffee as we walked from our building to the meeting place. We were about to embark on a three-hour tour of Vatican City. We waited in a long line with our tour group to hand in the tickets and go through security, and then were led by a very knowledgable, organized guide through the highlights of the area including the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Fact that stood out to me the most: Michelangelo was in fact not a painter before he was instructed to restore the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel… by himself. No big deal.
Inside the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
Ceiling of the Vatican Museum
After the tour ended in St. Peter’s Basilica, we refueled with some pizza and then met up with our second tour guide who would lead us on a three-hour walk through the highlights of Rome outside of Vatican City: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. Learning about the history of all of these ancient entities was really great, but we were about to reach the activity that would become the favorite part of our day, and one of the favorite parts of the entire trip. This activity was so great that… it requires its own post! Click here to read 🙂
The Colosseum
Far, Far Away 