Day 1 and 2 in Rome

 We had decided a long time ago that we wanted to take the kids to Europe when Lily graduated. We eventually decided it would be much easier to do with two kids than four so it was Lily's trip and an early trip for Curtis because they wanted to go together. We asked them six months ago where they wanted to go and Lily was being so indecisive. We were watching Somebody Feed Phil and he went to Croatia and after watching that show, she said I want to go to Croatia. Then we watched a James Bond movie and she added Montenegro to her list. Curtis picked Italy so I spent awhile trying to figure out how we could manage three countries and decided a cruise would be most efficient. I found one that started in Ravenna and ended in Rome but it stopped in Croatia and Montenegro and Greece. Winner winner chicken dinner! We also got a good deal and the whole week of the cruise was equal to what our flights ended up costing. 

So on Thursday evening we flew to Dublin and then on to Rome, getting there Friday afternoon. None of us had slept well on the plane but well enough to walk around the city for a few hours. We went to see the Colosseum and it was just amazing to see something so old and so iconic. We were late for our timed tickets so they made us buy new ones but luckily the kids were free so it wasn't too bad. We walked around there for awhile and then walked by a bunch of other really old buildings on our way to the Trevie Fountain. It was beautiful and again, so strange to see something that I've heard about so much. Then we saw the Spanish Steps (I found them unimpressive) and then we went to get dinner. Josh and Lily split a pizza and also cache e pepe and Curtis and I got fettuccine with red sauce and a meatball and it was delicious. The only problem is I was so thirsty all day after being on the plane and it was so hot in Rome and it kills me to have to pay for water. But the food was super good and we were pretty tired by that point so we went back to our hotel, took showers and got to bed by about 10pm. 


 

Breakfast in the Dublin airport (she was the only hungry one though)

 

Our first pizza in Rome! Roman pizza that is cut in strips and then you fold up like a sandwich. It was delicious! 


 


 

 

Day 2 in Rome was all about the Vatican. We started off by taking the subway and then finding a cafe near the Vatican to have breakfast and it was simple but good. Then we went to the Vatican Museum and saw a ton of art. I loved the hallway with the big maps and the tapestries and enjoyed most of the statues and paintings. Then we saw the Sistine Chapel and it was again strange to be looking at something so famous and iconic with my own eyes. It was kind of hard to stand and stare at the ceiling but we stayed in there for about 20 -30 minutes or so trying to take it all in. Then it was still a ways before we got out of the museum and then we walked around to St. Peter's Square and to see the basilica. We didn't get to go inside and that made me a touch sad; I would have loved to have see The Pieta, but we had a train to catch. So we looked around the square a bit and then got our first gelato to eat as we walked. I got coconut and it was amazingly delicious. We had a few minutes after we rode the subway back to our hotel so we got more pizza and gelato number 2, wild berry. 


 


 


 



Then we walked back to the train station pulling our wheely suitcases on the cobblestone streets (loud and a workout) only to find out train delayed and so we were going to miss our connection. Josh worked it all out and after waiting on one platform for awhile we finally realized our train was on another one and about to go so we ran over there and made it on. Our seats weren't together and there was an Italian lady who wanted the blind down because the sun was in her eyes; I get that but we took the train to see the countryside so that was a little frustrating. We saw one vineyard as we went through Tuscany but we'll definitely have to go back someday and do Florence, Milan and Venice. Anyway, we got to Bologna and switched to our other train and it was seriously full of young adults/teenagers all dressed up and heading out on the town. There were hundreds of them and so it was hard to get seats and we weren't together and I felt very old and dirty at that point. But we made it to Ravenna and got to our very nice guest house and had a lovely shower and sleep. 

Comments

  1. DebbyJuly 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM

    What fun memories. I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

    ReplyDelete

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