One year later ~ daddy-daughter adventures abroad! (cont.) ~ Day 8-9 ~ WHEN IN ROME... :)

DAY 8

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Oops, been too tired on these last train rides to write the days... so a little behind...

And now three days later, still tired, and might choose sleep over writing.

Night night from Rome!

-

Quick highlights...

Monterosso morning. 

Nausea 

Beach time

Hot, sweaty but nice

Train

Picnic by the station

Sleep on the train

Roma termini

Bus chaos and crowded

Walk to hotel

Check in

Nice

Rest

Talk to bub 

Walk to find dinner

Find that restaurant from last time!

Lasagna and spaghetti

Walk to frigidarium

Mmmmmm!

A bit too much though--and messy!

Back to the hotel

Shower

Pics, emails, bub, etc. 

now, Netflix friends and sleep soon. 

DAY 9

Thursday 20^th July 2017

Slept in today! Kinda.

Until about 830. Alarm went off accidentally at 630 then I closed my eyes again briefly and woke up at 830.

Ufda. We are tiiii-red…

Went down for what was probably THE best hotel breakfast I’ve ever had. Delicious bacon, fresh tomato and cucumber and melon, a wide assortment of croissants, half liters of glass water bottles available, juices, and fresh made caffe latte… And nice people!

Hotel Smeraldo is the best hotel we’ve stayed at! Highly recommend, would love to come back to Rome and stay there again—and for longer! Staff is amazing! Hotel is clean and nice and comfortable… just all around—great! And good value/price too.

Thanks for the rec, Rick Steves!

~

Then we got ready and set out to explore and shop a bit.

A small family-run handmade leather goods store was just kitty-korner from our hotel. We’d admired the wares from the window the day before and wanted to check it out. dad was still looking for something nice to get mom.

We could tell this place was good and authentic because we could literally see the lady making the goods in the shop from the window. The pieces and bags and keychains and wallets and purses were beautiful. Reasonably priced for good quality. We looked for mom, considered our options, and promised to return.

Second reason we knew this was a good place was because the woman who was there making everything and running the shop (daughter of the man and woman who started it 45 years ago) was super kind and helpful.

~

We continued on down past the Pantheon (where we learned a bit about it from the Rick Steves Italy guidebook—quite handy and informative! See page 800 something for more details…)

Then on through the narrow cobblestone streets lined with shops and mopeds (both parked and zipping in and out!).

We eventually found the Disney store (the areas I visited last time now seem so much closer than I remembered). I could recognize a lot of places. We found in the Disney store some things on sale to finish off gifts for megan and ry (Italy tsums for his family J, will be a nice surprise), and a half off deck of postcards like the ones I’d gotten in Dublin last year! Yay!) We listened to the translated Phil Collin’s “Stranger’s Lightning” from Tarzan playing over the speakers and heard our cast member cashier break out into song for one of the lines in Italian J Even here they must have to love Disney to work there.

We consulted our map and found we were quite close to the Spanish steps. Had actually passed by them about a block or two away just a bit earlier on our way to the Disney store. So we went there next and got whistled at by security for sitting on the rail. Then we watched others filling their bottles with water from the sinking boat fountain and dad followed suit.

After that we wound our way back to our hotel to check out that shop again. Dad had confirmed it’d be better to buy there than at any of the hundred other chincy crowded cheap leather goods stores in the area. And he liked more and more the idea of getting that for mom.

We looked some more and decided.on a nice practical but pretty blue one for mom. Then perused the keychains and ended up buying ones for Mahi, Spyros, Megan, Nathan, and mom.

The shop woman was so kind and so nice, made all the goods we purchased. Smiled. Asked us where we were from. Had a pleasant conversation, gave us materials to be able to wrap them all up nicely (bags and stickies J) and then threw in a keychain for dad and I for free! (Which was really nice because I actually kinda really wanted something by that point).

So it was an overall for nice experience and we were happy we had chosen there J

~

Back to our hotel room for like 15 minutes before heading out again.

This time, towards the Vatican.

About a half an hour walk. A little toasty today. Maybe the warmest day we’ve had all week. And I’m in a tshirt (which later I would be grateful for). Only one more tank clean and I’ll wear it tomorrow. Oh and one other one, but not feeling it today.

When we got to the Vatican I got a sinking feeling because looking around I could see almost everyone was dressed with clothes that covered knees and shoulders and looked nicer than what we were wearing (athletic clothes). I had thought there might be a dress code for respect but forgot to check. Turns out, there is. :/ I felt really bad about that but luckily no one said anything…

On our walk there we were met by many eager and pushy tour guides wanting to sell us tickets to beat the line… We walked by them. One tried to get us to upgrade to a tour so we could take the short cut through to the basilica but we passed and he seemed upset when we did. But I didn’t want to pay for that and the guidebook said we could almost surely pass right through with the crowd. And that’s what we did, feeling a touch guilty for doing so but also relieved. God forgive us.

Walking through the museum was so crowded! So many people and a lot in tour groups. A lot to see. Slowly slowly shuffling along. I remembered some stuff from the tour I’d taken last time and learned some new things from Rick Steves and passing tour guides…

Neat, but we were tired.

Went to the Sistine Chapel which I believe is probably the single greatest piece of artwork completed by a single person in all of history—33 year old Michaelangelo, only took four years, to paint the ceiling! And there’s so much there…

Loipon.

We made our exit and then went to walk through St. Peter’s Basilica. As we approached the entrance we saw a security guard turn a few girls away for having knees exposed. I was already feeling bad about my attire and didn’t want him to turn me away, so I sent dad in to take a peek since I’d already seen it last time. He went in for a quick look and then came back out and we went to sit by a fountain and make our next game plan.

~

We were really tired.

Tried a quick bite nearby but they were way too pushy so we walked right back out.

Sat on a bench instead and ate green apples from hotel breakfast and plotted on the map how to take the metro from where we were to the Colosseum.

Our trek was a success, albeit crowded. Sardines, anyone?

At any rate, we made it more quickly and more easily with the metro and walked up the steps to be greeted by the colossal wonder of the Coliseum. 2000 years old. Built for practicality over beauty, but still a wonder to behold. Made it through with our tickets fairly quickly and again glad we reserved ahead of time on line.

Really neat to walk amidst those stones, learn a bit more of the history, imagine… and even pose like ancient greek statues in the corridors ourselves J

~

Finished there around 7 and by now we were beat.

Made the thirty minute walk back toward our hotel, eyes peeled for something good to eat. Walked down Via S. Anna and by S. Anna’s Ristorante. Reminded us of our Ann-a J

Went back to the hotel and asked the nice receptionist guy for a recommendation and he pointed us right back to S. Anna! But rushed to make sure it was after 8 and okay for us to eat lol

We took some time to rest and talk to mom and shower before heading back out for dinner. (after 8 J) It was tasty! Cokes (with a bowl of ice the waiter brought when dad asked him for a glass of ice lol too funny!), water, pizza, and spaghetti. mmMMMmm.

After, we walked a few blocks in search of one last gelato (I really wanted one last one before we left). Found some on the square, Mamma Mia Gelateria! Strawberry and limone sorbet. Mmm!

~

Then back to our room to finish packing and rest. Dad finished much before me and I could hear his snores.

I managed to repack everything into the same luggage I brought so success there. Wrote a few postcards then tried to fall asleep…