when in rome

Dan and I hadn't planned on taking a 'babymoon' vacation, but we realized that January was probably our last chance for a big international trip for quite a while! With Kelsey studying abroad this semester, choosing our location was easy... Rome! We arrived in the Eternal City early on Friday, January 22nd. After a lunch and a short walk with Kelsey mid-day, we returned to our hotel near Campo de' Fiori to "just rest our eyes for a bit." We finally dragged ourselves out of bed in the evening for a free walking tour which started at the Spanish Steps and wrapped up at the Trevi Fountain... so pretty at night!

Saturday we trekked over to the Roman Forum and Colosseum for more sightseeing. Street vendors were absolutely swarming these touristy areas selling... of all things... selfie sticks! It was impossible to walk more than 20 feet without hearing, "Selfie stick!! Selfie stick!!" These mono-pods actually seem really useful, not just for their intended purpose (taking a group photo without entrusting a complete stranger with your precious electronics), but also to lift your smartphone over a fence/wall/horde of people for an unobstructed photo. However, I successfully resisted the urge to buy one. Photos are so much better from our camera than our phones anyways!

Sunday we walked with Kelsey to the Vatican for the Angelus from Pope Francis. We joined the crowd of people in St. Peter's Square waiting excitedly for him to appear at the window and give the blessing. We walked around the square a bit afterwards and stopped to admire the nativity. If you're a bit behind on getting your Christmas decorations down, don't worry; the Pope still has his tree up, too.

After leaving St. Peter's Square, we shopped a bit near the Vatican and then around Piazza Navona. I found a little silver charm of the Colosseum to add to my collection. We also stopped by the Pantheon and then again at the Trevi Fountain to toss a coin in... Now we know we'll come back to Rome someday!

Monday we hopped on a high speed train to Florence. I was excited to show Dan my favorite spots from my previous trip in 2010 with my friend Laura, so I dragged him all over the city. We started at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (with its beautiful reddish Duomo), walked to Santa Croce, and continued on to Piazzale Michelangelo for a beautiful overlook of the city. We walked back to our hotel across the famous Ponte Vecchio. (No, I did not buy anything... but I was tempted!)

Tuesday we spent all day at the Uffizi Gallery before catching our train back to Rome. We ate dinner at Campo de' Fiori (so pretty at night) before transferring our luggage to our next hotel across the river in Trastevere.

Wednesday we went back to the Vatican for the Papal Audience. Pope Francis made several loops around the square in the Popemobile, so we had a great view of him waving, blessing babies, and even trying on a novelty souvenir pope hat from one kid. The audience included readings and blessings in lots of languages and, for some reason, a Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics performance. Very odd. Then, Pope Francis walked around for quite a while to chat and bless the groups in attendance, including some people in wheelchairs, the acrobats, and several newlyweds in full wedding attire.

After the audience, we walked through St. Peter's Basilica and then spent the rest of the day exploring the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. I was shocked at how extensive the museum collection was. I expected to see a small collection of papal mementos and some religious art. I did not expect entire museums-worth of Roman sculpture, Etruscan art, Egyptian artifacts, and all sort of other historical/artistic goodies in 54 separate galleries! That was definitely our most tiring day!

We took it a bit easier on our last day in Rome with a leisurely breakfast at our hotel followed by a short walk to the Circus Maximus and the Mouth of Truth. Dan must have lied as he stuck his hand in, since the mouth totally chomped it off. Poor guy.

Did you know that Rome has WILD PARAKEETS?? We spotted a few on Thursday afternoon while relaxing at our hotel. Thursday evening we joined Kelsey for one last dinner in Rome (pizza again!) before saying our goodbyes. At least I know we'll be back some day since we dutifully tossed our coins in the Trevi Fountain!

Finally, in case you were wondering, here's our Rome-by-the-Numbers:

Pizzas consumed (Caitlin & Dan): 9
Pasta dishes consumed (Caitlin & Dan): 10
Cups of gelato consumed (Caitlin): 6
Hands consumed (Mouth of Truth): 1