Our third excursion was in Rome. For those of you that know me, you know my true wanderlust began in the summer of 1998 on my first trip to Europe with a group from high school. Thanks again mom and dad for sending me! I loved that trip but remember not loving Rome in the same way I loved the other places we visited.
That said, J was excited to see Rome and I was excited to go back so we chose this for our only full day excursion. I opted for the one that had an express train into the city instead of the bus. We enjoyed the train ride and were to the city quite quickly. Our first stop was the Colosseum. The sun was shining beautifully through the building and the walking tour was nice, but it was crowded! The Pope gives his weekly address on Wednesdays and it seems every tourist was either there to see him (we were told over 100,000 people were there just for his address) or with us at the colosseum.
Next up was a nice walking tour and quick bus ride to the Trevi Fountain. By this time, S was asleep. We were able to enjoy the fountain and and a nice walk through town to lunch. We stopped on a piazza filled with restaurants and opted for pizza again. By this point, S was up so we enjoyed yummy family lunch.
For the afternoon, we were off to Vatican City and saint peter's basilica. And the massive crowds continued. We had a nice visit but didn't have time to really explore leisurely due to the crowds.
The walk back to the train station and train ride were nice. The tour guide brought snacks, drinks, and chatted with us a bunch.
My second take on Rome was again just OK. It is a magical city but it is difficult to explore. If we go back, I hope it is off peak season and will make sure we skip the days when the Pope comes to the square.
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