Rome - Day 1

Our European vacation was better than I ever dreamed. Truly. I'm going to post photos and snippets from each spot we visited, but I'll start from the very beginning which was, you got it, Rome. Well, I'll start from the flight and layover. I'm actually going to write this free form because there is too much to write, but I need to get it out there.

Virgin Airlines/Delta. Huh? Quick walk across LAX. LAX - Seattle - London. Two flights on the back row. Yes! 6 hours to visit the Queen. Book hotel in Ciampano. Is someone going to steal our ID? EEK. Tube to Victoria. Victoria to Stansted via the coach. Happy pubsters. Happy sunbathers in Hyde Park. Kent was out. Green countryside. Totally picturesque. Stansted. Out there airport. RyanAir. Long lines, but very efficient. Fastest security lines. Ya Ya Noodles (or something like that). You don't want frills, you just want a flight.

London to Rome. Ciampano to be exact. Late night bus ride to Hotel Guiliana. Two double beds make one. No sleep. Wheelchair accessible room. Morning train to Rome. Walk to Hotel Bolivar. Lots of stairs. Put things away and we're off!

Tomb of the Unnamed Soldier. HUGE. Great views. Lunch. Potato pizza. Margherita pizza. Sandwich. Caprese salad. Overdid it. Dutch friends at next table. Said to visit Berlin and Munich.

Coloseum. Amazingly old. Stood desolate for years when the Christians took over the city and the preformed stones were used on other building projects. Overpriced, worst gelato outside Coloseum. Tourist trap.

Forum. Lots of old ruins. Pretty amazing as well. Temples, arches, hippodrome. Rome really wasn't built in a day. Dirt on feet from forum. Perfect weather. We needed Rick Steves.

Orange ricotta ravioli at Arancio's, roasted artichoke with Parmesan slices, apricot and pineapple yogurt, walking the streets, exhausted laughing, aching feet. 

"Not that it matters, but that lady was a midget."

Kissing at Trevi. We took way too many photos there and there were way too many people. Going back to get a 1 euro Colosseum replica 4x.

Laughing, talking, exploring with best friend.