One Full day in Rome...

In the morning we woke early, had our included breakfast and made our way to the coach bus that brought us to the city center of Rome.  Once there, we met up with our local guide and began to see the beautiful sites of Rome, starting with the large Vatican wall and some of the beautiful bridges and buildings lining the river.  After a short driving orientation tour we hopped off the bus at the expansive Roman Coliseum.  We were with our local guide which granted us priority access into the building.  Before going in, we stopped for a group picture and looked at the arch of Constantine while catching our first glimpse and step on the original Roman stone roads. 

Walking in and around the Roman Coliseum made me feel like a minor speck next to this vast structure.  We were in awe of the precision, organization, and mechanical feat creating this stadium must have been for the Romans.  Each arch of the building was numbered to instruct Roman ticket holders the correct entrance for their arranged seating.  The coliseum could be filled within minutes for a big event.  The planning and organization was  down to every detail, better than we can do now after 2,000 years of technological advances.  It was truly remarkable.   

Inside the building was very interesting.  A medieval earthquake took down much of one side, however much of the building remained strong.  The building was originally covered in white marble sheeting, but since the fall of the Romans, much of it was removed and used in other structures.  However, some of the marble remains in its original state.  The walls contained the ancient brick work as well as restored brick to support the current structure.  They were restoring the wood floor to give tourists a glimpse into the stage view of the war games and bloody fights.

Paul and I took a lot of pictures and enjoyed our guide’s description, he was great – Franchesco.  We also got a few laughs because 5 of the people in our tour group asked the guide about the “floor” when he had already explained it.  The guide kept his cool and explained the floor structure again, and again, and again.  Haha, “so where is the floor?”

The Roman Forum

After the Coliseum we went to the Roman Forum, again with priority access which was nice.  We stood back and laughed as a few passerbys tried sneaking in with our group and Franchesco caught them.  We caught the whole thing on video and in pictures.  It was an older gentlemen pretending to be confused, but really trying to pull a quick one.  The Roman Forum was spectacular.  The columns remain in their original places, and we were able to see the small remains of where Caesar once stood saying…”Please, lend me your ears…”  The Roman Forum was the heart of ancient Rome, housing the markets, banks, and where kings rested their heads, looking across the city.  It was only until recently that all of the ruins were found.  In the medieval ages, much of the remains were covered with thick foliage and overgrown bushes.  That was news to me, but it makes perfect sense.  After the forum we stopped at the top by another arch which held the first carving of the Jewish menorah.  We snapped a few more pictures and then headed down to St. Peter’s Square.

Walls surrounding the Vatican...

Arch outside the Roman Forum

Our full day in Rome was on Sunday, and a special Sunday in the catholic country of Italy.  It was Palm Sunday which meant that the Pope was leading a mass in St. Peter’s square from the front steps of St. Peter’s Basilica.  Usually, every Sunday, the pope appears from his private apartment window and blesses the people.  However today, during the celebration of Palm Sunday, there were olive branches all over the square and people crowded in from every country listening to the sermon.  There were large projected screens and we could see his figure on the altar with the cardinals at his side.   

The Pope's Palm Sunday Mass

We were close to the back lines of the service where people were sitting, and we were one of the first standing rows.  Our close proximity allowed us to squirm up to the lines and have blessed communion during the Pope’s Palm Sunday mass.  It will be a true live-long memory.  A priest placed the wafer on our tongue and shortly after made the walk back up to the altar.  We stayed to hear the Pope start his many blessings of the Palms in several different languages.  Each time he would speak in a different language, people in the crowd would cheer and wave a flag.  We didn’t hear English before we had to leave and head back to our scheduled transfer to the hotel.  

Pope's private apartment, where he blesses the people every Sunday...

Communion during mass.

It was a wonderful, sunny morning in Rome.  We were the only two in our tour to take the transfer back to the hotel, but we were tired and needed some rest.  A siesta was in store before recouping for a walk downtown.  I have a very difficult time napping, so was awake while Paul snoozed.  Our room was clean, but someone was checking in and waltzed right in the room will Paul snoozing!  Haha, it was startling, and I said “Hello??”  All we heard back was …”excusey” and as quickly as she was in the room she was out.  It was pretty comical.  

We wanted to find some internet in town to have the opportunity to email and blog, so our first choice for free internet is always McDonalds.  We, the classic Americans, asked the front desk where the nearest McDonalds was located and started walking out the door.  When we got there, they didn’t speak any English and we managed to order a cappuccino, muffin, and a small chocolate shake.  That was after accidently ordering two and raising our eyebrows at the big total showing up.  It was an odd exchange followed by the realization that the internet didn’t work.  We ate and left to try to find a restaurant area for dinner.  We ended up taking a wrong routes (later realizing that the man at the front desk was way off on the McDonald’s location) and once we got our directions right, we went down to a small area with restaurants.  It was there that we stopped in front of a church for internet and wandered around for a quick gelato.

We started for dinner around 6-6:30 and shortly realized that everything is closed at that hour.  We walked into a restaurant and they told us they didn’t open until 7PM.  We waiting awkwardly outside the restaurant for 40 minutes and then walked in at 7PM.  We had a wonderful Italian dinner and we had the restaurant to ourselves until we left shortly after 8PM.  We had bruschetta, tomato based pasta dishes, and we experienced the Italian service/sit-down fee and water that costs $3.50 because you have to buy the glass bottle of water.  Overall it was a great dinner, and afterward we walked up the hill about 1-2 miles to our hotel.

It was a wonderful day in Rome.  We could have spent much more time there seeing sites and experiencing the culture.  It is definitely a city that requires multiple visits in order to experience all it has to offer.  Perhaps we’ll have to come back soon!

Rome: The Heart of Europe

Our time in Rome started off very adventurous.  Once we arrived, we changed for the evening because we were all going to attend the optional dinner and walking tour of Rome on Saturday evening.  The people of Rome eat their dinner very late, so we were going to do the same and have dinner around 9PM.  We left the hotel and headed to the city center to start our evening stroll.  Alexandra was going to explain some of the sites we were walking past through our headsets and ear pieces, and technically, this is illegal.  In order to give information about the city to a group, you need to be an official local guide.  Alexandra is licensed only to be a coach guide, so she can say whatever she wants while we’re on the coach, but once we step off, she is no longer able to point out sites or give any tourist information.  She had the microphone hidden in her coat and was telling us about some of things we were seeing.  When the police would appear (which there were a ton of them in the city), she would quickly stop talking and proceed walking with the group. 

She asked us to conceal the radios, which was easy for me with my hair, but for others it was painfully obvious they were listening to a walking tour guide. We made it to the first square which was busy with artists and vendors surrounding the fountain of Four Rivers.  On our way to the Parliament building, two people dressed in street clothes and tourist gear stopped her… undercover cops.  They asked for her documents, and she didn’t have any.  We dispersed and then our bus driver led us to the parliament building.  He was a temporary bus driver, filling in for our main driver for a day.  We waited at the Parliament building, curious of what was happening to our guide.  She warned us on the bus that it could be up to a 900 Euro fine to be giving tours without a city license, so we waited in suspense to hear her fate.

Busy square in Rome, full of artists, and those working for tips!

Finally after about 15-20 minutes, we heard her on the radio, “Well, we have lost a lot of time, hurry up, off we go!”  From that point on she said she would strictly give us the meeting points and that was it.  She was a little shook up!  I guess the whole story was that she told the policemen that she didn’t speak any Italian, and she wasn’t going to sign a document (ticket) that was in a language she doesn’t speak. She said she would only sign it if it was written in English, because in the city center of Rome she would expect everything to be in English.  The bus driver (Italian man) came back to see what was going on, and the policemen asked her about him.  She quickly told them, “I don’t speak any Italian, he doesn’t speak any English.  All we need to communicate is left, right, straight.”  Haha, that was a bit of a stretch, but it seemed to work, because the policemen wanted our bus driver to translate it for her.  Our guide also speaks a bit of Italian, so the stretch worked just long enough to let her off the hook.  It was tense, but our adventure was only beginning for that night!

Rome Parliament building...

Rome Pantheon, such a massive structure, in its original restoration state!

We were running a bit late so we went by the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and then the Spanish steps.  In the Trevi Fountain we threw in coins according to the legend: 1 coin to come back to Rome, 2 coins to get married in the future, and 3 coins to get divorced in the near future!  I’ll let you guess how many Paul and I tossed in!  After tossing, we left quickly because the vendors were crazy and the pickpockets were feasting on tourists we are sure! They were shoving roses in our faces and offering to take Polaroids, it was classic. We covered a lot of Rome that evening, however, maybe a little to fast.  Once we were getting ready to get on the coach to go to our dinner, one of our tour members was missing.  He loves taking pictures and is always jumping away to get the next best shot.  His wife was stressing out calling for him, and trying to find Ron in the darkness of Rome.  They SMS'ed his phone and we had to leave him, or risk canceling dinner for 40 people.  Finally he called someone and got the name of the restaurant.  When he entered the dining area, we all cheered and shouted!

Paul and I by the Trevi Fountain, tossing our coins!

Spanish Steps, we lost Ron at this point...

Dinner was wonderful, but we are sure that the enjoyment was supplemented by the free flowing wine included with our meal.  It was a four-course dinner with pasta and lasagna.  We sat at a table with the two English women (who I absolutely adore) and talked about traveling amongst other things.  We had music from two men on a flute and guitar to enjoy over dinner.  Some of the enjoyment overflowed into a dance party.  One of the ladies on the tour, who I assumed to be very conservative, was dancing around with passion, and flare!  She was twisting her hips and moving her feet swiftly like a trained ballroom dancer.  She is from Russia I believe. The dinner finished in style with a delicious dessert of berries and gelato, however the fun wasn’t over yet…

After dessert was cleared, they brought in a gift for all the women.  The ladies were handed a rose and given a smooch on the cheek.  I was able to escape without any embarrassment, but the smooching did get a little crazy!  We have video to sum up the evening.  It ended with them putting a blonde wig on one of the groups many clowns and giving him a hot smooch!  Hahah, too much...

That was only our first evening in Rome...

Latte the next morning, much needed energy to take on Rome!

Venice to Rome, Italy…

On our way to Rome, we had quite a few miles to cover.  We also made a stop in the town of Assisi, the city of St. Frances.  Our first pit stop was at an outside market, with free toilets, however, they were Turkish toilets. Turkish toilets require you to squat over a porcelain hole in the ground.  I came out of the bathroom super frustrated as I was waiting in line and pushed aside by everyone in our tour.  I usually can take a lot, but the lack of sleep and frustration with constant tardiness pushed me over the edge.  Rather than dealing with impolite women in the bathroom I decided to not to try out the Turkish toilet and hold it.  Good things come to those who wait I guess, because out guide came over to chat to Paul and I and gave me a tip that the handicap bathroom in the side of the building (hiding) was an American style facility and very clean, BONUS!  It was worth the frustration!

Our second stop on the road was at a small café or snack bar.  Paul and I sat down to finish off a yogurt we bought at the grocery store, orange, and a few packaged snacks.  I went up to order an espresso (only 1 Euro) and almost experienced my breaking point.  I was standing in line and the family decided they deserved to order first so 15 people, muttering, went in front to order elaborate sandwiches, coffees, and the whole gamete of treats, as I sat with my 1 Euro in hand ready to pay for my lone espresso.  I was getting hot and frustrated (haha, just like when my Hawaii ticket was canceled, Laura M knows this all too well).  I finally made my way back to the table with a small espresso and didn’t’ even want to look at it because of it's recent painful memory, hahah.  Other families saw what happened and alerted Paul to my status, by telling him I was too nice to let others go in front of me.  They also gave me an “I’m sorry” grin.  It was classic and summed up the morning’s earlier encounter perfectly.  I can laugh about it now…  I am taking it as good practice for being at the bottom of the medical totem pole next year.

Looking down to where we came from on the coach...

Walking up and into the city on the hill...

Our stop in Assisi was next, it was a beautiful stone based city on the hill.  The basilica of St. Frances was expansive and had three levels of sites.  St. Frances’ tomb was below the worship space, and the upper level had a beautiful courtyard and paintings.  Pictures weren’t allowed inside, but it was really something to see.  The churches in Italy are buzzing right now with religious travelers due to the Easter season and the days leading up to it. 

Streets of Assisi, wandering for pizza and coffee...

We took the rest of the time in town to walk around the stone streets.  Paul bought a slice of pizza and I bought a small coffee.  We then made it a mission to find a nice scarf.  They were scattered throughout the shops and vendors, but we of course were looking for the most reasonable.  We left the city gates and were about to board the coach before finding “the scarf”.  It is a 5 Euro cotton, knock off of a Burberry scarf.  I absolutely love it, and I’m wearing it right now… thanks Paul!

Saint Frances

After Assisi we were on our way to Rome to check into the hotel that we would be staying in for two nights, Saturday and Sunday evening.

One Full Day in Venice…

In the morning we were able to sleep in a little bit and eat breakfast.  We all boarded the bus for the town of canals and islands, Venice!  The town is carless and there is only one island that is connected to the mainland by bridge for cars and trains.  Everyone then parks their vehicles and gets on a boat to head over to the other islands and the main tourist attractions.  We were dropped off in the morning around 9:00PM and went into the city for a glass blowing demonstration.  Venice is know for their glass figurines and jewelery.  The demonstration was arranged by our touring company, and many other tours also go their for demonstrations.  After the glass blower made a vase and a small glass horse, they walked us into a small room and showed off all of their expensive products.  A tea seat cost over $4,000!  Of course, the crazy "family" bought 3 vases, which caught me off guard.  Most of us wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible in fear of breaking something.  We still can't figure out these people who are burping, farting like mad are also buying everything in site.  It's really has me stumped...

St. Mark's Basilica, beautiful skies...

After the demonstration, we went to the kissing bridge, or Rilato Bridge in Venice.  It spans the Grand Canal without any support and is a beautiful structure.  If you kiss someone on the bridge, you are destined to be with them eternity (of course!).

On the Kissing Bridge, looking down the canal.

After Rilato we just started wandering; when you're on an island, you can do that.  There are signs all over the buildings leading people towards the biggest attractions, so you can get a sense of where to go.  A map is useless, so wandering was the best way to get around.  We were originally going to go to the beginning of the Grand Canal and take the public boat (similar to a public bus) down the Canal and do a Rick Steve's guided tour.  Once we got there, we decided against it and decided to take the back streets and walk the tour instead.  We had a few secret picnics (discrete, because it's not truly allowed in Venice) and I bought a cafe Americano.  We also stopped for a big slice of pizza for Paul and shared a gelato.  It was a wonderful wandering day.

Paul and I opted out of the famous gondola ride for a much cheaper version.  We didn't need the Italian singer and guitar player for one hour.  And we would have been with the tour group, which is not the slightest bit romantic.  We decided to take the traghetto!  The traghetto is a service locals use to cross the Grand Canal, because there are only 4 bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice.  You pay 0,50 Euro per person and they  take you on a short gondola ride to the other side.  It's young men that are making a buck with a service.  It's really convenient, and the pictures looked like we splurged big bucks!  It's just me and the gondola rower in one of the pictures.  The locals on the boat weren't too impressed with all of our picture taking.  Paul and I laughed about that one for a while, it really is the classic way to do ride a gondola!

Poor man's gondola ride...

Our Traghetto location, also featured on the movie "The Tourist"...

After the gondola ride we sat down for some strawberries and took a break.  The day went fast and we started making our way back to Piazzale del San Macro (St. Mark's Square).  We had enough time to visit the Basilica of St. Mark and see the massive church.  Pictures weren't allowed, but the place was large, and beautiful.  The church ceilings were covered in gold colored paint sprinkled between the beautiful frescos and mosaics. 

Fresh strawberries for lunch on the Grand Canal...

After viewing the church, it started to get a bit dark, so we secured a spot under a roof for potential rain cover.  We enjoyed the live Italian music played at the restaurants on the square.  Sitting down at the restaurants is very expensive, but listening a bit off on foot is free.  There was a dining place that was playing wonderful live music, but not a soul was sitting down for a meal or glass of wine.  The sitting fees are quite ridiculous and the menu items on top of that are steep.  For example, sitting down for a cappuccino could cost you $20 to sit and sip.

Live restaurant music on St. Mark's square...

We walked quickly back to the pickup point to get back to the mainland by bus.  We didn’t realize how far it was, but we made it just in time to get on the boat and cruise over to the coach bus and head back to the hotel at 6PM.  It was a long day on the islands of Venice, but it went by quite fast! 

Giggling at the plumber vacationing in Venice...

We arrived back to the hotel safe and sound and prepared for an included hotel dinner.  Paul put on his running clothes under his jeans and we went down to the serving room for dinner.  We had rice, noodles, corn, marinara sauce, and some meat selections.  The dinner wasn’t anything to write about, but I filled up on warm pasta!  It was nice to have a meal prepared and warm.  It was a buffet, but it didn’t get refilled as we all had assumed so once the food was gone, it was gone.  Luckily, the meats were the first to run out, and I was able to over indulge.  Others in the group were also disappointed that coffee wasn’t included with the cake/bread for dinner.  It was classic.  We had a good time visiting with our table over dinner.  I went out to the lobby with Paul and took his jeans and sweatshirt back with me to the table to finish my meal while he started his 12 mile run.  I got a few odd glances while carrying Paul’s jeans, haha, so I had to explain his marathon training, etc.

Looking back at the islands of Venice, on our way back to the mainland.

Over dinner we were also asked what we did, I said I was a nanny at the moment and Paul just grinned.  Of course, then our favorite woman with a small portion of common sense blatantly asked how we paid for the trip, super awkward.  I wish I would have said something clever, but I was taken aback by the question, I’ll think of a more creative answer.  Police pay-off?  Counterfeit pharmaceuticals? Vegas win?  Any suggestions?

Picture of the famous Venice gondolas...

Vienna, Austria to Venice, Italy...

On our last evening in Vienna Paul and I went on a run downtown to the large park and ran around a little bit in the interior of the park and around the outside.  We brought the camera for any last minute photos of the area.  It was a really pretty run and good time getting out of the hotel room.  That evening we sat back and drank a glass of wine while watching TV.  Obama was on live broadcast over here delivering his national debt repair plan.  So we had a sip of wine every time he said “America” and had two sips every time he said “American People”, cheap entertainment, haha!  Paul washed out a few more sets of dirty running clothes in the sink, and we ate the rest of our snacks for dinner.  Paul bought some pizza-bread earlier in the morning and had the second one for dinner with Canadian bacon.  I had a yogurt and my Museli that we bought from the grocery store next door.  We had a great time in Vienna, it was a beautiful city, and a relaxing stay.

Drinking from the Vienna lion... sort of.

The next morning we were up early to pack our bags and load them on to the bus.  I ran next door to grab another pizza-bread pastry for Paul while he was hovering outside McDonalds to snipe some free internet access and download the daily USA Today and some podcasts.  It was going to be a long day on the road, so we were prepared for it! 

On the way to Venice, we stopped for lunch at a very nice scenic overlook of a calm lake in northern Italy.  The buffet was steep, but we really enjoyed ourselves sitting outside on the deck and eating what we bought at the grocery store that morning.  Paul had some more of his snacks and I ate more of my yogurt and Museli.  On the way out Paul stopped at the Burger King and bought a plain hamburger.  We found out that you have to buy the ketchup separately for 0,30 Euro, so he bought the curry flavored ketchup and enjoyed some fast food.  In Italy, they have a different system of purchasing items.  You have to know what you want (coffee, sandwich, etc) and order and pay first.  After you pay, you bring the slip to the food or coffee counter and get your items, then you’re able to head right out the door after grabbing your hot food.  It’s a different system, but it seems to work fine.  They make sure to be paid, and this way you’re out the door right after you grab your sandwich.

Our first night in Venice we went next door to go shopping at the supermarket.  We found the cheapest wine yet.  We didn’t buy a bottle over 2 Euros, and there was wine for as low at 0,90 Euro.  It must have been decent wine because the locals were picking up the cheap bottles without flinching.  We loaded about 6 bottles in our cart to take with us to the next few cities.  We have a feeling that Rome and Florence are going to be expensive, and access to a grocery store will be limited until Paris.  We also bought a wine opener to save Paul from future embarrassment.  While we were in Austria, Paul went down to the bar to see if he could borrow their wine opener.  The first thing they asked was “Do you know how to use this?”  Of course Paul replied confidently that he did, and proceeded to screw it down, then  attempt to use brute force to pull the cork up (instead of using the tool for leverage).  The bartender came rushing to his assistance and said, “no, no, no….” Hahaha!  So we bought a wine opener for ourselves.  That way we can remove the middle man and not have to show the bar that instead of ordering a glass of their wine, we are drinking out of the complimentary plastic cups in our room.

Once we were done at the grocery store, Paul and I made turkey sandwiches in the room and had a little hotel picnic; the sandwiches were great!  We noticed however that our room was giving off an unpleasant smell.  When we first checked in and went up to our room, it smelled strongly of cigarettes.  It was so strong that we were concerned about all of our clothes and luggage smelling like Camels.Paul went and politely asked the front desk if we could change rooms, and they were able to switch us, thankfully.  Unfortunately the next one smelt like sewage, haha, we kept the door closed to the bathroom and that seemed to dampen the smell.  We had our first bidet in the bathroom... I'll just leave that note at that! 

View from the bus, beautiful alps!

The adventures are still coming on fast, we are really enjoying ourselves!

Prague to Vienna...

From Prague, we made our way to Vienna, Austria.  Paul and I checked into our hotel which was a good 20 minute walk from downtown, and went to get this growing boy something to eat for dinner.   We stopped at a Pizza place and Paul bought a massive slice for 2.90Euro.  It may have been veal, but we’ll classify it as “mystery meat” for now.  I guess that’s what happens when you can’t read a German menu. 

We were going to save Pizza for Italy, but with a price like that...

After pizza, we walked a little farther to a Gelato shop and shared a treat.  The place was recommended in the Rick Steve’s book and it lived up to its recommendation.  We ordered cookies and cream and were served Biscotti, whoops!  We walked back to the hotel and crashed early.  We didn’t sleep on the bus at all, and Paul was up extra early running, while I stayed in the hotel to do yoga, it was too dark for me to venture out alone for a run or a metro ride.

Today we are spending the day in Vienna and had a guided tour with a local guide this morning.  We were able to see a lot of the city center this morning and last night.  By far the best part was entering St. Stephens church or cathedral.  It was breathtaking, and massive.  The art and decorations were stunning. 

The inside was spectacular!  I have video of the inside, but our camera died! Argh!

Vienna walking tour, pretty chilly morning in Vienna, even for Wisconsinites!

Yesterday on the bus we turned in our optional tour sheet, and we only selected one excursion out of like 15-20!  Paul and I chose to do the Rome optional tour and dinner.  We will be walking around the city and then having a traditional Italian dinner with the group, not to mention, free flowing wine.  It’s pricey, but worth it, because we will be spending our full day in Rome on a Sunday.  Sunday means that everything is closed, so it is somewhat essential that we tour Rome the evening before. 

We were the only two that opted out of a trip to Pisa; but that was an honest accident.  If we didn’t want to go, we would have held the whole group back and would have been everyone’s arch enemy.  The tour guide politely asked if we would consider joining, and we of course said we would go.  So that’s another destination we will be visiting, hopefully!  A trip to Pisa would be great, because I don’t’ know when you would make that a tour destination; it would be handy to be able to see the tour while in transit from Italy to Switzerland.