Rasts won a trip to Prague and stopped in Rome for a few days on their way to the Czech Republic to visit us. The flight out was a bit rough...their plane broke down on the runway in Dallas, and they missed their connecting flight to Chicago. They ended up having to divert and take a flight to London before arriving in Rome. The Thursday morning 10 am arrival was pushed back to Thursday night at 5 pm. Then to add to their misery, their two bags didn't show up, and they had to sit in three hours in horrible holiday traffic. But despite being jet lagged and exhausted, they were good sports and went for a late night stroll to see the Eternal City in lights. We strolled through the Borghese Park (in the backyard of the Marriott where they were staying) down through the famous Spanish Steps and to the Trevi Fountain before looping back to the hotel.Instead of crashing into bed, they were up until 2 am because Kalee's school in Plano was suddenly closed due to Swine Flu. They were trying to organize child care and also get a flight from Rome to Prague instead of taking the original 18 hour train ride scheduled on their itinerary. Despite the time difference and lack of sleep, they were up and at 'em at 11 am the next morning. As nothing is better than pizza for "breakfast," we introduced them to wood fired pizza and scrumptious mozzarella di buffalo (cheese from a water buffalo).
The lines into the Colosseum were horrendous for May Day, so we took the scenic route to the Aventine hill to Santa Maria in Cosmedin. They put their hands in the "mouth of Truth" (made famous by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday).... if you aren't honest your hand would be bitten off as the legend goes.
We stopped and visited Mamertine church were St. Peter and Paul were imprisoned in the basment and where Peter performed a miracle of making a spring burst up through the floor. He baptized his two guards who then set him free.
Also below this church is an old cistern with access to the city's main sewer. Criminals of ancient Rome were executed and tossed into this tiny pit.
Even though it was a warm day, we continued on and filled up our water bottles from one of the many free flowing fountains in Rome. Brian filled both his bottle and Krikits despite the grumpy complaints of thirsty Italians behind them who just wanted a drink...
We stopped at the Roman Forum with its amazing triumphal arches, temple ruins and basilicas that was the heart of ancient Rome with its business centers, law courts, temple and statues to gods & where great orators like Mark Antony gave speeches.
Most of the Forum is 5th century BC except this 203 AD arch for Septimius Severus behind us.
Brian was on his Blackberry a lot, and he found the statue dedicated to electronic junkies behind him.
Managed to get quite close to the tomb of the unknown soldier before the guards blew their whistle and shooed us away.
Climbed the bazzillion steps up to the top of King Vittorio Emanuelle II's building and looked at the pretty domed view over the city
The couple million tourists jamming Rome on this beautiful spring day couldn't completely dampen our spirits but made us wish it was November when only 6 million inhabitants are milling about.
This pretty ivy beckoned us onto see Michelangelo's Moses statue in San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter's in Chains Church that contains the chains that bound St. Peter before his execution)
On the way up Brian captured this great shot of the nuns with the beggar holding out his cup for coins.
Thank goodness we stopped to get Gelato so we had the strength to climb another mountain of stairs. Krikit and Brian were troopers and were still smiling even after scaling the unending steps. 
Their Marriott hotel stay included tickets to the Colosseum, so we left the Rasts to go on their own into the great amphitheater built in 72 AD by Emperor Vaspasian. They got in and out before we would have even made it to the ticket counter. Afterwards, we brought them to our house, and we had a nice meal and sat around looking at pictures and talking. They went to bed at a decent hour and were up by 8:30 the next day! Had they known we had a full day of walking planned again for them they may have stayed in bed longer!
We stopped at the Roman Forum with its amazing triumphal arches, temple ruins and basilicas that was the heart of ancient Rome with its business centers, law courts, temple and statues to gods & where great orators like Mark Antony gave speeches.
Most of the Forum is 5th century BC except this 203 AD arch for Septimius Severus behind us.
Brian was on his Blackberry a lot, and he found the statue dedicated to electronic junkies behind him.
Managed to get quite close to the tomb of the unknown soldier before the guards blew their whistle and shooed us away.
Climbed the bazzillion steps up to the top of King Vittorio Emanuelle II's building and looked at the pretty domed view over the city
The couple million tourists jamming Rome on this beautiful spring day couldn't completely dampen our spirits but made us wish it was November when only 6 million inhabitants are milling about.
This pretty ivy beckoned us onto see Michelangelo's Moses statue in San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter's in Chains Church that contains the chains that bound St. Peter before his execution)
On the way up Brian captured this great shot of the nuns with the beggar holding out his cup for coins.
Thank goodness we stopped to get Gelato so we had the strength to climb another mountain of stairs. Krikit and Brian were troopers and were still smiling even after scaling the unending steps. 
Their Marriott hotel stay included tickets to the Colosseum, so we left the Rasts to go on their own into the great amphitheater built in 72 AD by Emperor Vaspasian. They got in and out before we would have even made it to the ticket counter. Afterwards, we brought them to our house, and we had a nice meal and sat around looking at pictures and talking. They went to bed at a decent hour and were up by 8:30 the next day! Had they known we had a full day of walking planned again for them they may have stayed in bed longer!Along with all the sightseeing, like this stop to Emperor Hadrian's temple (145 AD), Krikit got in some shopping for souvenirs for her children.
We visited the Trevi Fountain again in daylight (Brian's camera batteries died somewhere along the way...had my kids been along, they would have blamed that on me!)
Made a side trip to see the giant marble foot left over from a colossal statue dedicated to an Emperor or an Egyptian god like Isis.
Krikit found her marble angel wings and posed like a cute Raphael cherub.
Unfortunately, we couldn't take them into the Pantheon to show them the huge oculus in the center of the dome that provides the only light. There was a service going on and the entrance was blocked.
Krikit did get to stand under the huge portico and try to wrap her arms around one of the ginormous columns and see the 10 ton brass doors.
This engineering marvel that is both 142 ft tall and wide was masterminded by Hadrian who built this new Pantheon over the original one that Marcus Agrippa built in 27 BC.
You can't come to Rome and not see a fountain by Bernini...so off to Piazza Navona we went to see his Fontana dei quatro Fiumi (4 rivers: Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plate) that was just unveiled after being repaired for months.
Made a side trip to see the giant marble foot left over from a colossal statue dedicated to an Emperor or an Egyptian god like Isis.
Krikit found her marble angel wings and posed like a cute Raphael cherub.
Unfortunately, we couldn't take them into the Pantheon to show them the huge oculus in the center of the dome that provides the only light. There was a service going on and the entrance was blocked.
Krikit did get to stand under the huge portico and try to wrap her arms around one of the ginormous columns and see the 10 ton brass doors.
This engineering marvel that is both 142 ft tall and wide was masterminded by Hadrian who built this new Pantheon over the original one that Marcus Agrippa built in 27 BC.
You can't come to Rome and not see a fountain by Bernini...so off to Piazza Navona we went to see his Fontana dei quatro Fiumi (4 rivers: Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plate) that was just unveiled after being repaired for months.
Also in Piazza Navona is this church that was built by Bernini's rival Borromini. Legend says the man representing the Plate river, Bernini scultped him with his hand outstretched (the statue over Brian's head) as he cannot bear to see the Baroque view of the Sant'Agnese church by Borromini 
On top of the Bernini fountain is an Egyptian obelisk. These were brought to Rome to show the Emperor's power.
On top of the Bernini fountain is an Egyptian obelisk. These were brought to Rome to show the Emperor's power.I always think the cute flowered balconies and doors in Piazza Navona are just as impressive.
We spent half the day at the Vatican, not only because there is so much to see, but because it was so crowded we could barely move (Steve found out later they were swearing in Cardinals - who lay prostrate on the ground--- and this made it even more busy and blocked off) Somewhere in between gawking at fountains, statues and grandeur, we stopped and bought postcards of the Sistine chapel, and Krikit mailed them to her kids from the Vatican because it is its own country separate from Rome.
Steve & Brian found a place to park and wait.
Steve & Brian found a place to park and wait.
In one corner of the blue sky we could see ominous black clouds moving our way.
So, after our stop to Castle St. Angelo where Hadrian's mausoleum is, and Angel Bridge, we found a cute trattoria for lunch. We had soupli (fried rice and cheese balls) and all tried different pasta (Amatrice, ravioli and tortolini). Steve got us a great table under an awning, and we waited out the storm while we ate and watched many poor tourists run drenched in the downpour.
The sun came back out and we had fun strolling through narrow alleys
and even were lucky enough to come across a superb marching band that was playing lively tunes.
Stopped in another little church called Santa Maria dell' Anima
the only German church in Rome.
The thing we found interesting was that it had a Pieta statue... not Michelangelo's Pieta that is in the Vatican (below)
but a copy-- only this Mary has a careworn face and Christ's head in curled into Mary's shoulder where Michelangelo's Christ has his head leaning back.
We realized Brian and Krikit were nearly as dead on their feet-- after their flight ordeal and two days of walking-- so we took pity on them and took them back to their hotel where they could get repacked for their trip to Prague and leave them with a little energy for their walks to the castles and churches in the Czech Republic. It was great having them here and we hope to retrace our steps with any family that can come out!
The sun came back out and we had fun strolling through narrow alleys
and even were lucky enough to come across a superb marching band that was playing lively tunes.
Stopped in another little church called Santa Maria dell' Anima
the only German church in Rome.
The thing we found interesting was that it had a Pieta statue... not Michelangelo's Pieta that is in the Vatican (below)
but a copy-- only this Mary has a careworn face and Christ's head in curled into Mary's shoulder where Michelangelo's Christ has his head leaning back.
We realized Brian and Krikit were nearly as dead on their feet-- after their flight ordeal and two days of walking-- so we took pity on them and took them back to their hotel where they could get repacked for their trip to Prague and leave them with a little energy for their walks to the castles and churches in the Czech Republic. It was great having them here and we hope to retrace our steps with any family that can come out!
2 comments:
Seething jealous!!! Is that possible? How great that Brian and Krikit had a chance to come and stay and see all the sites!!! How fun....what great times! Wishing and hoping, that one day we will walk those streets. We will..... just when you're not living there!
Love ya!
I wish you guys could come stay with us this summer! We'd give you the deluxe tour!! How sad to think we have been here 3 years and none of the 9 has had time or money to come play in our backyard of Rome...dang recession! You need to sell your screenplay Christi!
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