Some more of Rome

After a little TLC, I do believe that my computer is doing much better today! So lets try this again!

Next stop on our tour was Palentine hill- aka where Rome started.

I was fully intrigued with all of the many things that I was learning that I did not know about Rome and then I found this...

I decided that it was a prayer stone... and therefore began summoning the heavens for help to find our bags!

One of the things that I was really excited to see was Circus Maximus- where the Chariot races were held. (Are you all singing the Chariots of fire song? Its okay. I am too...we can sing it together.)

However when we walked over to the look out here it was we saw ...

A big field. That's it. Still to this day I can not figure out how something that held MORE than the Colosseum had absolutely no ruins. No remnant of the millions that died there. Mind boggling really. (Almost as mind boggling as how an airline can have absolutely no idea where your luggage went...but I digress). It was pretty though, and we did see a wedding party walk across it- so that was cool/different.

However, what was not expected was that there is something called Circus Minimus! Did you know that?! I sure did not. As it sounds- Circus Minimus was a smaller version of the Chariot races. The King/ruler/emperor --whoever he was...was so afraid of being assassinated at Circus Maximus that he built it inside his palace and only invited very privileged people. It was smaller and therefore even more deadly and bloody than the bigger one. And the best part- there ARE ruins of this one! Here it is...

Pretty darn cool. I would have loved to have seen the MAXIMUS! but I was thankful that this minimus was still partly there! (And here's an odd twist to the story. The King was so paranoid his entire life of being killed and took every precaution to not be...and in the end he was assassinated by someone in his own house! I guess you can never be too careful so just live your life and for heavens sake go see the Chariot races!)

Next, we were just wandering around, looking at more ruins and imagining how big the bedrooms were, guest rooms and great hall...and then all of a sudden there was a pinkie toe right in front of my face. Not only was it right in front of my face, but it was as big as it!

So lets just think for a second...if the pinkie was that big- the statue must have been MASSIVE! I love how big everything was back in the day!

We got a little lost as we tried to find the Forum. This was one of the main streets in ancient Rome. There were a lot of temples, palaces, and I believe Parliament etc... Therefore we kind of gave up and decided to find the "toilets"When low and behold we found the forum as well... and what a site it was!

I love that you can see the Colosseum. Everything was so close.

So many ruins that made you really use your imagination about what it looked like when the Kings were there. My friend bought a book that showed the before and after. I think that if I had lived in ancient Rome, I would have spent a lot of time in the forum!

There was some couple from France that the boyfriend was standing up on the railing for a picture. I could not watch. I was sure that he was going to be on the 6 o'clock news because of falling to his death. To my relief and I think everyone else up there.... he did not fall!

At this time it was around 7 and so we headed back to our place to "rest" and then head out and go to dinner. Around 10 we realized that we had all fallen asleep! That was it! We were out for the night! Jet lag along with baggage worry quickly added up!

Here's a funny story. My alarm clock was in my luggage so we had to use my friends cell phone as an alarm. All night long I kept looking at it to make sure that we hadn't missed the alarm. Well, my morning brain sometimes isn't the smartest, but yet I choose to use it when I shouldn't. So I looked at it and thought it said 7:30. I jumped up and got in the shower. I came back into the room and told the girls that they needed to get up and that the alarm didn't go off. They were so confused and then looked at their watches. It was 3:30 am. I still had 4 hrs to sleep! Oops! I never did that again! :)

Day 2 (Notice the black capris. They will be in a lot of the following pictures! :) I was thankful that I had a change of underwear and clothes in my carry on!)

We woke up early and headed to Vatican City for a 4 hour tour (Another singing opportunity. Did you sing the Gilligan's island song "3 hour tour?" I hope so- cause I sure did!)


Here is Tiffany and I waiting inside for our tour to start. You can see our stylin headphone set.


One thing that was cool was they were very serious about being modest. And these signs were very apparent that there would be no swimming will be allowed inside! :) If your skirt or shorts were too short, they gave you things to wrap around your legs. Also, your shoulders needed to be covered as well. I really loved the respect that that showed. However, when you're going into a building full of naked statues, it really seems contradictory! :)

So many painted ceilings. I found myself wondering why they weren't as popular as the Sistine Chapel? Did those painters not have to lay on their backs for a long time as well?! Who knows!

I had to take a picture of this! This was an honest true bath tub that was used by the Queens! What?! And to top it off- they actually used Milk! How did they not drown? This is not a bathtub... its a hot tub! I gotta get me one of these!

This was my favorite statue because she was so modest! SHE read the sign outside! :)

Inside St. Peter's

Here I am outside of St. Peters Basillica.




Vatican City is its own country. So at this moment I was standing in 2 countries at the same time!!! Rome and the Vatican City! I know- you all want to touch me--- Later.

Just eating some Italian Pizza outside the Pantheon. Oh happy day! I wish I was back there right now!

We spent a lot of time in this square. Admiring the Pantheon as well as making a lot of phone calls to the airline and reminding them that we were going on a cruise the next day. It was maybe not my favorite moment of the trip, but there was a really cute Italian waiter who tried to help me so much and I guess it made it worth it! There were so many people that helped us in Italy!

Our bags were still unaccounted for on Sunday morning which left us running through the streets of Rome with 1 hr to buy clothes. It was a fun filled high stressed morning as we barely made it to the train station, the train left late and we were some of the last few on the cruise ship. Once we found our room, I collapsed in exhaustion as the Cruise ship took over the search for our luggage. I will forever be grateful! :)

to be continued...