Ah, we are home! The boys are bathed and sleeping soundly, the washing machine is spinning, Pauli is lounging on her bed at home and the heaters are getting fired up again. Gosh, there is nothing like an awesome vacation to make you appreciate home.
Shane taking in the view (we have a VERY similar photo of Nick doing the SAME thing)
This too
We linked up with our buddies the Pommernecks in a sweet apartment in the Pantheon area of Rome. Our Apartment location was amazing!!! We could walk to the steps of the Pantheon in 5 minutes. The major draw back - the sink won’t drain after a single teeth brushing/facewashing, not so desirable. I guess the plumbing was as old as the Roman Forum!
The first evening we were there we had tons of exploration. Here is the fountain at the Piazza Nivorna
5 minutes later, the Pantheon
Nick and Chris enjoying the Rick Steve's Pantheon Podcast
Shane making the most of his 'out of stroller time' on the floors of the Pantheon
Chestnuts roasting on a metal tin....
Trevi fountain - Nick put in enough coin to get you all coming out to Rome!
Amanda was our navigator throughout the streets. I am hugely impressed as I couldn't get through 5 minutes of Roman streets. At this point, she was navigating us back to their favorite restaraunt for some pasta and yummy wine!
The next morning we were off to view Ancient Rome. Coliseum was first on the list, but when you are walking with a GPS you often find other things along the way….. Or, when you are in a place like Rome, every corner has something worth checking out. All these scupltures were missing their 'important' parts.... Guess the sculptor made many men jealous..... Or maybe the women were at work....
Next we stumbled on The mouth of Truth. Legend has it, if you told a lie, it would bite your hand off. Nick was scared to death to put his hand inside….. Hmmmmmm
Nick strolling through Circus Maximus. The place of Ancient Roman Chariot racing. It was told they could fit 1/4 of the population (250,000 folk) to watch the racing. Gives the 'big house' a run for its money!!
Here is a little video of the crew cruising around.
Next, the Roman Colosseum where the Gladiators entertained HUGE crowds. Check out the gladiator in this photo
Two more Fierce Gladiators
The interworkings of the Colosseum
Right next to the Coloseum was the Roman Forum. A perfect spot for the little ones to run around. Meredith and Nick had a blast hopping from stone to stone. The other tourists had to watch out for them =)
Just a few photos as we were walking around. The city was just amazing!
That night we enjoyed Thanksgiving at an amazing restaraunt that Amanda went to when she was 4 years old. She went each time her family lived in Rome and every time during visits. It was an DELICIOUS meal and really just a magical night. It starting a bit rocky as hailing a taxi for 4 adults and 3 kids in the POURING rain took longer than hoped. However, after some Italian cuisine, wonderful wine and great friends the night was truly memorable. A great REAL thanksgiving with friends. The restarant hailed us a cab for 7 so the ride home was much easier!
Sadly, the Pommerencks had to pack their bags that night and begin their journey home in the morning. Their night in Frankfurt yielded them some beautiful German snow to enjoy the christmas market with. The perfect topping to a great vacation.
One of the many reasons I love vacation is it takes the family out of its element and gets our focus away from the nit noid of daily life and onto something bigger. This vacation in particular was HUGE. Rome to me is an amazing city. It encompasses the days of Julius Cesaer to Michael Angelo, The Vatican, Mussolini. There is remarkable history on every corner; you just have to decipher what decade or century it happened in.
We flew out Wednesday night. Thanksgiving is a HUGE American holiday, but not so recognized in Germany (guess the Mayflower didn’t make it that far in their history books) so the airport was a breeze and our flight was filled with Americans. Amazing to see familiar faces as we all leap off onto our own adventure.
