Just some pictures today....

Our trip to Plaza Popolo and the Borghese Art Meausem.

Collosseum and Forum

Go While Your Feet are Good

 

To quote my sister Nancy … “I think it’s great you’re going to Rome. Your feet are still good.”

 

Rome is indeed a city for good shoes, and lots of energy.  The Romans have not discovered true pavement. Every, and I mean every road, sidewalk and walkway is cobblestone. Bring your best walking shoes or boots and your cushy American gel inserts!

 

Corstiaan and I literally walked for six hours today, nonstop. No, we didn’t run or even walk in the Rome marathon like Henriette plans to in a couple weeks but it was close. It’s amazing to see so much history in one place.

 

Thursday was spent in the Coliseum and the Forum. The ruins aren’t just old they are, as Corstiaan’s uncle Kees-Jan would say, “damn old”.  Buildings from 500 B.C. Rome makes other parts of Europe look almost as young as the US.

 

On an amazingly sunny day we toured the interior of the arena and found out more then just what you saw in Gladiator. One true story they tell is that a whale that had washed up on the beach was the inspiration for a wooded copy that was built and raised through the floor onto the arena grounds. The mouth then opened and 40 bears immerged. Yes 40 Bears! The Colosseum was the place to go to if you wanted to see animal hunting, gladiator fighting, chariot racing or a slave earn his freedom by winning in an event to the death. How was death tested? They used a hot iron and placed it against the body of the looser just to make sure there wasn’t any faking going on. Maybe that’s when the phrase “Just Checking” was created.

 

Outside the Coliseum there are Italian men dressed as Gladiator’s vying for tourists to take photos with them. We stopped and watched as an American couple from Philadelphia stopped, posed and smiled with the two gents. After they finished Corstiaan asked them what the two lovely Italian men charged. They wanted 20 Euro. Yes, the Italians love American’s!

 

There is so much to take in, and so much to see. You can be walking down the street, turn right and just like that, there is a huge statue that is two stories tall … and naked.

 

Today’s entry was supposed to be about the food, but since we spent so much time in the ancient ruin sites, we only had a 4pm quick snack, no real lunch the food stories will come later. 

Passion! An Introduction to Rome

Yesterday ... after 17 hours of travel we arrived in Rome. We flew from DFW to London and then London to Rome. We noticed immediately that the flight to Rome was completely sold out and a majority of the passengers were indeed Italian men who had been in England for an important soccer match between Arsenal (English) and Roma. The games result was on they’re faces. Somber, sad, consoling one another. Passion!

After our arrival and check in to our little hotel near the Forum we went to find the Trevi Fountain. On out way we noticed the Police had stopped all traffic at the intersection of Via Cavour and Via Dei Fori Imperiali. They stand there with little round plastic paddles red on one side and green on the other. The light would turn green and everyone and I mean everyone would start to toot they’re horns. Scooters, cars and trucks all blowing they’re horns as to tell the police to hurry up and get on with it. Then as we stood in amazement we saw a scooter, yes a scooter run through the intersection. The lead vehicle in a motorcade that included Vespas, motorcycles, Fiat police cars and then finally one Mercedes with the Burlesconi and Sarkosy sitting in the back. Of course the honking didn’t end until the motorcade had passed and traffic was allowed to move freely again. Passion!

After dinner we stopped by a small store to pick up some water, beer and wine. When we walked in there was another soccer match on TV. This time Chelsea (English) was playing Juventus (Italian) and the score was not going the Italians way. There were ten men standing in front of the TV smoking, and drinking wine out of little glasses. I could see when we walked in they paid me no attention, but the men here tend to really enjoy evaluating the opposite sex, especially blondes. We went to the front to pay for the items and duck out. As I stood to look at the score I told one the men I’m sure Juventus will turn it around to beat Chelsea. He looked at me and said “Oh, your English” and then turned to tell his friend the proprietor of the shop “Charge him twice” with a big smile on his face. I told him “No Amercian” to which he responded to the owner “Then charge him three times” with a huge smile on his face. Passion!

So far in less then 24 hours I know three things for sure about the Italians. They have a passion for women and traffic but most of all for Soccer!

Today we go to check out some sites. Collosseum, Spanish steps and Trevi durning the day for some better pictures. Tomorrow, look for Ro’s commentary on the food. There’s a whole other passion!a

We're still here ...

Corstiaan and I are leaving on Tuesday, just in time to arrive in Roma for Ash Wednesday!

For those of you who want to follow the weather (if only my mother had Internet access!) the airport code for Rome is FCO. ..

More to come

Co and Ro

Let's Go!

Here's Corst

And Ro


Decision Made.

Having been victims of having time but not the money, and money but not the time we decided this time to go. We talked about it on Monday, and Tuesday our flight was booked. Three weeks in Italy, for a real adventure.

So ... here we go. Were excited about our decision, and look forward to sharing our trip.