Adventures in Rome

Trying to get 5 people on a tight flight to Italy is stressful.  So stressful that Mark ended up with a terrible cold that lasted 4 days.  We had hoped to fly direct to Rome but there were not enough seats so the first back up plan was to get to Milan. The third plan was to fly to Brussels and then buy a cheap flight on Ryan Air or a similar airline hopefully for just one or two people.  It was down to the last minute but all five of us made it on the flight to Milan.  We then rented a car and drove the 4.5 hours to Rome.  Poor Mark, this was a stressful trip!

Our first stop near Rome was the newly completed Rome, Italy Temple.  We planned on touring the visitors center and were very disappointed to see the Temple grounds locked up tight when we arrived. It was 3 days before the dedication and everything was locked up for final cleaning and security.  We took a nice walk around the fence surrounding it and then jumped back in the car to head to our Air BNB.

Our Air BNB was really great.  The host was super helpful and we had everything we needed.  We ended up flying out a day earlier than we originally planned because the flights looked better and were really fortunate that there was another opening in the same building. The first night we had a ground floor apartment and it has an awesome garden area.  Jared and Lydia were so happy to run around and play.  The weather in Rome was so beautiful.  The next morning Mark and I went on a run together.  We joked that we ran around a whole country.  Our Air BNB was about a mile away from the Vatican so we ran to it, around it and then back. It was great to be there early in the morning when there were no crowds and the lighting was so nice.

I think it's really fun to go on runs when we take trips like this.  It's taking something that is a big part of my normal life and doing it somewhere new, I really like it.

No crowds!  It was really great.  

The next day we headed to the colosseum while Sue hopped on the Rome hop on hop off bus.  We took a tour of the colosseum and Roman Forum.  Jared really loved the Colosseum.  We also made sure to sample our first gelatto and pizza Italian style.  The colosseum tour was a little long for my taste but it was fun to be there.  That night Sue hung out with Jared and Lydia while Mark and I went out to dinner with a teacher that Mark worked with in Colorado Springs.  She has been teaching in Rome the last 5 years.  It was great to meet up with her and then she took us on a walking tour of a less touristy and very trendy neighborhood near her apartment.  It was nice to meet up and have a night out in Rome.

Only 30% of the colosseum is still standing.  

Saturday we attempted to tour the Vatican which ended up being a huge mistake.  I wish there was a way you could go straight to the Sistine Chapel.  We missed our scheduled tour and had to join  a later one and it was much too slow for all of us. I later found out that President Nelson had been there meeting with the Pope and I wondered if it did overlap some.  All the tour guides were commenting on how busy it was and how slow things were going.  I wonder if earlier tours had to be pushed back to accommodate the visit.  Anyway, it was cool to see pictures of them together in a place we literally just were.  Even if we weren't in the building right after him we were there close to when he was.  It sort of felt like that the whole time we were in Rome.  We were likely there the same time and less than an hour away from all 15 of the major church leaders! Its a fun little side note. I mean its everyday stuff for many people in Utah but not for us!

We had plans to meet up with Pam in Rome for a walking tour and sadly had to leave the Vatican before we could make it to the top of Saint Peters.  We did go inside Saint Peters but the line was way too long for us to deal with and meet Pam in time.  I don't really think Jared or Lydia minded much but I was bummed. I would have preferred to just climb to the top of Saint Peters and not tour the Vatican but it didn't work out that way.  And I am glad we could show Lydia and Jared this very famous place.  I don't think they enjoyed it that much but they were good sports.

This is the map room in the Vatican, Mark loves this hallway.

Inside Saint Peters

2 places at one time

In Rome we did all the traditional sites.  The Spanish Steps, Plaza Navonna, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Monument of Victor Emmanuel II and found a gelato place with 150 flavors.  It was delicious and really overwhelming.   Rome is a very fun city to visit and I am so happy we could go back there. 

Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

Gelato! 

We headed back to our Air BNB to finish laundry (Sue kindly did a lot of it as she did not go into Rome that day) and pack everything up for our cruise.  Some definite setbacks (temple being closed and not going to the top of St Peters plus the crazy wait to get in the Vatican) but still a fun stop in Rome.