Ah, Rome – so much history, so much charm. Seat of the once mighty Roman Empire, it’s a city that holds onto its past, but has moved into modern times with the rest of the world. Sights such as the Co
losseum, St. Peters, and the Forum are just a smattering of what this city has to offer. My sister and nieces flew in and met us there, while my parents, recently arrived in Geneva, and Soph went a couple days early to get in some cool sightseeing of the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, as well as Vatican City.
losseum, St. Peters, and the Forum are just a smattering of what this city has to offer. My sister and nieces flew in and met us there, while my parents, recently arrived in Geneva, and Soph went a couple days early to get in some cool sightseeing of the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, as well as Vatican City.While Rome has a lot to do, we stayed mostly to the main sites (I know, sacrilege, but I was on a time crunch, since I only had one day there). The Colosseum is pretty cool, and you really can’t skip that, and then since the Forum is right there also…you kind of have to go there too. That said – the Pantheon was probably my favorite attraction, as it not only looks really cool from the inside, but architecturally it’s very impressive. We’re talking about a massive building which has stood for just under 2000 years - you just don’t find too many of those in the world, especially ones that are this well-preserved.
During the evening, Soph and I headed into the Trastevere district for a dinner and leisurely stroll. I have to admit that this is one of the more romantic places 
I’ve ever been, as the narrow winding streets pass Italian restaurant after Italian restaurant and street serenaders appear on every corner. And how do Soph and I spend a romantic dinner? By gorging ourselves on as much as we can eat, of course! While she might be able to beat me in a rice-eating contest, I can make children cry with the amount of pasta I’m able to consume. Finish it up with a little Tiramisu, and you have yourself a very special evening. Unfortunately, the leisurely stroll back to the hotel turned into a two-hour hike, as the trams had stopped running and we didn’t think we were far enough to warrant a taxi. On the bright side, we passed through some bustling outdoor nightlife, as the Tiber river plays host to a myriad of things to do when the weather is nice. Outdoor cinema, riverside terraces, even a miniature carnival-market thing…the Romans sure know how to have a good time!
I’ve ever been, as the narrow winding streets pass Italian restaurant after Italian restaurant and street serenaders appear on every corner. And how do Soph and I spend a romantic dinner? By gorging ourselves on as much as we can eat, of course! While she might be able to beat me in a rice-eating contest, I can make children cry with the amount of pasta I’m able to consume. Finish it up with a little Tiramisu, and you have yourself a very special evening. Unfortunately, the leisurely stroll back to the hotel turned into a two-hour hike, as the trams had stopped running and we didn’t think we were far enough to warrant a taxi. On the bright side, we passed through some bustling outdoor nightlife, as the Tiber river plays host to a myriad of things to do when the weather is nice. Outdoor cinema, riverside terraces, even a miniature carnival-market thing…the Romans sure know how to have a good time!I decided to get up early the next morning so that I could sneak into St. Peters, as everyone else had see
n it a few days beforehand. Once again, I have to stress how much more awesome tourist sites are the earlier you go. No lines, the weather is still mild, nobody stepping in front of your pictures…did I mention no lines? As much as I don’t like getting up early, I dislike lines even more. Anyway – St. Peters is impressive, very impressive actually, and is worth a stop on anyone’s giant cathedral tour of Europe. And unfortunately, that was about it for Rome, as we headed into Tuscany just before lunch. That being said, I do have a couple of interesting statistics to share…* Number of gelatos consumed by me: 4 (for only 1.5 days, not bad)
* Number of gelatos consumed by the Wintermeyer clan as a whole: 26
* Number of people dressed up as gladiators outside the Colosseum: 5
* Number of people that needed beatings outside the Colosseum: 5
* Seconds it took me to run 100 meters to catch the airport train while carrying a backpack: 10.3
* Seconds I wasted by having to jump off the train, get my ticket stamped at a machine 20 meters away, and get back on the train before it left: 25
* Seconds after I arrived back on train, before aforementioned train left the station: 2.1
* Number of times the phrase “when in Rome…” was uttered: too many
Next stop: Tuscany!
