Day 2 in Rome

Whew! Where to start...we landed yesterday morning at 7am in Rome (1am EST) and haven't looked back. We met Carlo, our guide, and started the day at a couple of Basilicas, or Churches. Everywhere you turn there are ancient ruins just in the middle of town! Inside the walls of Rome, you are no longer allowed to build anything new, things can only be restored as to preserve the history so everything looks like you are walking through the streets of Epcot or some other recreated city. Hard to comprehend.

We also went to the Forum, Coliseum, Pantheon, a Crypt (creepiest thing we've ever seen), and several Piazzo's (plazas). Pictures will follow when we get home as we forgot our cord to connect and send them now. We took an hour nap before dinner which easily could have turned into our night's rest, but we forced ourselves awake and went to dinner at a local Trattoria. The food is so rich and wonderful! Almost as good as the gellato, I don't know how to spell it but I sure can eat it!

This morning we woke early to meet our guide Elissaio at the Vatican Museum to begin our tour around 7:30am. We saw the Sistine Chapel and there are no words to describe the magnificence of the art and architecture within. I could have sat there all day and just stared at the ceiling. Michelangelo was definitely brilliant. We then went through parts of the Vatican and ended in St. Peter's Basilica where a Red-Neck American promptly made us all proud by using his video camera to film the statue of "St. Peter" and say, "Here's a Statue of Jesus! I'm gonna go rub it and get my picture made" as loud as he possibly could. He then cut the line of people waiting to touch the feet of St. Peter and rubbed his feet so his daughter could take his picture. Leigh and I just looked at Elissaio and said, "sorry". Then we sang "Proud to be an American" just to round out the mood (ha!).

You truly cannot comprehend the feelings you get while you are here. It doesn't feel real at all! We were invited by our guide to a birthday party tonight at his friend's restaurant close by so, we are going there for dinner. We are excited to have actual plans in Rome! Much to Leigh's disappointment, we have yet to be groped or acosted by any men...but I'm sure mom and the rest of you reading this will feel at ease; ) We have felt very safe and are looking forward to see what the rest of the trip brings! Love to you all and Until later...
Ciaò! K&L