Today was a packed day! We are docked in Civitavecchia, and today we saw Rome in all her wonderful glory and also heat! Rome in August is brutal! But we survived!
We woke up early, ate breakfast disney style, and exited the ship into the heat of an Italian August day to meet our tour guide for our day in Rome!
Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world. It made no difference to me that Todd and I had just been to Rome a few months ago, I would go every week if I could. Plus, we were so excited to show the boys Rome and experience it with them.
We met our driver as we got off the ship and drove the 1.5 hours from Civitavecchia to Rome. The driver was nice and made small talk with us. We had told him that we speak Italian, but I guess he didn't believe us because halfway through our drive he phoned the tour guide and told her in Italian that we were running late and it was our fault because we were late getting off the ship (which was totally not true). Todd and I were DYING laughing that we understood him completely, and so Todd decided to have a little fun with him and stopped speaking English all together and started to solely answer him and speak to him in Italian. The driver about died. He said, "when you said you spoke Italian I didn't believe you, but you really can!" We laughed pretty hard at that one!
We got to Rome and met our tour guide, this tour was specifically for families with young children which was great.
Our first stop was Piazza Navona and being so early in the day there were hardly any tourist out yet, and it was beautiful!
Piazza Navona is probably one of my favorite places on earth. I fell in love with it when I traveled Italy with my family when they picked me up from my mission, and have loved it ever since. The Bernini fountains, the cafes that line the piazza, the beautiful buildings, it does my Italian loving heart good!
With our tour guide just walking around Rome...no biggie. Tate in the backpack of course!
Things like this just make me so happy...
Piazza Venezia, one of the coolest sights to see.
Our tour guide told us the coolest random fact. Before the body of this horse was sealed shut, the artists who made the horse had a 12 person pasta dinner inside the belly! Isn't that crazy?!
We got to the colosseum early to avoid the mass crowds, and it helped that our tour guide had special access to get us in without waiting in line. It was already very warm, and I really felt bad for the masses of people who would be waiting in line all day long to get in!
The boys were very excited to see the colosseum and the tour guide was awesome at telling us some great facts and the boys were enthralled. Blood, guts, and gore, a great recipe for my boys undivided attention.
It never gets old standing in this shadow.
Tate couldn't wait to get inside and hear the bloody tales of the gladiators!
This was a big piece of a statue that had just been unearthed near by the colosseum. That is the neatest thing about Rome, they are still finding awesome artifacts as they dig up the ground!
Thatcher pondering history...
The tales of the colosseum are just downright insane. When you really look around and start to envision how it was back then and what took place here, it is just plain cray-to the z!
Excuse me? Did you say "fight to the death!?" That's right Tate, the early you learn it the better!
It warmed my history loving heart to see the boys so engaged.
Proof we were all really there...
The water in Rome is famously fresh, and they have these spickets everywhere. Believe me we took advantage today...it was HOT.
Bellissima Roma...
I am obsessed with this city...I don't know why, I really just love it.
Trooper boys, it's tough to tour in the heat.
We then headed to the Pantheon...
Such a great piazza!
We spent a lot of time inside talking about the history and the details of how the Pantheon was made. It's such an amazing cathedral with an incredible history.
Oh yes, there are the goof troops I know and love!
Family shot with Taters zonked out! zzzzzzzz....
We then headed over to St. Peter's Square. I told the tour guide that we weren't interested in going inside the Vatican, just looking around St. Peters was great for us. You would have thought I told her we ate small animals alive for fun. I told her I just don't think that the boys would last and be interested enough. She then said to me, "but don't you want to show them where the Pope lives?!?" I told her that they most likely do not care as they hardly know who the Pope is. Again, got some crazy blank stares. I then told her we were not Catholic, and that also blew her mind. Ah Italians, LOVE them.
The most beautiful cathedral in Europe...according to me.
Our tour guide saw some Swiss guards standing outside the gate, and so she asked them if the boys could have a picture...
Gelato...of course!
We next went over to the forum and braved the heat some more!
E tu Brute? Todd kept saying this over and over and over the whole day...not kidding. Even the tour guide said something about how he was obsessed with Julius Caesar! Ha! Here is the place that Caesar was cremated...there are still flowers and coins thrown here daily.
Cute little Tate walking amongst the Roman ruins.
It was starting to get really hot and we were quickly losing the boys...and me, to the heat. But we finished touring around the forum...
Our tour guide was AWESOME. I highly recommend the tour! The boys learned so much and had a great time, which might have been difficult in Rome without her. We had a fabulous day in Rome, but were so excited to get back in the air conditioned car!
We said goodbye to our guide and met the driver again for our ride back to the ship. Here's a great pic of Todd making crazy faces as we rode back to Civitavecchia. Keeping. It. Real.
We got home sweaty, tired, and dirty, but filled with great memories of Roma!
Tonight we did dinner and the nightly show and then came back to hit the hay...we are all beat! Add a comment »
