So when I got to Rome with my sister we were met at the airport by an Italian actor.. He was to be our taxi driver to our hotel. When we got to the car we were driven around Rome in one of the fanciest Mercedes and Mr. Actor told us quite a bit about all the stuff we passed. There was the Wall of Paul, which was built to protect the city when Paul ruled it and many historic sites and buildings! When we got to our hotel we found out it was very antiqued. It had character and everything worked except it seemed to smell a little old occasionally.. especially in the elevator that was built probably around the same time rome was started haha.. Either way our hotel was in an amazing location! Right beside the Basilica di Santa Maria - which offcourse we nicknamed Mom our entire trip!! That night, since we got in at 9, we went for a late dinner. We found this cute little patio close to our hotel where we enjoyed a nice bottle of Rose and Woodburning oven pizza... mmmmm.. The restaurant was very relaxed and it was exactly what we needed in order to get us ready for the next day of walking!
The next day I got up just in time to get us some breakfast seeing as our hotel stopped serving breakfast at 9.30?!?! After which we took our time to get ready and headed out. We started out by going to the Colusseum and its surrounding area ( the arch of constantine, area de tito , palantine etc.) then walked along the river and some parks and ended up cutting back through town and seeing the Pantheon, Spanish steps, the Trevi Fountain - which was our favorite and we spent time here just watching people and enjoying the view. In the process of walking to these places we ran into very random areas of history!! Its just everywhere, all you have to do is turn the corner. We saw the Isola, Area Sacra, Palazzo Chigi, Piazza del Popolo and its surrounding parks, then randomly we would found some other palazzos and everything else that goes with Rome. We enjoyed a nice little patio for lunch where I really did realize that i was quite out of luck foodwise - no tomatoes and pasta and there is not much left to eat except pizza and bread!!
We enjoyed some Gelatto on our way back to the hotel, and the icecream made with real fruit was just amazing - at least that I liked foodwise haha. Then we went for a nap at which point the skies broke open and it started pouring. Luckily we were inside already and we waited it out to go for supper since we wanted to sit on a patio again. After searching around town, since most patios were closed due to the recent rainfall we found a place that would gladly have us. I again had pizza and sandra enjoyed the joys of italian pasta! By the time we got back it was pretty late again and we hit our comfy king size bed. We were just exhausted from walking over 7 hours that day and our feet were feeling it!!
The next day we got up nice and early and headed to the trainstation so we could reserve our tickets for the next morning. Afterwards we metro'd it to the vatican, seeing as our feet were in recovery from the day before. We walked around the vatican, enjoyed the basilica and we barely even stood in line for 10 minutes max!! it was great! Afterwards we enjoyed some streetmarkets, the patios at Piazza Navona and then slowly making our way back to the hotel. When we got to the pantheon they were shooting a movie there. So if anyone ever sees a movie where there is a wedding taking place at the Pantheon - let me know because I would be interested in knowing what we witnessed there!!! On the way back off course we also stopped at the Trevi fountain for some gelato and did some entertaining people watching. Afterwards we went back to the hotel again and enjoyed a nice long nap before the big game. The Eurocup soccer has started here and Holland was playing Italy that day - BIG GAME!!!! so we were trying to decide whether it was safe to go watch this in a pub.. you never know with soccerhooligans in Europe!! So we went for supper on this gorgeous patio and enjoyed our last supper in Rome. The only downfall was that a family with 4 kids that had flown in that day from Texas were beside us.. the oldest kids being maybe 7?? and jetlagged.. that brought back quite the memories of me and my brother in the past!!! hah
After supper we headed to see this pub close to our hotel, and once we arrived we saw a glow of orange in the crown (the dutch national color).. we were sooo surprised but happy that we werent the only ones. We watched the game and WON 3-0!!! You should have heard all the cheering, but there was also definately some somber italians in the crowd that did not like it, so we decided to leave soon after the game. Now its on to the french on Friday, which game i am either watching with some old friends or in my sisters town.
The next morning we had to get up at 6.30 to catch our trains and flight so that definately came too soon!! But it was soo nice to have explored Rome with my sister and I really love that she came to join me on my last lag.
So since I had an entire day to kill before leaving on the night train from Milan, I decided to see some towns that were still on my to do list. I went and explored the tower of pisa, did the tourist photos here where everyone attempts to take a picture of them holding up the tower, pushing the tower over, leaning on it.. etc etc.. I laughed soo hard at all the tourists but when someone asked me if i needed my picture taken like that I went along with it as well!! haha. on the way back i was waiting for my bus back to the trainstation when a 3 year old italian girl started to beg for money from the tourists!! Somehow she decided to pick me to try and and climb and feel up my pockets as I am trying to keep her off of me!!! in the end cops drove up and took the mother (who was hiding around the corner) and the little girl away.. that was quite the show..
Then after leaving Pisa my train took the coastal route up to Milan, and when I say coastal I mean right on the cliffs. It was gorgeous!! And when we stopped in Monterosso (a town that is part of le Cinque Terre which is five towns on the cliffs connected by lovers lane) I decided to get out and explore that town as well for an hour. It was beautifull with gorgeous beaches as well and I was happy that I stopped! then back on the train it was and off to Milaan where I found an internet cafe for an hour before my train jetted me back to Utrecht.
When I got to Utrecht I decided to go shopping.. It was a great way to spend the day while waiting for my friend Ester (who used to be my penpal when I was little) to finish work. When we met up we didnt have a lot of time together (since I still had to head to my sisters which is a 3 hr trip from where we were) but we definately had fun!! Now I am back at my sisters and I ad some time to kill so I uploaded a tonne of pictures for your viewing pleasures. Now its a couple more days of visiting and saturday night its back of to Canada. I can't wait to see everyone again and then I am off to Banff on Wednesday!! big changes coming up again and I am soo excited to see what the future brings!! I had an amazing trip and I learned a lot along the way. I had my times in which my emotions were everywhere but thats part of traveling after all. People I met told me Everyone gets homesick along the way - or otherwise they dont have a place that really is Home!! That stuck with me and now the trip is done. Thanks for all your messages along the way and thanks to all the wonderfull people i met travelling. You all made my trip a blast and i couldnt have done it without you!!
