more from Rome

I am in love.  The food, the people, the language, the architecture. It's almost overwhelming. 

The bruschetta is enough to make you weep.  I'm quite sure the the italian chef steps out the back door of the restaurant, picks a few tomatoes and prepares it two minutes before delivering it to your table.  The pasta is also unbelievably good. If you ever visit Italy, try the gnocchi pasta. It's actually made from potatoes and is wonderful with almost any sauce.  

The people here are so animated, and listening to them speak is like listening to really good classical music.  The taxi drivers are insane and I literally say a little prayer asking to arrive alive every time we take a taxi (so far so good).  Our tour guide Sandro was fabulous again today and even managed to keep Sadie interested for six hours.  

The architecture  speaks for itself. Enjoy.

ruins from the original city of rome

all day long sandro would say, "ok, let's conquer some shade and I will tell you a story", he was by far the best tour guide I've ever had

the colosseum was our next stop

  

this arch was constructed in 313 a.d. to commemorate when constantine granted christians the right to practice christianity
(and there just happened to be a newlywed couple getting pics)

sadie really ventured out with this lunch item

a monument honoring the "unknown soldier".....a fairly new building by rome standards constructed in 1911

have your kids seen the "Lizzy McGuire" movie? this is the famous 'la trevi" fountain.....yes, sadie made a wish

 

Tomorrow, we'll be road tripping....traveling north through italy, ending in Zurich.  Imagine a little "Vacation" Holiday Road music if you will.