Our train sped straight to the next stop on our journey, Rome. I started to get excited for Rome, but it took work (so ungrateful sounding, I know). I wasn't ready to trade a small town for the big city.
The train pulled into the station in Rome and we trekked about a half mile to our hotel. Ben compared the area to midtown in NYC, and I agreed. Busy, loud, and full of tourists. People set up tables and sold everything from "I Love Rome" T-shirts to plastic magnets to scarves with a city map printed on them.
I had to immediately adjust my perspective because no one in Rome was going to bring me a fresh plate of prosciutto and melon or wave hello like they did in Cortona. Nope, definitely not. Probably pickpocket first and greet later. Hence, I gripped my suitcase handle a little tighter.
I had to immediately adjust my perspective because no one in Rome was going to bring me a fresh plate of prosciutto and melon or wave hello like they did in Cortona. Nope, definitely not. Probably pickpocket first and greet later. Hence, I gripped my suitcase handle a little tighter.
We found our hotel after a few wrong turns and lugged our suitcases to our room. Clark Griswald, I mean Ben, listed the planned events of the day. First, a bus tour. Bus tours, I agreed with Ben, proved the best way to see and learn about a new place.
The problem was that my brain continually equated bus time to nap time. I conked out on every bus, whether we boarded for 5 minutes or 5 hours. Once again, Ben voiced displeasure about my narcoleptic moments when in such a magnificent part of the world, and I responded with my usual line of "I'm on vacation." I then mentally thanked Ben for his efforts to keep me awake because, without him, I would have looped endlessly around umpteen European cities on tour buses and never saw anything. But, I couldn't admit that.
The problem was that my brain continually equated bus time to nap time. I conked out on every bus, whether we boarded for 5 minutes or 5 hours. Once again, Ben voiced displeasure about my narcoleptic moments when in such a magnificent part of the world, and I responded with my usual line of "I'm on vacation." I then mentally thanked Ben for his efforts to keep me awake because, without him, I would have looped endlessly around umpteen European cities on tour buses and never saw anything. But, I couldn't admit that.
We hopped on and off the bus tour to see some pretty fantastic and mind blowing sights. Pictures below.
Awoken from a nap on the bus tour and forced at camera-point to smile in front of the colosseum.
Rome (and the colosseum) made Ben giddy.
The colosseum shone at night.
We glimpsed the Vatican "from a distance" (cue Bette Midler's song...).
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