Roma

Five nights flew by in a flash. We took a leisurely approach to our time here, taking long breaks in-between sights so that the kids could rest and adjust to the time difference and not get overly tired, but more important, to save ourselves from having to deal with grumpy, exhausted little people!

We stayed in a lovely airbnb in San Giovanni, right by the Aurelian Walls. We loved the area, very local with lots of small little cafes and restaurants, little mum and pop grocery shops, gelaterias and a small market. Don't think we saw any other tourists the entire time we were here.

Our first stop... caffe latte at a tiny caffetteria near our apartment 

Our backyard 

Streets of San Giovanni

Our breakfast spot each morning, all kinds of freshly baked goods

The perfect start to the day... prosciutto mozzarella pizza, potato pizza and a caffe latte

Homestyle cooking at Domenica restaurant just up the road from us... fritturi di verdure miste (vegetable fritters), pork skin beans and tomato stew (a Roman specialty), frittura calamari e gamberi, pork cheek pasta. So so good!

Our home in Rome and our local neighbourhood

The other good thing about the apartment was its proximity to the Coliseum. We could walk there in just 20 minutes, although the person with little legs did whine a little, actually more than a little, she tried to convince me to divorce her father because he MADE her walk soooo far! 

Right in the middle of the arena where the gladiators fought

Underground in the holding area where the gladiators and animals were held before they turn to fight. As they guide was explaining the workings of the underground, Mia pulled out her journal and started writing down her version of what went on down there. 

Ryan very enthusiastically woke up super early in the morning to go for a run with Shad to see the sunrise over the Coliseum, and it was one of the most beautiful things he's even seen, he said. 

Dawn 

Our second day here at sunrise, not a soul in sight.

So very quiet and peaceful, we could close our eyes and imagine what took place here thousands of years ago.

15 years ago Shad and I visited all these historical sites, however it has been a whole different experience being back here and looking at everything through the eyes of these kids. Some good some not so good. We time our visits to avoid the hottest and most crowded hours, we spend a much shorter time at each exhibit, and we take more and longer breaks in-between places. Of course this means that we're seeing a lot less this time around, and definitely many fewer museums and churches. But it was wonderful feeling their excitement as we moved through the Vatican museum stopping at exhibits which may have only vaguely caught our attention before, like searching for Hercules and seeing the joy in Mia's eyes when we finally found him! 

We're also travelling much more comfortably this time, getting around in a car, staying at cosy, spacious places and eating very well, unlike our last trip sans kids when we had to think twice about having a coke at dinner in order to save some money. We just hope that these kids realise, and remember just how fortunate they are and not take any of this for granted.

Gelato heaven!

The ever crowded Trevi Fountain 

Ryan and Mia threw their coins and made their wishes. Hopefully they will be back one day with their own families.

Light shinning in through the dome at the Pantheon 

Pantheon at night

Admiring the beautiful interior of the Basilica San Giovanni

The Papal seat

Taking in the peaceful surroundings outside the Basilica 

But not for long. The temptation of a wide open space was just too great!

Treasure hunting at the Vatican museum 

This little one loved the audio tour!

No photos of the Sistine Chapel. Thankfully both kids were just as fascinated as we were when they saw the frescos. We had shown them short documentaries before visiting the museum so they knew what they were looking at and also the stories behind the paintings. They were quite happy to sit for over half an hour just staring up at the ceiling. Although Mia did find the Last Judgement fresco "freaky"! 

Kids caught their first glimpse of a Swiss Guard at St Peters Basilica and couldn't take their eyes off the colourful uniform!

Poppy joined us on the last day.

Soaking in our last night in Rome at the Piazza Venezia.

Loading up our "bread loaf" (the shape of this Renault Kangoo looks like a loaf of bread from certain angles!) as we start our road trip around Italy.