Rome, Italy

I have decided that I think my liking of the place depends on how much I like the food... hehe. I'm kidding... kind of. But my favorite food is Italian and Mexican... so it was quite a treat to eat actual Italian food in Italy. It was phenomenal. One thing about all of this traveling is that it is going to make me have cravings that I can't fulfill right at that moment!! Hehe.

So I was eating some pizza and I really wanted to ask for some ranch (although I knew they didn't have any)... because if I would have gotten some I think I might have died right then. Also, did you know that alfredo sauce is actually American and not Italian. I was kinda bummed. I wanted to try it in Italy!! Hehe. Although I'm still glad the Americans invented it. Hehe.

Rome was ............... (words can't describe it)......... There is so much history, there is so much to be seen, so much to learn - Rome is fascinating. Easter Sunday we went to mass at the Vatican (second pic). Hung out with the pope... the pope and I now go way back. Hehe. We saw so much in Rome I don't even know where to start. We actually got lost for 4 hours one evening and ended up seeing everything at least twice. Hehe. It was a night to remember, that's for sure. I won't go into too many details, but I still have no idea how I made it back to Alicante from Rome. Hehe. But that's a whole other story.

We went to the Roman Colosseum! It was pretty cool to try and imagine how it would have been back in the day... with 50,000 spectators, complete with boxed seats, toilet facilities, refreshment stands and a giant retractable sail to act as a roof. But instead of football, they would have been watching gladiators fight panthers, hippopotami and crocodiles, and, occasionally one another. The Colosseum was built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and finished by his son Titus in 80 AD. On the western side of the Colosseum is the Arch of Constantine, built to honour Constantine's victory over his rival Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. Pretty sweet to see. (the top pic is of me in the Colosseum).

We went and saw the Roman Forum (3rd pick)and Palatine Hill! Back in the day, the Forum was the political, religious, and social centre of the Roman World. It is all ruins now, but it is something else to imagine what it would have been like way back when. Palatine Hill is where the wealthy Romans built their homes and legend says that Romulus founded this part of the city. I think I would have liked to live there. :)

From there we went to see the Pantheon. This is the best-preserved building of its time. The original temple was built in 27 BC by Marcus Agripa, the son -in-law of Emperor Augustus, and dedicated to the planetary gods. It was later used as a catholic church. The dome is an architectural marvel, even by today's standards. Many italian kings are also burried here.

We also saw the Trevi Fountain - this is where you are supposed to throw a coin into the fountain to ensure your return to Rome. We all did this. Hehe.

Each night we ate in the Trastevere area - this is a very happening area. The bottom pic is one of the dishes I had........ :)