Have you ever had the experience of being unable to find your train and only having a few minutes left before departure, so you start running frantically through the train station… only to have your backpack fall open and spew out a trail of your belongings? (*Note to self… make sure the zipper is zipped next time it is necessary to sprint through a train station.)



After arriving, (we did manage to find the the train on time) I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t supposed to walk around with my jaw dropped open, and that it is actually important to look where you are going when walking, instead of looking at the beautiful buildings… which can often cause collisions with tourists and random strollers… (In my defense… they materialized out of nowhere… and were going much too fast..)



When I saw the Coliseum for the first time I stopped short and pretty much lost my grasp on the English language. I pointed and said, “is that…I think…it is!…whoaa…” then continued to stare for a while.



Other favorites from the first day…


The Arch of Constantine

The Roman Forum


Trajan’s Column


The Basilica of St. John Lateran

Day two in Rome started with a visit to the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, the official cemetery of the Church of Rome. They were started in the middle of the second century. They take up 90 acres of land, with four separate levels underground, and over twelve miles of tunnels. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed.

After lunch, (Pizza and Pasta of course!) I found my favorite place in Rome: The Trevi Fountain. This huge Baroque fountain stands over 85 feet tall and 65 feet wide.



The rest of the day included…


The Spanish Steps


Inside of the Coliseum


A visit to Rome is not complete until you have seen the Vatican. So on our third, and final day, we decided to brave the crowds and massive lines.


Saint Peter’s Basilica


The Gallery of Maps


Recognize this one?



After four nights and three full days of exploring, being lost, walking marathon distances, eating awesome food, having wonderful conversations, lots of laughter, and seeing some of the most amazing sights, it was hard to leave Rome. Luckily Florence had some pretty beautiful things to see as well.