30 June: Day TwelveHighlights of the Day:
I'll be honest. We don't have wonderful memories of Rome from our last visit because the weather was HOT and Rebecca was just getting over a stomach bug. So I really tried to step up my planning to make sure we had a better experience this trip! It was already starting out better than last time, because it was cooler in Rome than it had been anywhere else on our tour!
Our first stop was the Victor Emanuel Monument. It was an easy walk from our hotel to the massive white building. We followed the guidebook directions to the glass elevator which took us to the top of the monument. Once at the top we were rewarded with a bird's eye view of Rome. It was easy to spot St. Peter's Basilica on one side and the Colosseum on the other. The next adventure was the public bathroom inside the building. While it isn't meant to be an experience, there is nothing quite like standing in a WC line while the little Italian lady barks orders at all the tourists. It was definitely memorable! In my research for our time in Rome, I found lots of tour choices. Rebecca narrowed down her top two things to see in Rome to the Colosseum and the Vatican. We decided the Walks of Italy VIP Colosseum Night Tour sounded fascinating. It had a convenient meeting point right outside the Victor Emanuel Monument with a smaller group size. The tour guide gave us just enough information without it being overwhelming. We got an overview look at Palatine Hill then slowly strolled our way towards the Colosseum. Once at the Colosseum we had a group timed entry and then an official Colosseum guide took over. This guide was impressive! We learned so much and our tour took us to the underground and the arena floor. It was really fascinating to see the inside of it all. Not to mention, that as we were touring, the sun was setting and the lights started illuminating the structure. We felt pretty lucky to get to experience it at night with no heat, no sun, and no crowds! We were proud of ourselves that we were able to take the metro back to our hotel with no problems. While the metro in Rome isn't that extensive, we were able to use it several time and found it to be easy to navigate. Planning Note: I booked this tour months in advance, since it is only offered certain days and sells out. We arrived in town with plenty of time to have evening plans. Many of the tour companies listed in the guidebook offer RS discounts, student discounts, and multiple tour discounts. |
1 July: Day ThirteenHighlights of the Day:
Technically, we visited a fifth country this morning: Vatican City.
I had booked a Vatican Privileged Entrance Express Small Group Tour with The Roman Guy. It allowed us to be one of the first groups into the Vatican. Our tour gave us a small sample of the HUGE museum, and it was just the right amount. Much of the museum is room after room of Roman statues. Of course, the first highlight is seeing the Sistine Chapel. Our guide had given us some excellent information about the Sistine Chapel while we were outside waiting in line since they are not allowed to guide inside this room. So we were able to just sit and stare at the ceiling and marvel at it. "No fotos" is what the Italian guards are constantly yelling. I would have loved to have sneaked a photo, but no way did I want those Italian guards to scold me. Rebecca and I did reminisce about our last visit to the Sistine Chapel. We almost didn't get to see it on our Heart of Italy tour because the night before we arrived in Rome, Rebecca was hit by a stomach bug. She was a brave trooper as we headed off to the Vatican. Our memory of the Sistine Chapel was both of us desperately hoping she wasn't going to vomit all over the Pope's floor. We couldn't imagine what those harsh Italian guards would say! Thankfully we never had to find out, and we just have a funny childhood story about what almost happened! The second highlight in the Vatican is St. Peter's Basilica. It is huge, impressive, and crowded! Our guide mentioned that it is the largest church in the smallest country! Rebecca and I found the guy on the floor cleaner machine hilarious. He zipped around on the little mini floor Zamboni, weaving around the tourists like it was a game. When our tour finished we went to the Vatican Post Office to mail ourselves a post card. The picture of the Pope on the stamp was our only Pope sighting. The rest of the day we acted like the Romans and lingered over lunch and took a mid-day break. Our final adventure with our tour members was a group dinner. On a My Way Tour only breakfast is provided, but Travis arranged an optional group dinner. We all thought it was a fabulous idea and enjoyed the chance to have one last gathering. Sadly, our tour was over. What a fun, memory-filled adventure! Thanks to Travis Smith and all our fellow tour members for such a great trip! I know Rebecca and I will be saying to each other for years to come, "Remember that time on our Europe trip..." |