Rome...Part 1!

One year ago, we booked a very special trip for our family.  It came out of the blue & we made the decision very quickly.  In fact, it wasn't one my husband even wanted to take ~ but since he loves me so much, he decided to take the chance on this trip!  We just returned from a trip to the Eastern Mediterranean and it turned out to be one of the most AMAZING trips we have ever taken ~ and one we will never forget!

Our first stop was Rome, Italy ~ Ahhh....ROMA!  I was in shell shock when we arrived, but it didn't take long to fall in love with this beautiful city.  We stayed right in the center of it so we could walk everywhere and my amazing brother-in-law was the most amazing tour guide (he lived there for a year while in college).  Our little hotel (more like a B&B), was called Case De' Flori and it was just charming.  It is located in the Compo del Flori Piazza where there are many outdoor cafes and an outdoor market that is set up each morning.  It was the perfect location.  Inside, we each had a lovely room on a few different floors of the hotel, and then we enjoyed a fabulous common living room area where we could all gather to visit.  Here is the family out front. 

The streets of Rome are about 3 inches wide, but they manage to get all their Smart Cars & Vespa motor scooters through there.  

After we checked in to the hotel, we walked through the city to go find some lunch.

Although Matt was half asleep, we managed to drag him through the streets and outdoor vendors on our way to lunch.

Just at the end of the street beyond where this picture of Matt and Richard was taken, this is what I saw... Piazza Novona!

We found a wonderful outdoor cafe called Vacanze Romane ~ we had real Italian Pizza!

This gorgeous church was in the Piazza ~ just lovely & the day was PERFECT!

Matt by the fountain in the Piazza ...

And Tim took a pose too!

Each day the local artists set up beautiful booths to sell their crafts.  It was such a colorful display!

On the way back, we stopped for a visit to the Pantheon!

the inside was amazing!

Around every corner there was something new and wonderful to see!

Tim and I shared a kiss on the Spanish Steps.

The Spanish Steps & then we found another outdoor cafe for dinner.  That was the end of Day #1 in Roma!

Day #2 ~  we started off going to the market outside our hotel for fresh pastry and fruit from the Campo del Flori.  After that, we walked to the several historical landmarks ~ The Forum, Colosseum, Gesu Church, Campidogllo, and the Monumento Vittorio Emanuelle.

The Forum 

The Colosseum

Uncle Shawn with Matt & Megan at the Colosseum 

Inside the Colosseum 

Back to The Forum

These cool Umbrella Pines were all over the city. 

Meg poses at the Forum

Uncle Shawn has a "Jesus Help Me Moment" ~ it was a tad hot!

Tim, Meg and Matt at the Forum

 More ruins at the Forum 

After that was had lunch and then headed back to the hotel and took a nap!  Later that evening we had dinner at the outdoor restaurant across from the hotel called Ristorante de Pancrazio ~ it was an AMAZING meal.

OK ~ that was the first 2 days of our trip but that's it for my post today.  I'll post the rest of Rome and the many other places we visited in the next few days.  Enjoy!