Rome

I got to the airport in plenty of time, but it ended up not mattering: my flight was delayed for 2 hours! It started snowing in Germany just as I was leaving my hostel, and a thick enough coat fell that the runway had to be plowed and the plane had to be de-iced before we could take off. Finally at 12:30, 20 minutes after I should have arrived in Rome, we took off.

I was supposed to meet the group at the hotel at 4 pm that day, and I slid into the hotel lobby at 4:05. I was still able to hear the orientation lecture and everything. Our Contiki guide is a spunky Italian lady who is originally from Rome, so she has a lot of insight and a list of her top 10 things to do in every city.

The first day in Rome we went out for dinner at an all-you-can-eat pizza restaurant where the owner showed us how he made dough. There was also a pianist and a singer there. The singer was a short older man who kept coming up and singing at me, since I was seated closest to the piano. I was so very uncomfortable the entire time. People took videos and I'm sure I was beet red. But he was a very nice man, and after a while I started going along with him.

Then we went for a walking tour of the city. It would have been nice, but it was pouring rain the entire time! We did see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain (under construction, unfortunately, so I didn't get to throw my coin in), and the cathedral of Sant'Agnese in Agone with the gorgeous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of four rivers).

The next day my boots were soaked, so I had to wear my yoga pants and gym shoes around. We started out the morning with a tour of the Colosseum and the Forum. Oh, they were unbelievably gorgeous. They're over 2000 years old, and there's just so much history there. Walking through the Forum was like a dream come true for me. The Colosseum has lived through so much, it's truly staggering when you think about it.

Then we had free time. The Pope was giving a blessing at noon, so I teamed up with some other people and hightailed it over to the Vatican. I can't believe I saw Pope Francis! Of course he was a little speck in a window, but usually I see him on TV, not in person!

Then we took a quick look around the Pantheon and grabbed some lunch from a little restaurant. Then we wandered around the city some more, eating gelato and taking in the sights. We ended up at the crypts of the Cappucini friars, which are unique because the crypts are decorated with the bones of the dead for Cappucini friars. There was an entire room where the center design on the wall was made of pelvis bones. I thought it was gruesome, and didn't much like it.

Then we met back at the Four Rivers fountain to have dinner. Tonight we made our own pasta! From making the dough to rolling it out over and over again to cutting out the ravioli, we made our own dinner. It was a very thorough lesson, and I enjoyed myself immensely. And my goodness, with a little sauce, our pasta was delicious!!

Then we grabbed a drink at the bar. The good thing about a group this size (about 40 people) is that we bring our own party wherever we go.

This morning we has breakfast and left the hotel to go visit the Vatican, with the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Now that was one amazing experience. I don't want to go into it now, I'll add more later, as well as some pictures (I'm taking some really nice pics).

Afterwards our tour guide told us where some amazing street food pizza was. I had a slice of cheese and prosciutto, and another slice of mushroom alfredo. And she was right, it was really delicious.

Then we left for Florence.