Ottimo!

Buono Notte

Rome has been an adventure of extremes. In the amazing pictures I've been able to take, you would never know it, but this is a very dirty, often times scary, town. Sam and I have good heads on our shoulders. Her especially, being from Chicago. We've looked out for each other, despite both of us being a little under the weather the past two days.

I didn't mention it in my last post, but Saturday was the big day. I have my aunt and uncle's Rick Steves' guidebook with us, but aside from that, we have been making/inventing our own tours and adventures about town. On Saturday, we took the Metro to the Collosseo stop, and the second we stepped out of the station, BAM, the hulking mass of ancient architectural genius loomed above us. I'm not exactly sure how long we stood there before we picked our jaws off the ground and set off to snapping shots, me with my gelatto, of course. After lunch, Sam wasn't feeling well and decided to go back to the hostel to rest. But I had to see the forum, explore Julius Caesar's temple, the alleged ruins of Romulus and Remus's house, the ancient gardens, Capital hill, Basilica of Constantine, Arch of Titus, and the Curia (senate house). All of these ruins/buildings are contained in a fairly condensed area, and are just stunning. Standing in front of the spot where they burned Caesar's body, where Marc Antony spoke to the masses, what a moment.

Tonight, we decided to treat ourselves. Raising a glass to improved health, we dined on true Roman cuisine and some delicious house wine. I ordered the canneloni al forno (rolls of egg pasta, stuffed with meat, baked in the oven) and Sam had the Rigittoni Vegetariano. The outdoor seating just a block from the Pantheon was so pleasant. The restaurant was small, and we actually shared a table with another couple from Austria. We came to find that, not only did they speak engligh (VERY exciting!), but that the woman had actually been to Knoxville before! We had a laugh about Dollywood and had a very pleasant meal together.

After dinner we wandered down to see the Trevi Fountain at dusk, what a site. Despite the crowds, we managed to take some really nice shots, and, of course, throw our coints into the fountain for a wish.

For as much as we've seen, I would have never anticipated how much traveling and site-seeing takes out of you. Both here and in London, I've fallen into bed utterly exhausted every night. But the exhaustion is more than worth the euphoria of the journey. I've met people, seen plays, and visited sites that I'll never forget or ever experienced otherwise.

One last busy day ahead of us here in Roma. I'ved loved this side-trip, but am very much ready to return to London, and back home not so far after that!