The first night out in Rome was a great way to start the trip off. Wine was served like water, food seemed to be endless, and we were serenaded by some local Italian heroes, too bad I didn't bring a date on this trip. We then headed back to the hotel and collapsed into our beds for what seemed like a matter of seconds before we were up and at it again. The buffet breakfast was a quick one as we put back some coffee and headed towards the Vatican. The lead up to the Sistine chapel was magnificent as we walked through old sculptures and tapestries that seemingly illustrated every page of the bible. The chapel itself was remarkable, and with camera nazis everywhere, Ethan managed to snap a picture of the ceiling. Typical rebellious behavior for him. Nothing out of the ordinary, just Ethan doing Ethan things. Risking the family's livelihood just for some quick fun, not complaining, just pointing out a fact.
Then we took the quick walk to St. Peter's Basilica, which was much needed. I needed some holiness in my life after seeing gorgeous Italian girl after gorgeous Italian girl. I mean, it's just simply radar overload out here. It is hard to describe the grandness and beauty of the sculptures and the intricate designs that seemed to cover every inch of the walls. Simply one of the best places we've ever been. All of the Italian shops that surround the Basilica talk about sending items to the Basilica to have them blessed and then brought back to your hotel. I tried to see if they could do that with Ethan... Sadly, the shop owners all said that it would take more than a blessing to fix him.
The colosseum was up next. Our trip advisor managed to get us on to the actual floor of the colosseum, where one of the most legendary battles in its 2,000 year history was fought. Derek vs. Ethan. It was simply a blowout. I ended him in the first round practically 15 seconds in. The crowd was booing because it happened so quickly. It was like Ali vs. Liston. Complete obliteration. In all seriousness though, it was hard to grasp the true age of this huge stadium. Maybe it was because the general design of stadiums hasn't changed since then, or maybe it was because the relative completeness that still stands after 2 millennia. After the colosseum, it was time for a much needed nap.
The afternoon consisted of touring all of the major fountains and squares in Rome, which were all magnificent. Again, radar overload. I can't describe them accurately in words so hopefully a few pictures will do them justice. We ended the night by devouring some pizza and taking a nice stroll through the tight back streets as the sun set over the pastel buildings and turned the sky a soft pink. It was a fantastic second night and sleep was welcomed quickly.
It was another early morning and we are now off on a 6 hour bus ride towards Venice. Hopefully I manage not to throw Ethan out the window before we get there.