ROME

We took an overnight train from Munich to Rome, Italy...it was the worst sleep ever!  Joyce and I were excited to finally get to Italy and to meet up with our friend, Jen Diggins, who was joining our travel adventures for 8 days.  We (Joh, Joyce and Jen) met up at the apartment that we rented in Rome (sleepinitaly.com is a great website), which was located near the Spanish steps.  We didn't waste any time during our first full day in Rome.  We saw the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Vatican museum (which has the Sistine Chapel).  Joyce commented on how the paintings on the Sistine Chapel were like 3D art.  And I have to agree that the pictures just popped out into your face.  Also, the Sistine Chapel is Michelangelo's interpretation of the fall and redemption of man through God. It was absolutely beautiful and a definite highlight of Rome.

 I have to say that most of our trip in Rome was hitting all of the touristy spots (which it was hard not too), because of the wealth of ancient Roman history and ruins that you must see.  We saw the Colosseum, the Forum, Palestine Hill, Trevi fountain (at night), St. Peter's Basilica - where we climbed the dome, which  has a spectacular view of Rome, the Borghese Gallery - which has amazing marble statues, especially the one of Napoleon's sister.  Also, Borghese's Gallery is located in a gorgeous park, which is a great place for a run (I had a great run).

We had two outstanding meals in Rome.  One at a place called Trattoria da Lucia located in the Traverstere area.  The pasta and veal were to die for and I think that the waiter would've also died for Jeeeenifurrr:-)  We had a great time that night!  The second restaurant, Cul de Sac, was located nearby Piazza Navona, which is a romantic and beautiful representation of Rome. The walls of Cul de Sac are filled with thousands of wine bottles. The wine here was amazing, which I paired with each course of our meal.

Side Note: Oh yeah, you can't forget about Joyce and Jen’s favorite part of Rome: The GELATO!!! Gelato is yummy goodness.  Joyce and Jen had fun trying out different types of gelatoes at different places to see which one was the best. However, Rome was just a precursor of other more delicious gelatos to taste throughout our trip in Italy.