Budget airlines: One of the little joys of living in Europe. Over the past year I have mastered the art of traveling on a budget… Especially to and from Oxford. But for my family, it was their first introduction to the bliss of Ryanair!
So we hopped a flight to Rome! And after a slight mishap, in which Dad and my non-brilliance with a map took us walking in the wrong direction for a few blocks, we found our Bed and Breakfast for the week… It was in a wonderful little back-streets, Roman neighborhood that was only about 3 blocks away from the Vatican… I was absolutely in love with the old, courtyard style apartment buildings in the area… Just about every other corner had some little, family-owed gelateria or pizzeria… And, of course, by day 2 my mother had found the fresh farmers market and bakery that were just across the street!
Our Bed and Breakfast… The entrance to the building had the most beautiful hard wooden doors, and iron gates that entered into a courtyard… It was all very “Casablanca.” <3
My favorite building in the neighborhood!… I was just slightly obsessed with the green shutters and ferns on the white architecture!… Seemed almost Spanish-inspired…
And Draytie and Carolyn ready for a day in Ancient Rome!
We woke up on the morning of Day 1, excited and ready for a day in “Ancient Rome”… And boy was it going to be a scorcher! The entire week, it was absolutely sweltering hot! We sweat out our weight in water everywhere we went, so poor Drayton got to be our water-pack-mule for the week… We were smart, though, and planned our outings for very early in the mornings… So by 1-2pm each afternoon we’d retire back to the B&B for an afternoon of movies, reading.. And the best part: NAPS! I don’t think I’ve ever taken so many mid-afternoon naps in my life, but it was absolutely amazing… We just knew that every day we would make time for a 2-4 hour nap in the heat of the day… Definitely a routine I could have gotten used to! :)
Bird Family Vacation 2011 begins!
Our first stop in Rome was, oh course, the Colosseum! A word to the wise, for anyone ever considering visiting the Eternal City: ALWAYS book online ahead of time. Our organizational skills and a little extra $ saved us hours of standing in massive lines in the sweltering sun! We showed up right as the doors to the Colosseum were opening on Tuesday morning, and walked right in! And boy, was it absolutely stunning to see in person! Truly an amazing engineering feat, that had all of us in awe!
The Colosseum!
After the Colosseum, we walked past the Arcus Constantini (Arc of Constantine) and headed toward Palantine Hill, one of the most ancient parts of the city.
Arcus Constantini (from the Colosseum) with Palantine Hill in the background…
Palantine Hill, in addition to being one of the 7 hills of Rome, is the rumored mythological site of Romulus and Remus. According to Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus were twin brothers that were raised by a she-wolf in a cave on Palantine Hill. The boys decided to build a great city, but the boys fought and Romulus killed Remus. Romulus then founded the “Eternal City”, which he named “Rome” after himself!
Palantine Hill, however, was also the site of the most “posh” neighborhood in Ancient Rome… It is covered with ruins of palaces from former governors and emperors. On one side, the hill overlooks the Circus Maximus and on the other, it towers above the Foro Romano (Roman Forum, ie. downtown Ancient Rome)…
The backside of Palatine Hill, looking out over the city… :)
From Palantine Hill we wandered towards the Foro Romano… Walking through the Foro Romano takes some imagination: To think of these ancient ruins as the bustling center of Rome during the time of Jesus Christ is pretty amazing… Even in ruins, it’s obvious what an amazing feat of engineering and architecture it was. A testament to the power and wealth of Rome; the global power of the ancient world!
Looking down on the Roman Forum from Palatine Hill!
Savoring a little bit of shade in the orange grove… We found a little water fountain, and were taking a break when Carolyn remarked that mom was going to leave us behind. Drayton and Dad then adamantly declared that our dear mother would NEVER do such a thing….
And then Drayton’s reaction when he realized our dear sweet mother had abandoned us. Don’t worry, we found her… That’s why we have a “Bird Call” :)
Typical of the whole trip: Drayton doing who knows what… Carolyn attempting to sleep/rest when and wherever possible… And me with the “History of Rome” book glued to my hand! Haha :)
With Love from Roma! ~Mary Elizabeth <3
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