Day 13: Rome

Wanting to delay facing the intense heat of yet another day in Rome, we did what we do best...slept in! But, we had yet to do the one major thing that we wanted to do in Rome (The Colosseum) and our tour bus ticket would expire at 12, so we rushed out the door and got to the bus for one last ride....with 30 minutes to spare! Upon arriving at the Colosseum, we decided to do the other thing that we do best...eat! Since we hadn't done breakfast, we decided an early lunch and an early dinner would be perfect. We found a cute little restaurant called Al Gladiatore where we could chow down while looking at the glorious Colosseum. The restaurant had a special where you could get garlic bread, a pizza, and a dessert for 12 dollars, so we both indulged-- Kyle choosing the Daviola pizza (spicy salami and mozzarella cheese) and a Margharita Pizza for me with 2 Tiramisu's for dessert (I apologize for butchering the spelling of all these food names!).

Delightfully full from our lunch we headed for our intended destination, and were excited to find out that if we did the audio tour (for just an additional $4.50) we could forego the 30-45 minute line wait! This benefitted us even more so because we were both really interested in the history of the Colosseum. Expecting the traditional headset we were surprised to find that we were instead, handed a phone to hold up to our ears where we could dial different numbers to coordinate with the different stops throughout. Very cool! The Colosseum was so impressive to see, and we learned lots of interesting facts. For instance, if you were a prisoner on death row, they'd throw you in to fight the gladiators with no armor or weapons...how cruel! We decided that watching the movie Gladiator was a must-do once we got home!

Conveniently, the other stop on our agenda for the day was right across the street. We made our way up Palantine Hill and through the Roman Forum, where we could see more Roman ruins and get a spectacular view of Rome. We were particularly excited about the archeological dig that was taking place, which made us think of cousin Sarah! I wonder if they found anything interesting that day!

By this point we were hot and had sweated away the gobs of sunscreen applied earlier. We decided to freshen up at the hotel before grabbing dinner. Despite the fact that I was starving, it was reinforced once again that my 5:30 dinner time is not acceptable because all of the restaurants around us were not going to reopen after lunch until 7pm. We endured to tortuous wait (the things I'll do for Italian food!) and headed to an adorable little restaurant called Al Grappolo D'oro. Having seen a serving of Spaghetti Carbonara the night before, I decided to be brave and try something new, and Kyle tried another version of Gnocchi. Both were super delicious! We also ordered 2 different desserts, the ever-faithful Tiaramasu and a Hot Apple Cake that was recommended by the waiter. Now, before you start thinking that we are total pigs, I must remind you that in Italy, pasta is only considered the 1st course, usually followed by a second course of some kind of meat. Their pasta portions are much smaller here (which means that they're actually the perfect size...no leftovers!), and it's usually expected that you order more...hence why they always reset the table after you eat the pasta. Kyle and I were never up for another course, but felt bad just leaving after pasta, so that's why we always ordered dessert! How convenient for all involved!

We retired back to our hotel after yet another lovely evening in Rome. We were sad that Rome was coming to an end, but super excited to head to Florence, which Ryan has dubbed the best city in Italy! Let's see if it lives up to it's reputation!

- Laura