After our wonderful getaway to Dublin, we flew across Europe to Rome! I had not been back to Italy since 2007 and I. COULD. NOT. CONTAIN. MYSELF. It was also the place where we would meet up with April, so it felt like many fun things were in store!
Our Airbnb was perfect for our group and it had a lovely little balcony that made us feel like we were truly in Italy. I cooked up a delicious lunch to celebrate.
In addition to delicious Italian offerings such as prosciutto, cheese, vino, and cappuccino, Italy is also home to the RENAISSANCE! If it’s good enough for Michelangelo, it’s good enough for me.
Right away we saw the Vatican. It always takes my breath away.
Surprisingly, the kids were big fans. We prepped them beforehand and let them know they would see a lot of naked people in statues and paintings. Slightly different than life in Cairo…
Finally we made our way to the Sistine Chapel. As photos aren’t allowed in the chapel, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get a pic of Michelangelo’s masterpiece. What I did not realize, however, that I am married to a super sneaky sleuth of a man who captured this photographic gem!
Love that man.
Other sightseeing musts included the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum. We stayed in the Monti neighborhood of Rome which is walkable to most sights – though sometimes the kids wore us down and we opted for an Uber instead/bought them gelato so they would be more manageable.
Jake and April WOULD have been in this photo but Jake feels obligated to read every single posted paragraph at a museum or famous landmark so to say he was a couple minutes behind us is an understatement. Way to be a student of history, Jake!
Our Rome vacay was a lovely mix of sightseeing and convincing the kids to walk just a liiiiiiiiiiiittle farther. Most times they showed great opposition to this. When they asked me “How much farther?” I got in the habit of replying with, “Only 5 minutes!” in my cheeriest of voices even though it was a complete lie.
Walking, walking…
Many trips ended up with one of the adults carrying the 5 year old… And when we got tired of walking, we would head back to the apartment.
I did a lot of helping out in the kitchen.
And cooking meals for everyone.
The food in Rome was delicious and I don’t think we ate enough.
Christmas definitely looked a little different, but the kids were troopers! It was very laid back and QUITE enjoyable even though we didn’t have Christmas decorations, ate no Christmas cookies, and there was zero lefse to be found.
One of the coolest experiences we had in Rome was going to an opera concert in a church! Our group split up and we left the kids behind, for obvious reasons.
There was also a ballerina that came out for certain songs and danced her little heart out! During the intermission she smoked a few cigs in the church courtyard outside. So very European of her.
Since we moved to Egypt Kyle and I have decided that we should probably take more of an interest in football. That’s soccer for all you Americans. Mostly this hobby manifests into trying to watch a football game on TV every once in a blue moon (which is very tricky here) and purchasing overpriced jerseys for Kannon. Since we would be in Rome, we figured this would be the perfect time to watch a Roma game!
Jake, Kyle and I left the kids back at home and set out for the stadium in an Uber. It was slightly chilly (compared to Cairo) so we bundled up in hats and scarves. Kyle was so excited to wear his new Guinness beanie that he left it in the Uber on the way to the game. I thought he was going to cry and we mourn that hat to this day. RIP.
Here we are.
The Roma game was full of exuberant fans, smoke bombs, singing in Italian, and a little bit of soccer. On the way home it was impossible to catch an Uber so we walked aimlessly down a busy road in the dark and found a metro station and I was very frustrated and I almost divorced my husband. I am happy to report that we’re still going strong!
On our last night in the Eternal City we celebrated Kathy’s birthday at this delicious restaurant with a very enthusiastic wait staff.
Our time in Rome was unforgettable – the best part was spending it with people we love. We can’t wait to all be together again!
