Whew! What a trip. The flight over to Rome was 9 hours. We arrived at 8:20am, and hit the floor running. Hubby had someone meeting him so we braved customs and baggage by ourselves. Met back up again and made plans to meet him in Rome after he had gotten settled. (he was staying at a hotel close to the airport) So we grabbed our stuff and found the train to take us into the city. Got to the Termini station and found an info booth that could tell us where our hotel was...a block a way. The brochure had said to take a taxi...hello.. why? We quickly learned how to cross the streets, Italian style. Found the hotel..our room wasn't ready. So they stowed our luggage.

Hubby showed up a while later and we headed back out to the Termini to find the Metro. We wandered around a bit and found it and the ticket booths downstairs. Off to the Colosseum (it was the 1st subway ride for us and the kids were a bit freaked about how crowded it was) It was sprinkling a bit and there were umbrella vendors everywhere, I think they got a little surly that we didn't need one. We actually went to the Roman Forum first, took lots of pictures there. Great ruins. Then we walked around the Colosseum and the Arch. We didn't go in like we had planned because the wait was too long and everyone was drooping from jetlag and lack of sleep. (hint, if you want to bypass the lines go to the Palatine Hill next to it and get combo ticket for the museum there and the Colosseum..no wait) Back on the Metro, said our good-byes to hubby as he headed back and we went to the hotel and crashed for about 4 hours. Woke up in time to eat dinner at a divine pizzeria just down from the hotel...awesome pasta!! (and waiters oozing charm...lol) I really got a kick out of the fact that a liter of wine was the same price as the kids soda, guess which one I got? lol

Day 2, hit the floor running at 6 am. Went down for the breakfast buffet at the hotel. I liked, the kids didn't. Out the door heading for the Metro. Got off and it was pouring down rain..finally broke down and bought an umbrella (haggled the price though) Went to the Capitoline (spelling) Museum above the Forum. Was actually 3 building in a piazza there that was connected underground. Great museum! Youngest one started complaining about the lack of clothes in ancient times...lol. We headed to the Pantheon (rain had stopped and sun had come out..yes!) and then the Trevi fountain. (no we didn't throw any coins in..we were low on euros)

Ate lunch at...McDonald's. Shesh we come all the way to Rome and eat at Mccy D's. Got about 3 blocks away and youngest realizes that she left her bag there. She spins and breaks the sound barrier running back. Bag gone from chair, she asks the mamager if anyone has seen it. He asks her what it looks like and whats in it. Guess what? Someone turned it in. Whew! (had her digital camera and the guide book with the map among other things)

Back out we go. See the Spanish Steps and walk through the Spagna shopping district. I can hear my credit cards whimpering, but they remained firmly in my bag. Middle one had her sweet 16 in the middle of Gucci, Prada, etc. We found a pair of jeans and a headband that didn't break the bank on the next street over. Kept walking and ended up in Piazza del Popolo where there was an Egyptian obelisk. By now the kids were getting tired of walking and we had seen all the major things on our list, so we headed back to the Metro and the hotel. Crashed again for 3 hours and off to the pizzeria again. The waiter remembered us and another wonderful meal was had. (had the best pizza there) Loved the chocolate gelato!!

Got up early again, showers for everyone, checked out. Took the train back to the airport and then flew home (10 hours) Drank about 3 cups of coffee on the flight..missed that most of all. The coffee over in Italy is too...um. different.