Rome

We did go to Rome – and spent the whole of three hours in this awesome city. Bill and I had each been there independently before, but the kids never have. We decided on one sight to focus on: the colosseum. Sol has been watching a BBC series about the Roman Empire and was fascinated to now see the largest amphitheater in the world for real. We dug deep into our pockets and took a tour to make the most of our short time there, but also to avoid the immense line up. Since we had to be back on the train to Civitavecchia at 3.30 pm we didn’t have time to wait for two hours. We didn’t expect it to be so busy at this time of the year. Now we know: Rome is always in season!

Unfortunately Leonie did not enjoy herself. She was tired and hot and kept complaining, wanting to go to Karla and Stefan right away. She cheered up when we watched a street artist equipped with a gas mask. The artist airbrushed a picture of the colosseum by night in quick, routined and smooth movements. The picture was tacky, but the way she produced it was impressive.

As you can see it was a gorgeous day. Even the Roman soldiers were relaxed, chatting outside the colosseum. From the colosseum we walked along the Forum Romanum passed the Piazza Venezia and on to the

Fontana di Trevi. Sol took this picture which makes the sight look empty. Really there were thousands of visitors surrounding this gorgeous baroque fountain, marvelling at its size and beauty. We were wondering how you can even see anything in summer! We had a panini at an old bar by the fountain and then headed back to the nearest metro station. We made it in time onto the train, tired but happy about this intense side trip. Sol already asked if we can go back to Rome. The little taste he got made him hungry for more.

Once in Civitavecchia we climbed into our rental car which was waiting for us parked by the street with our luggage inside. After a quick espresso we were off to drive to Lago Bolsena where Karla and Stefan were waiting for us with dinner. We made it in time and were received most warmly in their beautiful home. Soon the olive harvest will start. We can’t wait to learn everything about this age old process.