D138 -- When in Rome...

We got a late start today so lunch had to be quick. Thomas grabbed some takeaway pizza and Sarah and I went for sandwiches from a place around the corner. Oh my goodness! The most fabulous sandwich I've ever eaten – buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil on delicious focaccia bread.

I need a moment to regain my composure here...

Okay. Thomas had some errands to run so Sarah and I went to tour Palatine Hill on our own. It's the hill overlooking the Forum where the emperors used to live. We saw the remains of a sprawling mansion and also the spot where Romulus, the founder of Rome, lived. Down the hill and on the other side of the Forum we visited the jail where Peter was kept before his crucifixion. It was a small, dank, underground room. The column he was chained to is still there. Creepy. We walked over to the Pantheon and met up with Thomas there. That is one well-built temple! It dates back all the way to the second century A.D. but is still in excellent condition. That's largely thanks to the Catholic church, which converted it from a temple to all gods (thus the name) to a church. Since it was a church it was kept up over the years, and you can see it today almost exactly as it was 1800 years ago. Cool!

Sarah appeared to enjoy all the sightseeing, but she seemed as impressed with the Roman nightlife as she was with the monuments. Campo de' Fiori, where our apartment is located, is a flower and vegetable market by day, and a popular social spot by night. And when in Rome you must do as the Romans do, so . . . we decided to booze it up with the locals. In Rome you can actually buy a bottle of beer at a bar and just walk around drinking it – even right in front of the police. Now, all this is very new to my niece, of course. I don't want to give you the impression we're contributing to the delinquency of a minor here . . . she's legal to drink in Italy, and since she was being supervised by responsible adults such as ourselves, we figured it was a-okay. Our first stop was Piazza Navona, one of the more famous piazzas in town, with a great big Bernini fountain in the middle of it. Whoa! We'd walked a whole 3 blocks – time for a dessert break at Tre Scalini! Next up: the Pantheon at night;

the Spanish Steps; and the Trevi Fountain. They say if you throw a coin in you will come back to Rome some day. I hope it works!

We had some delicious gelato at Giolitti on the way home and then hung out in front of the apartment with some of the locals before turning in. I couldn't really tell if Sarah was having fun or not. What do you think?

-Elva