Our Roman Holiday... Part 1: Sicily to Rome, The Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum

Okay... So here it is, the first installment to the Rome trip. I know there are a bunch of pictures, but I just have to try and fit in some of everything. As hard as it was to take Aidan, who is now three and definitely at the terrible stage of it, on this grand adventure, we had a really great time. We drove the 1482 miles from Catania to Messina, Villa San Giovanni to Roma, Roma to Firenze, and Firenze to Pisa and back home again. It was a long and terrifying drive (the Italians are really scary drivers), but we made it safely to all destinations. We left our house at 4AM and arrived in Roma at our hotel around 3PM. Not bad timing if I may say. We made it to the ferry crossing at Messina right before sunrise and got to watch the colors change as we waited for our ferry. And so, this is where the picture barrage begins...

The Straits of Messina at sunrise.

Aidan anticipating the ferry ride across the straits.

Aidan looking at the boats moored and wondering when she gets to ride one.

Here it comes across the straits.

Our ferry docking.

Aidan running around the decks of the ferry... The Italians looked on. We are obviously tourists.

Meredith took this one of Aidan standing next to an Italian man.

The view of Villa San Giovanni.

Aidan would have been happy just riding the ferry back and forth for the whole trip.

This was her constant companion on the long drive. She had a bunch of movies to watch.

Not even hunger deterred her from the DVD player.

Meredith tried to sleep, but the urge to shoot pictures throughout the drive kept her awake.

After the long drive, we just stayed at the hotel the first night and took a long swim in the outdoor pool, ate at the hotel restaurant (which was really good food), and got a good night sleep.

The next day, we were off early for a tour of the ancient city of Roma.

The Roman city walls.

Our first glimpse of the Amphitheatrum Flavium, better known as the Colosseum.

A little out of order, but here I am sitting in line inside the Colosseum.

The official sign on the walls of the Colosseum.

This is where the taxi dropped us... our first stop on a long day of walking tours and adventure.

The arches of the Colosseum...

Meredith standing outside the Colosseum.

Aidan in her luxurious stroller... lucky girl.

Our own Roman guard...

And another... needless to say, they don't tell you that you have to pay them for taking the picture with you... 10 euro a piece... lesson learned.

Original section of column.

Mosaic.

Aidan listening to the little radio that the guide used to do the tour.

Meredith listening intently to the Italian tour guide.

Original flooring of the Colosseum.

View from the third tier of the Colosseum.

View to the floor...

Meredith and Aidan... out for a stroll.

View from the other end of the Colosseum.

View of the Piazza San Francesca Romana...

Meredith, Aidan, and me... the Arch of Constantine in the background.

Me, Aidan and Meredith... Aidan was not too happy at this point, I think it had started sprinkling and she was mad that she was getting a little wet.

A sweet moment between me and Aidan.

One last look down onto the floor.

Meredith.

Me and Aidan.

Aidan got a "sunbrella" as she called it and I got to bask in the sun... or rather, suffer from heatstroke.

Here she is under her "sunbrella".

Just one more of me outside the Colosseum... for posterity.

And one of Meredith too.

The view of the Colosseum from Palatine Hill.

The gates to Palatine Hill.

The building across the street from the Palatine Hill.

Our tour group and the first set of steps up to the top of the hill... uh oh, stroller!

Ruins on the way up the hill...

Aidan was asleep when we made it to the Palatine Hill... Our tour guide said she would get some of the men in the group to help carry the stroller up the hill, but before she could ask, these two men from California offered to carry it. Then they waited at all the steps to carry her up. They were very nice to help us out.

The view of Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

Our Aussie tour guide Hannah... our tour was English speaking, but we had Aussies, Kiwis, Americans, Dutch, and maybe more.

More views...

Domitian's Stadium...

More of the hill...

Meredith posing on the hill...

Me posing too...

Some old buildings and pillars...

These are bird houses in the Palatine gardens...

Meredith, Aidan and me overlooking the Roman Forum.

Aidan finally awake and out of the stroller, taking a walk in the gardens.

A little maze within the gardens... we tried to get Aidan to run around, but she was still too tired.

She did however play with Meredith's sunglasses and tried to catch the moment...

It's a bird... it's a plane...

A grotto on the way down to the forum...

Aidan on her leash with Meredith... good thing too, she tried to jump in the water.

Views of the forum...

The great orator...

Jumping down from her pedestal.

There are too many ruins and structures in the forum to remember them all, so I am just not going to comment on them all...

Me and Aidan waiting for Meredith to catch up...

Me and Aidan taking a rest...

Meredith...

Well, that is it for this part of our Roman tour... The next addition will come out soon. To include, the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. Stay tuned.

Until then... Ciao!