Showing posts with label Rome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rome. Show all posts

7.21.2012

Italia: Pompeii & Naples

Like I said, in the 3 days that I was in Rome with my family we saw more than I could have hoped for. Last time I told you about the mind-blowingly awesome city of Rome and the beautiful mansion in Tivoli. Next we spent the day touring Pompeii! It was a really humbling, eye-opening and exciting experience.

In college, I took a highly intellectual class called "natural disasters" (best GE ever!). Anyway, we spent a lot of time talking about Mt. Vesuvius and the tragic end of Pompeii. Seeing the city with my own eyes, walking the ancient and perfectly preserved Roman streets, looking at the body's of victims encased and preserved in ash... wow.

I am really happy we made the three hour drive to Pompeii because it was a once in a lifetime type of day. I could go on about how in awe I am with the Romans and everything they did and invented but whenever I do that people tend to look at me like I've completely lost it. My brother and I went around the rest of the weekend claiming that Americans are the modern day Romans. I fully agree with our idea. The Romans were pretty bad ass and we have that in common with them.

Just saying...













On our way home we broke up the drive by stopping in Naples for lunch. Now, Naples is straight Italian. Like Jersey Shore but in real life. The people looked pretty rough and tumble but the landscape was breathtaking. The blue water and the volcano in the background. It was a perfect lunch spot and now we can say we had pizza in the place where pizza was invented! How about that? Oh yeah, and shaved ice. Literally, shaved off a giant block of ice by hand.











7.15.2012

When in Rome...

I fell in absolute love with Rome. It was just astonishing and such a wonderful weekend with my family! We were so spoiled in our rooms at the Eden Hotel right by the Spanish Steps where we would end every night. In three days, we saw so many things and more history than I could wrap my mind around. All the ruins are unbelievable. Obviously, all of Europe has a rich history and beautiful old buildings but no other country can compare their history with the Roman history.

Rome is literally a city built on top of an ancient city. It is an archeologist's dream! We traveled to the lovely city of Tivoli one day and saw a beautiful mansion with the most eye catching fountains that are completely powered by gravity and the force of the water - no electricity! We stood in a room where half the floor was changed into a glass floor so you could see the ancient ruins they have found right underneath the floor of this mansion. It is crazy!

We enjoyed our family time together eating pizza, bruschetta, cafe and of course gelato! It felt so great to be in a HOT city..I could rock my usual Cali clothes: shorts and a tank! I felt at home. I would love to go back to Rome again and if you have not been there yet, please do me a favor and put it on your list! You could never regret a trip to Rome!

Tivoli:















Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City




Roma!!