Roma: Part Deux

I.Love.Italian.Food.From.Italy.

It is amazing! So different than Italian food in the states. No more Olive Garden or Carinos for me! The only place I can think of that comes close...is a place called Vespaio in Austin. And that's fusion of some sort! But if I have any readers from the ATX, head over to Vespaio for a fancy dinner one night. It's worth it!

Here, they treat us like Royalty because we have a BAMBINO! At the Vatican Museum, the would let us take shortcuts, directing us to other places. Show us the elevators, let us to the front of lines/etc. IN restaurants, the wait staff act like we've done them this ENORMOUS favor by bringing in the baby! And they let him run rampant in the restaurant and think it's darling. SO different than in France. IN Paris, they let you into the mayhem that is the Louvre and say.. GO. See if you can find the elevator!

Anyways, Michael and I spent the rest of yesterday afternoon shopping around in the neighborhood we're staying in. Michael took a humungous 2 hour nap (WHOOP!). For dinner, we went around the corner to a place called Target, which delicious and trendy. Wish Rick Steves' would have mentioned that since we showed up in blue jeans and Michael just had a food stained track suit over his pajamas. EEK.

During the meal, MIchael hurt himself. There was a set of 3 steps and he was climbing up them. I wasn't watching closely enough b/c I was tired (although it is no excuse). He kind of did this weird fall back thing and got a little bitty cut on his chin and a small bruise about the size of a dime. :o( . It only takes a second for the kid to hurt himself and it's always the second where I am not watching.

Today, Michael and I went to the Colliseum, Palatine Hill, AND Roman Forum! I am amazed I made it home because I carried MIchael in the Ergo the entire way. I thought my legs were going to give out from under me after it! Wish I could post pictures. I had to take my Canon Point and Shoot and watch MIchael/carry him at the same time so I didn't get the kind of shots I wanted. But hey, better some than NONE.

The ruins were absolutely amazing. Talk about history coming to life. The Rick Steves' tours were absoultely essential and super informative. I had a bit of trouble at Palatine Hill, but eventually found most things. I missed 2 things but by then was so tired of hiking around that I just gave up.

I can't put into words how neat it is to see these kind of things in real life...the scale/magnitude of it all. EVERYTHING. I'll just have to post pics when I get home.

Michael was super funny today. He was in copy cat mode:

He saw me holding up my camera to take a picture today so he then held up his wagon wheel and tried to take a picture with it.

While sitting on the bus, he saw me reach over to grab onto the pole next to the window. So he in turn decided to help me with the pole as well and held on as long as I did. Then he flirted with a girl in another seat.

When we got back to the room, he brought me my camera, gave it to me...and then gave me this huge cheesy grin. I tried to give it back, but he just pushed the camera back at me. That was when I realized, he wanted me to take pictures of him! So I have these 3 super funny pictures of MIchael grinning and posing for the Camera. HOW PRECIOUS. Gotta love it.

Michael is in a MUCH better mood today b/c he slept much better last night and got almost 11 hours of sleep.

Well, I wanted to go shopping this afternoon, but I just am too tired. So we're gonna hang around until Brian gets home and eat dinner together. Tomorrow, I may go do the Travestere walk in the morning untiL Brian gets back after lunch. Then we're all heading over to the Borghese gallery and dinner on Campo de Feori.

LOVE THIS ROME PLACE!
P