This town was everything we could have hoped for: walkable streets, fascinating history, sunshine, friendly people, amazing food. I stayed in a lovely apartment close to the Colusseum with three other IES teachers (two American, one Irish) and we enjoyed several days of exploring Rome during our week away from the classroom.
We saw all the classic historical sites: the Pantheon, the Colusseum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, the old market squares, and the Forum. We sat in the sunshine in piazzas and by fountains and overlooking the Tiber River. Taking an overpriced ride across the city in a horse-drawn carriage was one of the highlights of our visit, as was an organized pub tour one evening, during which we met many charming locals. We were surprised by how few tourists were in the city and how inexpensive it was to eat out, especially compared with Stockholm.
We had a few unexpected moments, including losing our map at an inopportune time, struggling with the Italian plumbing system, visiting the Vatican on a day the Pope was sick, getting laundry stuck in a washer, and hearing our names called over the loudspeaker at an airport in Latvia because we were confused about time differences. Other than that, though, it was all fun and sun and gelato!
 |
| Our apartment. |
 |
| Hope's bedside table. |
 |
| Welcome wine. |
 |
| Sneaky picture of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. |
|
 |
| Wine in front of Trevi Fountain on our last night in Rome. |
