Rome, Italy -

The girls have learned to dodge traffic... when we arrived Gordon warned them that the cars will not stop for them like they do in Stockholm.  They have learned that pedestrians, cars and scooters share the road pretty much equally here in Rome.  In Stockholm, you step off the curb and cars will immediately stop for you.

At St. Peter's Basilica there is a sign posted for the exit in five languages... Gabby noted 'utfart' was not included.

John told us that when people move out of apartments here they tend to leave things they cannot or do not want to move... he's hoping a few pieces will be left behind in the new apartment he and Francesca just bought.

It is wonderful to hear the church bells ringing all over Rome several times a day! 

Fancy bathrooms

The latest fancy bathroom I discovered in Stockholm is in the Rigoletto Theater on Kungsgatan...

Rome has a serious lack of fancy bathrooms... most bathrooms we've encountered have no toilet seat. 

Rome, Italy - Eataly

John and Francesca took us to Eataly... the same one as in NYC, but on steroids... four stories with a VIP restaurant on the top floor.  Opened about a year ago, it was built in an old train station that had been abandoned for two decades, only used by squatters.  I could easily spend a day here sorting through the endless selections of pasta, cheeses and chocolates.  The olive oil tasting area is serious business with olive oils from all over Italy.  All we managed to buy was a package of the best risotto... 19 Euro ($26)... the pressure is on!

As the elevator arrived to take us downstairs after dinner for gelato, John's son, Leo, was so excited he yelled out 'arriba'!!  with a perfectly rolled 'r'... making the girls giggled hysterically. 

Illy espresso cup chandelier... very fun!

The variety of fresh pastas is amazing!

White truffles, 440 Euro ($606)/100 gram

Calamari shaped pasta - cacio con pepe

pasta with truffles

The most expensive risotto in the world!

Gelato #4

Rome, Italy - Monday

The drying rack in the cabinet is so practical and functional!

Single file elevator

 

After a late start we arrived to find St. Peter's Basilica filled with massive crowds of people.

Gelato #2

With a promise to start early tomorrow morning we abandoned our plan to see the basilica today and roamed the souvenir shops and street vendors... which the girls had been itching to do.

Castel Sant'Angelo was closed for the rest of the day so we crossed that off our list as well. 

It is funny that Audra and Sofia were lamenting the heat and longing for the coolness of Stockholm!  Gabby found it annoying that pictures of the Pope are everything (not even worth explaining to her).  In the postcards they wrote at lunch, however, they talked about all the interesting things they're seeing and doing!!  I find it hard to imagine them appreciating this years from now. 

As we walk around Rome, street vendors are all selling the same thing... squishy blobs that when thrown down on a surface, splat, make a squeaky sound and reshape themselves.. the the background noise everywhere are little squeaks, it's comical.

After lunch we headed to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. 

Wall around Vatican City

On the way home...

gelato #3