Our First Day In Rome

It was a beautiful day to be in Rome...of course anyday is a beautiful day to be in Rome. We ventured via train to the center of town. (Our son loved the train ride!) We then made our way towards the Colosseum via The Trevi Fountain and lunch. Lunch was great! We found a little place right next to the Trevi Fountain that served great pasta dishes and more importantly they made up some "chicken cutlet" for the kids which they loved along with their many bread sticks :). Didn't have the heart to tell the kids that their cutlet was veal and not chicken :) Shhhhh!

After lunch it was off to the Colossium. The Colossium is just one of those places that just makes you pinch yourself. Here is something that the residents probably don't even pay attention to on a regular basis...but if you just stop and look at it ... the history behind it...it just makes your jaw drop.

We met my wife's cousin for espresso and sweets at a cafe... need I say... Right across the street from the Colossium! It was right behind my daughter who was enjoying a delightful Italian sweet. This was a fun first day to be sure. I will have a post on this same structure when it comes to the last night of our trip in Rome... One of my favorite nights of the trip.

After our reunion we were off by bus to try and find the Hertz car agency. It was quite an adventure! One that took us by the Spanish Steps even ... Funny how you can be looking around a town for a car rental place and right around the corner is the Spanish Steps...well ..that is Rome!

As you can see it is getting a little late for the little ones. The wife and I are busy with paperwork and car seats at this time. It is not too much longer till we are packed up and ready to hit the streets of Rome with our self named navigator Penelope ... Miss Neverlost from Hertz!

Well... We weren't more than 500 feet up the tunnel from Hertz when I discovered that Penelope was looking at the stars in sky instead of finding us a route. She could not find us!! It was then that I pulled over and the slightest amount of fear crept in. It was dark by this time. I knew if I ventured onto the upcoming roundabout that we might be in roundabout hell for the foreseeable future. I also knew there was no way to drive back into the tunnel that was Hertz. Well...after what seemed like an eternity...Penelope did finally acquire us and we were off onto the streets of Rome....WOW! I can safely say that we and Penelope did make it to the hotel. We turned a half hour ride into close to an hour one...but we did make it. Penelope only had to "recalculate route" a few times :)

Day one is ended! It is off to Pompeii domani!!