A day at the Vatican

We took a taxi to the Vatican and toured the museums. I don't remember that many museums when Jeremy and I toured it in '96. It just went on and on and on. There really wasn't an exit......until the end. We were committed to tour all the museums that were connected one way or the other. The sculptures, paintings and tapesteries are amazing!! We didn't get to see the Pope this time but felt very blessed just being there!  Later that night, Cody taught me a few games of cards. All in all, we had an awesome day!

Rome: Celebrating J's Birthday

After touring the Colosseum we decided to rent a "quad" cycle. Jeremy and Devin had the best seats on the cycle. We thought what better way to spoil the "birthday boy" by giving him a tour of his life. Cody had full control of the driving....!!! There was one hill that Jeremy "thought" he was going to have to help. But we managed......We had a great workout with a scene! Later that night, we decided to splurge on PASTA! Jeremy ordered spaghetti with clam sauce "anti pasta" for his main entree he had grilled seafood. And the boys had pasta with white cream sauce. For dessert, we shared a chocolate brownie and the boys had their gelato......YUMMY! Happy Birthday, Jay! Thanks for the awesome time! Love you!

Bus Tour

Our adventure in Rome included a "topless" bus tour and Italian haircuts. We were able to listen to a pre recorded guide thru our headphones. At the end of the tour we went to the Piazza Navona. We sat outside and had lunch. We ordered pizza and salads. If it was up to Cody we would of had pizza everyday. The food was great and the boys had gelato (icecream) everyday! Devin was fasinated by all the scooters. Both Cody and Devin had portraits done by awesome Artists. Devin sat very patiently. It only took them 15 mins to do. I can't wait to get them framed!

Meet Our Friend Pinnochio

We decided to take a horse carriage ride to give our legs a break. The name of the horse is Pinnochio! He's so obedient and the boys love him. He's 15 years old and does tours 3x's a week. The carriage ride lasted for two hours. This gave us time to actually tour each historic location. Our first stop was the Pantheon. It was built in the year 118. Its the best preserved ancient building in Rome. The Pantheon was orginally built as a temple then later converted into a church. Our next stop was the Spainsh steps. It was such a "happening" spot with lots of people. There were guys all around trying to sell roses, lasers and toys. We had such a great time just sitting on the steps and people watching. The weather was perfect. This area had the finest stores. On the way to the steps we passed quite a few fruit trees. Unfortunately, I couldn't reach 'em from the carriage. I was so tempted but knew that I would fall.

Rome: Spring Break, 2011

Day 1:  Leaving Murjan Village to catch a flight to Rome never sounded so good. It has been 15 years since Jeremy proposed to me at the Fountain of Trevi. We wanted to share the beauty of Rome with the boys. The weather was awesome and of course, "the past is always the present here in Rome." We stayed at the Westin Hotel - Excelsior right in the center of it all.  For once, I really didn't mind walking for miles and miles.

We arrived at our hotel around 11 a.m. We actually flew from Damman to Amsterdam to Rome. A total of 8 hours. We enjoyed a snack at the hotel, went upstairs to unpack and then headed out to the streets of Rome.