pre-tour

4/15 - We arrived in Rome and survived the taxi ride to our hotel. The driver thought he was Mario Andretti. We stayed up and visited the Campo Di Fiori and Sally bought the best Kiwis ever. Then we visited Largo Di Torre Argentina, which is where Caesar was assassinated and now is Rome's cat sanctuary.

4/16 - After a good nights sleep we hit the pavement and went to the National Museum of Rome. It was a calming experience. The coin collection in the basement is a must see. Our next stop was Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the resting place of Pope Francis. San Clemente church was up next  to experience some layers of Rome. There was not a large crowd for such an amazing glimpse into three different times in the city's history. Then it was off to the rooftop bar and then dinner.

4/17 - We ate a great breakfast and then marched our way to Castle Saint Angelo. The views from the top of this castle were amazing. From there we met our guide and toured the Vatican. It was everything we hoped for and more. We ate dinner at Antica Trattoria Polese. The sea bass was exceptional.

4/18 - We both got a better nights sleep. After breakfast we did a bit of laundry then took a beautiful walk and checked out the Baths of Caracalla. The grounds are very well kept and the ruins are very interesting. There were lots of well preserved tile work. Before we knew it, it was time to meet up with the tour group!