Rome, Italy

September 5, 2011

Disembarkation from the ship went smoothly. In fact, it went so well we had to wait for our taxi into Rome. After checking into the Residenza Cellini at Via Modena n.5, we headed to the Vatican. The Sistine Chapel was quite impressive. Can you imagine painting a ceiling looking up the whole time?

The amount of art that is in residence is amazing!  It is interesting to think about where it all came from as the Catholics took the spoils from the land after winning wars.

For dinner we went to Janne Taubmann’s recommendation - Spiritno Di Vino. It is one of the oldest buildings in Rome that is currently in use. Each step into the wine cellar in the basement takes you back 75 years. The food was fantastic and the owners charming.

Our hotel

I thought perhaps the mornings of Nutella with breakfast were over, but no!  They had it available with our breakfast here as well.

We were on the 5th floor and had a nice balcony area for relaxing and connection to WiFi

Sistine Chapel

The steps leading to the wine cellar at Spirito Di Vino

We were told by the owner it is the oldest building in Rome in active use

The wine cellar

September 6, 2011

On our last day of being a tourist, there was a transit strike that shut down the trains and buses. We didn’t realize it early in the day, but as we made it to the Coliseum, we found out that the ancient attractions were also closed because of the strike. We got our walk in as we hit the highlights: the Coliseum, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain - of course there were plenty of other places along the way!

Kendall at the Coliseum

What's the best plan with attractions closed and buses not running?

The Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

Dinner - how could we leave Italy without having Spaghetti?

Tasty!

We tossed our coins in the fountain to ensure returning some day

 

One final time in an outdoor cafe sipping cappuccino and enjoying a dessert