Bloggin From The Boot: When In Rome...

August 21, 2008

It was another early morning as we traveled from our hotel in Montecatini to Florence for the morning. On the agenda was a two hour guided tour of the city of Florence. After meeting at ten, we waited in line for only 10 minutes before we had the chance to explore the Duomo. This marbled Gothic cathedral was incredible, and some of us got the chance to climb the 463 steps to the top of Brunelleschi's Dome the day before!

Bernie, our tour guide, was very informative and even funny, which made the experience even better. Bernie showed us the statues of Neptune and the Rape of Sabine's as everyone got a chance to take pictures. Our last stop was the Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge in Florence that withstood WWII.  

We had about an hour to grab some lunch before our four hour bus ride to Rome. Most of us stopped at a small cafe, while others grabbed something quick as they shopped around. The four hours went by fast, since most everyone fell asleep. We arrived in Rome and had about two hours to explore the city on our own. We walked around in the 100º weather, explored the Pantheon, and shopped. We had a dinner arrangement set at the hotel for 8:30pm, it was delicious. We enjoyed some dancing outside where there was music we all knew and loved. Basically our last night out, our curfew was extended, and we had a blast in the city of Rome! Tomorrow would be a busy day, but an unforgettable one as well!

August 22, 2008

Our last day in Italy started very early with a private mass at the Vatican with Father Cleary at 8am. The mass was held in the Crypt of St. Peters Cathedral. After the mass Father Cleary gave us a great deal of information about the Vatican and let us explore on our own.

We had about an hour to visit the Vatican store and take pictures before our tour of the Vatican Museum at 10am. The guided tour of the world's largest museum took us through many rooms, including the Stanze di Raffaello. The tour ended in the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo's Last Judgment is painted. Every room was painted from floor to ceiling with unbelievable detail.

After the tour of the Vatican we had about an hour to grab a quick bite to eat and then we were back on the bus. A quick drive through Rome brought us to the Spanish Steps where we met our second tour guide for the day. This tour started at the Spanish Steps, brought us through the streets of Rome, stopped at the amazing Trevi Fountain and then ended at the Coliseum. It was absolutely breathtaking to see the ancient ruins in the city of Rome.

With our last tours of Italy complete it was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for our last Italian meal. Dinner was at 9 p.m. at an authentic Italian restaurant where we ate delicious Pizza and Pasta. It was a great meal and an even better way to spend our last night in Italy. Tomorrow morning we leave for the airport and head back to Boston.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this trip happen. It was an absolutely amazing experience and could not have happened without all of you!

Ciao!

Kels & Tighe