Day 3: It's Like An Architectural Lasagna

We logged in over 20,000 steps today!  My watch calculated that as 10.5 miles. It was an amazing day.  We saw all of Rome's 3000 year old history throughout our walk.  As we visited ancient Rome, this afternoon, our tour guide, Jon Luigi, made a comment that the kids loved especially considering our dinner last night.  He said that the Forum is an Ancient Architectural Lasagna.  The reason is because the city is so old that some parts have been built over seven times. The city doesn't have a true underground system because everywhere they dig, they find a new treasure from the past...but, I am getting ahead of ourselves.

We woke this morning to find a special visitor had provided some treats to our travelers.  I have no idea who did this, but I hope it helped some of the kids feel better because they missed a family tradition at home.

We then headed down for breakfast.  It was a simple buffet style breakfast common to Europe.  The coffee was pretty good, but I had a Nutella/chocolate filled croissant.  I also had two ham and cheese sandwiches.  For those new the blog and who haven't seen a European breakfast spread, cold cuts are common.  There were other pastries available, yogurt, and scrambled eggs.  It was a good way to start the day.  A bunch of the kids decided to dress nicely for Easter too.  They looked nice, but by the end of the day it was a little too chilly for them.  Tomorrow, when we head to Pompeii, I think many will pack some extra layers just in case.  I was wearing another pair of convertibles; so I was comfortable for the whole day. 

Our first stop today was a public park overlooking Rome.  In the distance, you can see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.  On the way to the park, we saw hundreds of people making their way to the Vatican for Mass.  The park was really nice and after visiting, we began our descent down into Rome.  We started in one of my favorite spots in the city...the Piazza de Populo.

Our trek continued through Rome with a goal of seeing some of the same sites as yesterday, but before we did, we went to one of the more popular and well known Gelato spots for a treat.  I was actually very surprised so much was open today.  Rome is 80% Catholic, but many of the shops and restaurants were open.  I had originally been worried it might be closed down completely, but we had no issue finding open stores.

Pistachio and White Chocolate, yummy

After getting full on Gelatos of all flavors, we made our way to the Pantheon.  Here, many of us grabbed a small takeaway lunch while others sat for a more complete meal.  I ate all of my white pizza with sausage without taking a picture :(.  It was really good.  

We walked up these stairs designed by Michaelangelo and posed for some pictures in front of the Wedding Cake.  That's the local nickname of Monument for Victor Emanuelle II.  The Roman people don't really like this building, but I think it is pretty impressive.  Just behind it lays the Imperial Forum and the Coliseum.

Our formal tour began at the foot of what was originally called, "The Flavian Amphitheater."  Now, nearly 2000 years later, it is the Coliseum.  Our tour guide for this part of the day was Jon Luigi.  We were told afterwards that he comes from a long line of tour guides.  His passion for the past and communicating it others was 100% contagious.  He moved us through both ancient locations with a narrative that was informative and entertaining.  

After the Coliseum, we entered into the Forum.  Both locations are open air, but in order to enter, you need to go through security which was undercover.  This was the only real difference I've noticed at this point because of Covid.  When we go to the Vatican, I am sure it will feel different as well.  

I remember visiting the Forum many years ago. I had just started working in Saugus and, as part of my Master's Degree, I took a course at Salem State that included a week in Rome.  It was such an amazing experience.  Visiting the forum with Jon Luigi and the kids today, reminded me of that first visit.  It reaffirmed my desire to study and teach history.  I hope it inspired a few of our Eurotrippers to want to dig into the past for their careers.  Jon Luigi's passion for Rome also touched on the important work of archeology. I kept on wanting to talk to the kids about the original Iron Works project, but I definitely didn't want to disrupt Jon Luigi's presentation.

The security line for the Forum

One of the temples...if you look at the height of the entrance, you can see the 7 layers of Architectural Lasagna.  

Jon Luigi, in blue, sitting on a rock discussing the story of Marc Antony and Cleopatra

When we wrapped up in the Forum, we left through an exit that I had never taken before and it presented us with a magical view of the Flavian Amphitheater.  It was crazy busy earlier, but now, two hours later, it was just us.  You can see the photo at the beginning of the blog, but Jon Luigi also graced us with a great shot!!!

It was then time for a quick bus ride, a little free time, and dinner.  We headed back towards the Piazza Navonna.  Our dinner was at a small restaurant just down from the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.  Our dinner was a little more conventional than traditional Italian.  It was Bruschetta for our appetizer. We followed that with Pollo Arrosto con Peperoni Marinara.  Finally, for dessert, we had an Apricot Tart known as a Crostata.

One of the things I really like about these trips is watching the kids eat dinner.  I'm not weird, I will explain.  I enjoy watching them unwind after a full day of touring. Seeing them smile, sharing memories just made, and laughing about their adventure.  It is so refreshing to see after the past two years.  I am pretty sure many of the kids had had several samples of Gelato today and some might have snacks during free time, but it was clear this meal was not as delicious as last night's embellishment, lol. That said, it isn't always about the quantity of what you eat, but the quality of who you eat with.  Tonight's dinner filled me up with good spirits...and it was something I definitely wanted witness again.

Tomorrow we make an early start for Pompeii.  Joanna and Flavia are worried about some traffic for our almost three hour long drive.  We depart from the hotel at 7:30am.  Our time in Rome is half completed.  We still have a lot to see and do, but I am pretty sure that everyone is having a great time. The drive will allow for some additional relaxation and reading.  I will be making room checks in a few minutes and hope that the kids are worn out, lol.  We will be recharged tomorrow, for sure.  

Mr. Lavoie, currently coming to the realization that the sunscreen he brought with him today only works if you apply it on your skin! Let's hope the great weather continues!!!