Rome

We arrived in Rome on Friday afternoon.  It was hot and sticky as usual but we were taking a cab to the hotel.  The cab drivers in Rome are worse than NYC. It was 4 potential accidents for the few miles we traveled.  Do they have lanes here or is it a free for all?

We checked into the St. Regis and were shown to our room with an "external" view.  That meant you could see across the street to the next building.  The room is the smallest of all the places we've been but it does have bathrobes and slippers and a great shower in a small bathroom.

Once we got settled we decided to go explore.  We walked outside and then realized we had no idea how we would ever find our way back so I went back inside and got a map.  We started a walk the concierge recommended but we knew we were going to have to stop to eat.  All we had so far today was a leftover beer from the night before and some weight watcher snacks that we still had from home while we were packing.  We walked as far as Piazza de Spagna and the Spanish Steps.

 Looking down the steps.

Went down the steps and then started our way back to catch a happy hour that served drink and buffet for €8 but in order to give us enough energy to get there, we had to have a gelato.

Then it was time for Happy Hour, which became dinner.

Lots of piazzas

Great entertainment at the market.

The Pantheon

 Trevi Fountain

A neigborhood church

 The Colosseum

Taken from Palantine Hill

The Roman Forum

Crowds line up for tickets to the Vatican Museum.  Fortunately we bought ours online.

We went to the Vatican Museum, St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel

The Pietà by Michelangelo

Fresh water is available from fountains all over the city

 We went to the Jewish Ghetto

Piazza Venezia (next 2 pictures)

We found the fanciest McDonald's on Piazza de Spagna, the same one Mark Zuckerberg and his new wife had lunch at on their honeymoon.  It was the McCafe that we liked for breakfast and we found another one, not as fancy but with a McCafe near the Vatican Museum.

You never could tell what interesting things you would come upon as you walked around.  Those guys in the orange could stay in that position longer than we could stay looking at them.  What if they had to sneeze?

Our trip came to an end on June 26th.  I watched 4 movies on the way home:  Quartet, Parental Guidance - my favorite because it was so funny and I was laughing out loud on the plane, Side Effects and I Don't Know How She Does It.  When we reached JFK we were told that our flight to Rochester was cancelled and we had to wait until the next day to fly home out of LaGuardia.  So much for the most perfect trip, but that was the only problem we had.