Better Late Than Never It's been two months since we returned from Italy, but it feels more like two years. Work has been absolutely INSANE, and I've been putting in some pretty intense hours at the office. Then we had the holidays of course, and it was all I could do to finish some minor shopping, wrap all of the gifts, and attend a couple of family functions in addition to working. That, and obsessively watching European travel shows on our new Tivo. :)

On to our last day in Rome.

We were in no rush to leave our apartment that morning but eventually made our way down Via del Pellegrino to the Campo de Fiori - a bustling square just steps from our apartment. We had enjoyed a romantic dinner there earlier in the week, relaxing and watching people of all types enjoying their evening passeggiata, or stroll, through the square. In the mornings however, our Campo turned into a lively market, with vendors hawking everything from cookware, to cheese, to fruits and veggies, to clothing, and of course - fake designer purses and sunglasses galore:



I bought a few souvenirs at the Campo (including a lovely blue sweater for yours truly) but Michael soon grew impatient of my shopping and so we headed out for our beloved due cappucino.

Sated, we wandered down an alley towards the Tiber, took a left and walked along the river towards the Teatro Marcello and shot some video. We stopped at a small cafe for an unremarkable sandwich, then crossed a very busy street (staring down the Roman drivers) to the Forum, where we wandered around taking endless photos and video footage of seemingly endless ruins. The weather was absolutely perfect - about 75 degrees, the best weather yet:



We then returned to Mad Jacks Irish pub, remembering the tasty lunch and beer we had before. Sick of eating pasta, we were thrilled to see hamburgers on the daily specials menu and eagerly ordered up some good old American food. Or so we thought. The burgers turned out to be mystery meat - the likes of which I had never had, even the worst junior high cafeteria food was better than this. I choked about a third of it down though, because I was famished by then.

After our disappointing meal, we paid another visit to Torre Argentina to say goodbye to the cats, most especially our Rum:



We then decided to take another bus ride and wound up going way out of our way but it didn't matter too much because we were tired from walking anyway. We stopped at the local market for a few dinner items, and we again had a delicious homecooked pasta meal and packed our suitcases.

It took awhile to find an English speaking taxi company, but we eventually did (I think it was Michael who had the magic touch) and made arrangements for a taxi to the airport the next morning.

The return trip had us connecting through Munich and then through Chicago to Portland, and going through customs in Chicago was something I don't care to repeat. By the time we were at our gate in Chicago, I had completely shut down. Even though I had barely eaten since I choked down a wienerschnitzel (or whatever the hell it was called) at the Munich airport, I was unable to eat and so I had a Starbucks strawberry cream frappucino for dinner. Our plane was hot and crowded but I was so exhausted I think I managed to sleep for awhile. We finally arrived home around 11pm. I took a much-needed bath and then collapsed into bed.

What Will 2006 Bring?

We're already planning next year's European trip and are way ahead of the game this time. We've already made our flight reservations and have even reserved a couple of apartments. We're also extending the trip by two nights next year, so we'll be spending six nights in Paris (!!!), four nights in London, and four in Amsterdam - our beloved chill out town. We're leaving on the last day of August and yes, I'll be blogging our adventure.

Ciao!
Cheryle  ¶ 8:36 PM 5 comments