But don't drive as the Roman's drive

Ostia antiqua...(below). Better than Pompeii and much more shady. Old port town for Rome...truly amazing! We love this place as there were so few tourists. Dave couldn't find a bathroom though...Apparently these public toilets (left) were used by men and women and children...all at the same time. Quite the social even apparently.

Our favorite little Gelato place. The owner, Gian, offered to make us spaghetti since we were eating sandwiches and pastries for dinner...not very Italian.
We didn't drive a smart car while there...but what would have been truly fun and crazy would have been to motorcycle or scooter like they do! Weaving in and out of cars at 60mph...and really there aren't speed limits there, or the taxi drivers don't heed them. Maybe they are more of suggestions rather than rules.

Do as the Romans do...

Vatican Museum (below) - Raphael's painting...Can see all the people in the room at the bottom you will understand why I will never go back there. The artwork was truly amazing,however they really packed people in...and we went in the morning a couple weeks before "tourist season" begins. The sculpture to the right Pieta by Michaelangelo is truly amazing! I learned a ton about how crazy Michaelangelo really was...never showered...wore his boots until they fell off, then had another pair made for him and sewn on.

When in Rome...

I am sure it will take me months to get all our Mediterranean pictures posted, but I need to start somewhere... This picture of the Trevi Fountain just blows my mind. It is so beautiful!!! Thankfully we didn't get a picture of the crazy guy that had just gotten arrested by the police for trying to climb in. When in Rome...

This building is on the opposite side of the roman Forum. Blow is the Colosseum. I loved learning more about this structure. One of the most facinating things was that they would flood the structure and have ship races in here (the picture doesnt' really show its magnitutde. Another cool fact was that the area now serves as a microclimate. They have plants from all the corners of the Roman Empire that were brought there (in the stomachs of the animals) and are still growing there today.
The family on the steps of the Spanish Steps. We had just finished lunch and saw the sign...no eating afterwards. Dave has a pretty crazy face he is making :)

Above Dave and I are in front of the Arch of Constantine - that was just between the Colosseum and the Forum. We had a really cool guide that took us through much of the Forum history.