An American in Rome

6:34 am, waiting for my bags in Rome's FCO airport. Even though i can barely keep my eyes from closing, i can't help but notice that everyone on my flight has got there bags in the first few minutes and I'm still waiting here in the same spot watching the carousel with the same Louis V bag go round and round. I slowly realize my bag isn't coming..... i file a report and they tell me it'll come tomorrow because it was left behind in Charlotte. But suddenly a light shown on me and the Santo Nino delivered the bag to me himself, and I was free to Rome... Rome.

My Aunt Leah picked me up in the airport, and having never met her before, it was an excellent first meeting. She bought me my first Italian cappuccino and I think I almost cried. I was in coffee heaven, and it was only airport coffee..

My Aunt Leah - I look gross.

Then the fun started. Took a train from the airport to Termini, the main transport hub in Rome. Then from there the metro to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Chiggity check it out!

Colosseum

Tomb of Unknowns

Old things

 

Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

So we walked around and I was just completely mesmerized by how old and huge things were and how completely intact everything was.  The Colosseum was actually smaller than I thought it would be but everything else was massive. Walking through the tiny tiny city streets was a trip, because whenever you turned the corner, another MASSIVE thing was all up in your face! Everything was just plain cool, can't describe it any other way. 

At this point i had been up for almost 40 hours, I was exhausted and I was still running solely on the dried out chicken meal that US Airways provided me. (if it was actually chicken) Time to eat.

First meal: Pizza con Smoked salmon, lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Then Gelato. This place was killing it! SOO packed and there was a reason why. Dank-tastic gelato.

They eat pizza with forks and knives??

Stracciacello and dark cioccolatte and fresh whip

Then another 4 hours to get to my bed and breakfast on the other side of Rome and then I knocked out for days. 

Next morning, one cappuccino, one cornetto and a train ticket to Florence.