Our first stop was to the Borghese Gallery and Museum, the 17th-century collection of paintings and sculptures in a former villa, in which Scipione Borghese himself used, then considered on the outside of Rome.
Because we were concerned that our young daughters would quickly tire of a museum, we had equipped them with portable MP3 players that had guided tours of the museum, for kids, but also for their favourite music.
They were great and went through the gallery without complaint.
Next on our agenda was the Colosseum, but first, we needed to feed ourselves so that no one would run out of steam and develop a foul mood.
That was mostly me.
Our guide book recommended a cantina that was popular with students, called (aptly enough) Caffe dello Studente. The owner, Simona, was a young, energetic woman who welcomed us and instantly fell in love with the girls. (We found that the kids were popular with lots of Italians, and we'd often get great service that centred on them.)
The sandwiches at Caffe dello Studente were more than generous, and we discovered that we should have ordered only one sandwich for the kids to split. As the kids started to slow down, Simona came to our table and said to the girls, "If you eat all of your lunch, I'll have a special treat for you!" She then looked at DW and me and added, "I'll have something for you, too."
The kids couldn't finish their sandwiches but, not to disappoint, Simona brought the kids some ice cream for dessert; for DW and myself, Simona gave us ice-cold glasses of limoncello. On a hot afternoon, it really hit the spot.
Simona asked me if I could take a photo of her with our girls, and I happily obliged. She handed me her business card and insisted that I send her a copy. I sent it with a letter to thank her for her kindness and generosity, and the girls each added their own message.
Our bellies joyfully filled, we walked the short distance to the Colosseum and joined the line for tourists who had already purchased tickets (we had a Roma Pass, which was worth every penny). Our line was long but moved quickly.
Inside the Colosseum, you really get a feel for its size: it looks much bigger when you're within the oval than when you see it from outside.
Once at the top of the western end of the oval, as we looked across at a massive wooden stage that seemed to be under construction, our eldest daughter began to cry. When I asked her why she was upset, she said, "I don't know. It's just not what I expected to see."
"Did you expect it to be in better condition?" I asked.
"No," she sobbed.
"Did you expect it to be in worse shape? Are you bothered by the construction?"
"No."
"Then what?" I asked, giving her a warm hug.
"I don't know."
To this day, she doesn't know what set her off. Before our trip, we talked to the kids about the sites we wanted to see and a bit about the history of Rome, and the Romans. Our daughter had read some fiction that had focused on Greek Mythology, and she was a bit of an aficionado on Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. Perhaps being this close to history had her emotionally charged, and her only reaction to actually seeing it was tears.
As we moved through the Colosseum, our daughter cheered up and when it was time to leave, said that she enjoyed our visit.
Our next site was next door: the Roman Forum. For a place that is in such ruinous state, it is an attraction that takes all of your attention. The rest of the afternoon went by at a furious pace that we actually noticed the movement of the sun. Before we knew it, we had to move on to meet with our friend and host for dinner.
We met at Giolitti's for more gelato, and then made our way to Mo' Stò Taverna, not far from Vatican City. Our friend was a regular patron of this establishment, and the owner treated us like family. Our youngest also took DW's glass of Cinzano Prosecco—DW didn't touch it so didn't notice until the glass was empty. Great food with an awesome friend in an amazing city.
After dinner, we wandered some of the streets of a high-end shopping district, and even though the stores were closed, we couldn't help but peek in some of the windows.
Night at a close, we returned to our friend's house to get a good night's rest. The next day, we were making our way to Tuscany.
Stay tuned...
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