Roman adventures

Pizza! Pasta! and Wine! 

These are what people think of when they hear Italy. I had the amazing opportunity to go beyond the carbs and wine and into the historic ancient Rome. I climbed St. Peter's Basilica, explored Castles and walked along the scenic streets of a true small town. 

My Roman adventures were truly everything I never knew I needed to explore. 

I can show you better than I can tell you... 

After an 8 hour flight, I was sleepy and in dire need of a energy boost! Cappuccino to the rescue, in the airport as I waited for the rest of my group. After my much needed caffeine and some patience I was finally heading to the hotel. 

The hotel was on a quite street, and offered free coffee and croissants for breakfast. The rooms were for two people and the beds were twin sized with a mini fridge and small counter and chair. The bathroom was standard. I will say the shower was HOT! I totally appreciated this after a long day of walking.  

The best part about the hotel was it was right outside of St.Peters Cathedral. Literally! I could walk to the corner, make a right and walk down one block to the entrance into the courtyard of the Cathedral. It was so amazing! 

Perhaps, my favorite thing about Rome is the ease of transportation. As a city girl, I am accustomed to commuting on the trains and busses. As a result, I was able to easily adapt especially because the trains were no where near as complicated as the transportation in my city. 

Now that I've painted the picture lets see some...

Because every day starts with un caffe and maybe a Croissant

 And the occasional Castle...

 Castel Sant'Angelo

Roman Views from the deck of the Castle 

                           

Rooftop Castle Views... Straight to St. Peter's Cathedral

The fountain was a MUST SEE!

Just Amazing

 

It was even better at night... totally worth the train and walk back to the attraction! 

Speaking of walking this is one of the streets in the high fashion shopping area...

Views from Via dei Condotti to the Spanish Steps

Did I mention Gelato is LIFE !

I tried so many flavors during my trip and I was never disappointed. 

What is Ancient Rome without the Ruins???

 The Ruins of Tempio del Divo Claudio 

Also where a lot of counsel meetings took place, laws were passed and trades of goods were made

 Did you know?

When you purchase a ticket to the Colosseum, you receive free entry to Tempio Del Divo Claudio. 

It's a very short walk and totally worth your time. The ruins are more than intriguing and excellent photo ops!

But who can go to Rome and not see...

The Colosseum 

(trying to get a full picture is pretty impossible but fun trying)

Pay the 7 Euro for the audio guide. It will make walking through the Colosseum so much better! 

 It's like going back in time!

Did I mention Romans love eggs.

Especially when they are chocolate 

SOOOOOOO GOOOOD! 

Of Course St. Peter's Cathedral has to be climbed...what is a tour without it?

Entry way steps...

More Steps... like 871 in total more

 Vatican Views

Vatican City

 
Vatican Rooftop... there's Gelato up here ;-)

Rome is utterly amazing. However, Florence is a short train ride away and it is worth every moment. I spent the day exploring Florence and here are some photos...

The famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge

As some one who avoids bridges at all cost I must say I appreciate that you can't tell you're on the bridge until you're in the middle. It was quite a fun experience for me. 

Florence just is not complete without a visit to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum. Yes fashionistas, this is history in the making, literally. I enjoyed every moment of if. 

 

Back in Rome, it was almost time to return home. Vacations have to include a final dinner. This is where it gets interesting. Earlier I stated I was able to figure out the transportation due to being in a large city. 

Well, this is my proof. I looked it up and traveled there in the evening, for dinner. 

I was very proud of myself as I totally stepped out of my comfort and explored a part of Rome I hadn't seen before. 

Ok, so I made a wrong turn coming home, I eventually figured it out. But, nonetheless, it was worth every step! 

Highly recommended restaurant in a tucked away neighborhood. 

Table for one please

I treat myself really good, I must admit :-)

What is dinner without desert? This literally melted in my mouth and I was sad when it ended. 

I hope you enjoyed this photo blog of my journey in Rome, Italy. It was fun reliving these moments. 

There were so many other photos, maybe we can do a part 2.

Stay tuned....

Thanks for stopping by and Traveling with May 

Longest Flight Ever

Once upon a time...

There was the longest flight ever.... here's the story behind my one-liner. 

The fall semester was coming to a close and everyone was gearing up for the holidays. It was finals week and of course, plenty of presentations (yay -_-). I was excited to have some days off and spend time with my family. 

As Christmas rapidly approached, I was excited as I knew one of my gifts was a five-piece luggage set. I specifically asked for this as I was preparing to travel for a few weeks. I knew I couldn't make the trip with my old suitcase and looked forward to breaking in the new one. 

Christmas passed and I was gearing up to head to JFK with my new suitcases. I had a flight in the morning to Tokyo and I couldn't be late. In the past, I would stay awake the night before my flight to sleep on the plane. I would also make sure to carry my melatonin depending on the length of the flight. It worked well and that was the plan this time. I decided to stay up for two days, I knew this would allow me to knock out as soon as I was situated in my seat on the plane. 

I arrived early at the airport and was waiting at the gate in no time. There was a small amount of traffic, people or lines at the airport. This was probably because most people were just waking up. As I sat at the gate I felt the excitement taking over the sleep. Mayday! This was not the plan. Maybe once I'm on the plane and relaxing.

Finally, they began to board the plane. 

I found my seat in Premium Economy, I was in the first row of the section which worked out perfectly. I was able to put my seat back and my bags in front of me and stretch out to sleep. Not, that it happened right away. Once the plane was fully boarded and the door was closed, we went through standard airline safety videos and information. This was done in Japanese first then English. 

As the plane taxied down the runway I was so excited. I actually stayed awake for about an hour after take off. I read through my landing instructions and meetings points. I listened to some music and tried to relax. It didn't work. So, I did what any normal person would, I took a Benadryl and drank some red wine. (Ok, maybe most people wouldn't do this)

Then, it happened. I went to sleep! I slept for seven hours, it was so good. I felt comfortable and I was given extra pillows prior to taking off. The front seat really allowed me to get some quality sleep. 

I woke once to eat as the aroma woke me. Sleep or not food wins every time. The meal was delicious. It was well seasoned and I would even say restaurant worthy. I was quite impressed. 

 

Chicken with rice and vegetables, fruit, meat and cheese, salad and soup with bread and butter

The food was so good, it put me right back to sleep. In fact, I'm pretty sure I fell asleep before they came to collect the trays. 

I woke several hours later, quite rested and a little hungry. As it turns out, I woke up just in time for meal number two. So far, this flight is going pretty well. 

The second meal was just as delicious...

Vegetable soup with bread, yogurt, and fruit

The food was such a delicious surprise. If this was any indication of what was to come I was ready to eat it all. Of course, there was another nap after the meal. 

Then, finally, I was awake. I felt well rested and in dire need of the lavatory. The bathroom was quite spacious I was surprised. It was not one of those cramped and smelly spaces that almost made you want to hold it. It was clean and smelled like Febreze Air Freshener, the Hawaiian can. After a quick brush and face wash, I was ready to endure the rest of the flight. 

As I get back to my seat I look at the trip status in the Television. It read '6:00 hours until landing'. There was no way I only slept for a little over six hours! I thought I would have slept longer since I stayed up for two days. What am I going to do for six hours???

I decided to listen to some music and have some snacks. There were plenty of snacks available on the plane. Oh, and the wine was in abundance as well. It was quite the combination and I was grateful. 

I listened to my music and tried to watch some Television. It definitely ended up watching me. I then decided to get some work done. I had all this time and there was no way I wanted to stare at the wall for six hours. 

I ended up dozing off, again, this time I didn't wake to any food. I woke to the lights and the sun shining through the window. It was just perfect. I sat and peered out the window for a while. Then decided to make this trip worth every minute. 

I began to read for a while and eventually, in what seemed like an eternity the announcement came on the plane was beginning the descent. I totally shouted "Hallelujah" in my head and began to put away all my things. I ensured my phone was charged and I was comfortable. 

After a while, the plane began to tilt and we were turning in the direction of the Narita International Airport. As Japan came into view I was stuck. I couldn't help but stare at such an awesome city. It was just... wow. 

The plane continued its descent and eventually, I experienced, what is until this day, the smoothest landing ever! 

Seriously, the Japanese have it all figured out. This was only the flight, I couldn't wait to plant my feet and start exploring. 

It was The Longest Flight Ever... but worth every moment. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

Thanks for stopping by and Traveling with May