Rome in 3 Posts...in 36 hours & a surprise if you get through all 3!

So arriving at 11:30am on a Sunday morning does not necessarily mean one has the energy to pop out and dive into the city after you check in and throw the bags into your room....... Well maybe if you're young AND spry! But if you are old - feel old and are exhausted - we SLEPT like dead people on Sunday ALL day and were determined to wake on Monday ready to face the day.

Well, we were ready until my back said "Hang on old lady not so fast!". My back was so locked I wanted to cry and it was/is probably a combination of the flight, a bed that we crashed on for about 24 hours, the fact that on a normal day I don't move THAT much and I was in no shape to run out the door. The ruins have been there many years and could wait a few hours more.

Around 2pm on Tuesday we managed to duct tape me up with a back patch and few muscle relaxers to make sure and off we went. Dre and I have been to Rome several times and I was here as a child with my mom so we know or have been to most if not all of the big monuments but as it's been awhile we decided to just hop around the city to get a feel for it all again and pre-planned to end our day with 4pm tickets to the Borghese Gallery & Museum.

We wanted to go to the Vatican but with the passing of the former Pope Benedict XVI the lines were SOOOO long to view him "lying in state" that my "back" made the decision for us that we needed to keep moving.

We did a quick trip up to the Colosseum and having just watched Gladiator again on the plane were reminded of how back in the day everything was found in there - from the animals of Africa to Gladiators who I assume were as cute as Russell Crowe to the chariot rides in the Forum.

The Christmas tree was still up at the Alter of the Fatherland

and while we in the US were back at work on Jan 3rd, here in Italy, school and work don't start again until after Jan 6th when La Befana, a witch brings "good" children (yup you have to be good for Santa AND a witch) more gifts on the morning of the Epiphany on January 6th symbolizing the end of the Christmas season!

We caught the sunset at the back of the Spanish Steps and were happy to see that the wall around the city of Rome was still in great shape! We even managed a quick trip to Piazza Navona where the carousel

was in full swing (see our @neyreynomads instastories) with kids and their parents getting in the last few days of the holidays. I was tempted to buy myself a Befana witch - but the excessive luggage situation told me that was a BIG NO! So she and her extensive nose will live on in my mind...

Here's a few snaps around the city - from what we are told is a FABULOUS Chinese restaurant to an ugly "face" on a wall - because it's Rome and there just a zillion random FACES on walls.