Oh my goodness, returning home from Italy was not easy. The food, the culture, the magnificent views... becoming a permanent resident would take zero convincing. I'm going to be sharing three photo diaries from our vacation this week starting with our time in Italy's capital, the awe-inspiring Rome. After a ten hour flight, which consisted of watching "Safe Haven" for the first time (can't explain how much I loved this movie. The ending... had me crying like a baby from my window seat). Since this was our first trip to Italy we decided to take part in a guided tour with Tauck of all of the major cities to insure we were able to experience everything. We arrived a day before our tour began to allow time for our bodies to combat the zombie-inducing jet lag. To kick off our trip we took part in a fabulous food tour called Eating Italy, which consisted of leaving the tourist traps and visiting the local's favorites, where we tasted some of the cities most delicious dishes. The walking/eating tour was four hours and a perfect way to quickly become familiar with the area's best spots. If you can handle the walking, I highly recommend it. On the second day, we visited the Colosseum, which was more breathtaking and grand than I could have ever imagined. I could have spent hours soaking up the history. The next day was all about Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel. Having always been a fan of Michelangelo's art and the story behind his Sistine Chapel masterpiece, the experience was incredibly surreal. Justin and I were both brought to tears the second we stepped inside. During the rest of our free time in Rome, we visited the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon, which were all equally grandiose. Every night after dinner, Justin and I would explore the city and each night we were taken aback by the beauty and atmosphere of Italy's dramatically dazzling capital. But my most cherished moment in Rome was being asked by my little brother to dance with him in the middle of the little street side restaurant we ate at on our last night in Rome. Talk about precious, my heart instantly melted.
Don't forget to stop by tomorrow to see my photo diary from our stay in Florence!