A million years ago we went to Rome. And now I have to blog about it. If you want to skip to the end of the post, I talk about having an argument with my parents in the middle of Rome.
Before our big trip, my mom asked what we each wanted to do while in Italy. We came up with: ride on a gondola, eat pizza and stand in the Colosseum.
Travel Tip #61: Make a list of important things to each person before a big trip. And then try to do them.
So there was scaffolding around the Colosseum, naturally.
Travel Tip #62: Sign up for the private basement tour of the Roman Colosseum. It is the best way to see stuff with the least amount of people.
All those other people are in a different middle area than we were. The tour was "private" which meant there were like 20 other people with us. But at least we could see stuff and hear our tour guide.
My brother, Alex, and me in the kinda gated off area in the middle level of the Colosseum. This part was for the private tours.
Bored. Waiting for the tour to move on. But a good picture to see how we were not part of the huge crowds.
A cross in the place where so many Christians were killed. It was interesting to look up when they put up this cross once we got home.
Travel Tip #64: Take a picture of something cool and Wikipedia it when you get home.
Part of the basement where they kept animals and Gladiators hung out. This area hasn't been open that long. So it was cool to see things people have not seen or touched in, like, a 100's of years.
Out tour included going up to the upper level of the Colosseum, too. There were no crowds up there.
Max, in what looks like a pizza oven on the top part of the Colosseum.
You can see a lot of Rome from up there. Like the Arch of Constantine wrapped in scaffolding.
Max loved the little places selling stuff outside the Colosseum. He wanted to buy this helmet for $100. Mom convinced him we could not carry it on the airplane.
Travel Tip #65: Somethings are special when you get them on a trip. But somethings you can buy on Amazon when you get home for half the price.
We saw other stuff. Like the Vatican & scaffolding. BIG line. We got gelato instead of going in there.
We also got on the cheapest tour bus.
Travel Tip #66: Sometimes there is a reason why one tour bus company is the cheapest. It is also the worst. Headphones dis not work and they just told us the Trevi Fountain was over there instead of driving us to see it.
More fun signs at the Rome train station. I am pretty sure this tells you to use this portal into another dimension in an emergency.
And this is the part where I got into an argument with my parents:
The Colosseum was good. But the train ride there and spending a lot of time on the tour and then the bad tour bus and then lunch in a crowded restaurant AND THEN the Vatican...It was too much. I got upset. Like exhausted upset. I needed a break. I told my mom that I thought she was selfish for making me do all these things on the trip. She listened to me go on and on.
Then she said that she was a little bit selfish because it was a trip she dreamed about going on and she never asked me if I wanted to go. But then she said that it wouldn't have been the trip of her dreams if she stood in the Colosseum without me. I was part of her dream trip.
And then I felt kinda bad for calling her selfish and getting upset. But it felt good for my parents to listen to me that this was not my idea of an amazing trip. It was too long for me to travel. It is hard to be grateful when you are worn out. I kinda got over being annoyed the rest of the trip once we got to talk about it.
Back on the train to leave.
By David and family
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