Paris & Rome

Just looking at the title of this post gives me chills!!!! (sigh) I am finally getting around to blogging about my unbelievable trip to Italy. After reading Lisa's posts, I'm feeling inspired. So, Shiloh, Lisa & I headed out on November 5...first stop: Paris.

Occasionally the airlines do a good thing....like forcing you to have an 8 hour layover in Paris! :) IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! And it was a nice reward after a flight of almost constant turbulence. This was my 10th time to Europe and I'm pretty sure this was the worst overseas flight EVER!!! Not only was it impossible to sleep, but I was having visions of plunging into the Atlantic...no, not good!

But waiting for us on the other side.....

I cannot get enough of that thing.

Seriously!

And of course Laduree macaroons were the 2nd most important thing in Paris!

Flying from Paris to Rome was like going from Salt Lake to Denver (except apparently they are still serving meals on short flights in other countries....not that I really saw what mine was b/c I was so out of it but I smelled it at some point). And I will also mention that not once did we fill out documentation of any kind on our way over!

We stayed in this cute little hotel, close to the Spanish Steps. Amanda traveled separately so we waited anxiously until she arrived Saturday morning. It was a happy reunion. :)

Day 1 in Rome we did:

Spanish Steps....

Double-decker bus tour...

(totally breaking my own rule of leaning away from the camera...what is that pose anyway? It's like my "Edward, please bite me" pose or something...)

Colosseum...

(I wore my Gladiator sandals for the occasion...)

And the Trevi Fountain...which for me, is the Eiffel Tower of Rome. It's the one thing that you just have to see to believe!

Of course we had to enjoy some gelato at the same time....

Actually, Rome is full of things you just have to see to believe. :)

Rome Day 2:

I learned that all over Rome they have ancient water fountains with drinkable water!! This was the one right by our hotel....

St. Peter's Basilica...

Climbed to the top too....this first one is inside the dome....

Because it was a dome, the stairways were curved at the top....

The amazing view...

I took a cool 360 video of the Vatican...to give a feel for what it is like to stand right there...

Walked through some other awesome areas....

Piazza Navona....

Pantheon....

And ended the night at the best place in Europe for Diet Coke....McDonalds....

And then really ended the night at the Trevi....

Rome Day 3:

The Forum....

(I love ruins....but this is the one thing that I think Vegas has improved! I mean how totally brill to take an idea from something that was so amazing and turn it into the most lucrative shopping mall in the world! Everything else in Vegas does not even come close to the real thing!)

Vatican Museum....

Of course we hit the Trevi...and we also found my new favorite make-up store....

Tuesday morning, we buzzed on over to say bye to the Trevi....

And to have one last sit on the amazingly ergonomically correct butt benches...how can two square, iron bars be comfy to sit on? Seriously have to try them out to believe it....

Saying goodbye to Rome was NOT easy...but knowing we had such great things in the future made it a little more bearable....Tuesday morning we caught a bus to Siena and enjoyed a 3 hour ride through Tuscany.....

To be continued....