Jewel of the Seas Greek Isles - Our final day in Rome 2019

 one of the couples in the shuttle were from our roll call (hi Mark and wife!!!) so we got to talk about the trip, our plans and lives a bit on the way. We had emailed a lot prior to the cruise, had been trying to say hi all week, and it just hadn’t worked. Such a wonderful drive and convo.

before we knew it the driver had stopped and named our hotel. Hotel Otivm is a very short distance from Altar to the Fatherland is located in Palazzo Venezia. View from outside the hotel door:


Since it was only before 11 we left our bags with the clerk and went off to galavant.






Nate has to recreate his picture from last year

Back in May a friend of Nate’s took a security job on the military base in northern Italy so he and his family packed up and moved from Colorado. When they found out we were going to be in Rome they rented themselves and Air BnB and drive down for the weekend. I texted the wife on what’s app and told them to meet us in front of the building “that looks like a big white cake”. 






They arrived and we decided to just start walking.

Of course we stopped for a snack






This place was delish!!! The friend paid so I’m not sure how much

next stop espresso for all of them and then on to Trevi Fountain
still just as busy as ever

It was hot so I began a search for gelato of course. There are several gelaterias around Trevi, but none really had what I was looking for but for one of the side streets.

what’s that you say? time for another snack? or do you mean excuse to use the restaurant restroom?








a spritz for all!

Finally we’re at my destination (probably a 30 minute walk from the fountain plus the time we ate)




https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Maggiore

After taking in this beautiful building we walked across the street to this little bar

 

Nate telling me and friend’s wife to stop taking pictures and get our bodies over there

 

 

they made me drink a shot of something I never ever want to taste again. I had to chase it with wine.

 

 

 

The Opera House

 

 Next stop Piazza della Repubblica

hmmm there are guards and police everywhere. What is going on?






oh! that’s what’s going on...


friend asked one of the police what the protest was for and he said “against the republic”. go figure.




it was a peaceful protest 

to be continued...