Stop number one of our Rick Steves Tour! We arrived a day early to get settled and explore the area before meeting our tour group. It was a good thing because our flight got delayed and we arrived a little later than anticipated. Still we had plenty of time to explore. We stayed across the street from Hotel Museum at Papa Vista Rentals for our first night before moving across the street to Hotel Museum for the start of the tour.
Rome, Italy
Elevator to room at Papa Vista Rentals! Only one person could go with all the suitcases, the rest of us were happy to take the stairs.
Vatican City!
Happy Jubilee Year!
Tip #1:
Make sure your shoulders and legs are covered appropriately every day of vacation. Megan and I tried to plan our outfits based on when we were visiting churches, but plans can change, and you don't want to miss out! Luckily, they had sheets for us here at the Vatican! For us, lightweight skirts/dresses felt more breathable in the summer heat than pants!
As a major history buff, Megan was excited to get to walk around the Colosseum. She was so inspired that she even watched the new Gladiator movie on the flight back home!
roman colosseum
The morning before our tour started we bought tickets to see the Roman Colosseum! This was so unbelievable to see in person and the pictures don't do it justice. It was very crowded here but just be intentional with walking around and stop along the way to read and view the exhibits! Also, make sure to bring some form of ID with you.. Megan forgot but she was under 18 for this part of the trip so it ended up working out for us.
FUN FACT
There are lots of cute cats that wander around the Colosseum! They are considered part of the city's bio-heritage and receive food, water, shelter, and medical care from the city. Around 200 cats live in the Colosseum, and they help protect the ancient ruins from unwanted pests that could damage the structure. In historic times, they even helped keep Romans safe by reducing disease-infested rats. You can find cute cat doors all around the place. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled to find one of the hard-working cats!
We met our tour group at 3pm on the roof of Hotel Museum (where breakfast would be served the following days). Megan and I were happily surprised to see other teens/young adults in the group from ages of about 12-25, putting us in the middle. Bea, our tour guide, took us on a walking tour where we got to use our audio guides for the first time. We were also introduced to the buddy check, you partner with someone outside of your travel party and make eye contact after every move to ensure everyone made it to the next destination. FYI the buddy system was 100% effective!
Spanish Steps
First Group Dinner! This is where we learned that meals would consist of 3 courses. Don't eat all of the pasta... the chicken, potatoes, and chocolate mousse are worth the wait!
Pantheon
Mom had to take a picture at the pharmacy! She is a pharmacist at Walgreens!
Sunset walk with group back to the hotel for the night.
roman Forum
Tip #2
Don't throw away your empty bottles!
Bring water bottles with you during the day. Once the bottle is empty, make sure to keep it because there are plenty of places to refill it with clean, refreshing water.
We took a quick look at the Roman Forum when we visited the Colosseum the day before, but we were pretty overwhelmed/lost. Thankfully, the next day, Bea got us there by Metro, where we had a local guide who showed us around!
