A Little Taste of Home

So as my time in Rome comes to a screeching halt i've been able to do a lot of last minute exploring around the city and my last travel excursion. This past week Mikey was able to fly all the way from the big apple to Rome to have a pretty exciting spring break if ya ask me! We had a wonderful weekend together, where naturally, I played tour guide and told him every little fact I could remember about this city of Rome i've lived in for 5 weeks. Together we were able to see the usual tourist spots but also exploring the last couple of things I have on my Italy To Do List! We had Friday when he landed till the next Wednesday in Rome, then we pack our backpacks and hit the trains! We traveled to Naples were our hostel was located. And I've stayed in some pretty..interesting... hostels since coming to Europe but this one was the nicest and best hostel I have stayed in to date! The staff made us feel welcome from the second we walked in... by of course offerring us the one things Americans love and Europeans don't even know exist.. breakfast! A full buffet of the favorite breakfast bites, and not just the "continental." The funniest part of our time at the Hostel of the Sun was that there was a Hungarian reality TV show being filmed on set while we were there and that brought out a great bunch of laughs for us. After a morning of exploring naples we set sail on a ferry to Capri! And what a beautiful island it is, breathtaking from every view. The next day, our hostel had set up an opportunity to horse back ride up Mt. Vesuvius!! It was the best experience I have had here in Europe so far (never having riden a horse it was pretty darn exciting!!) We traveled up the back side of the mountain on the road not traveled, through thick forest and very small pathways we somehow made it up a volcano! It was truly majestic (but now i'm sore all over) This last full week in Italy has been truly amazing and man was it a blessing to have a little taste of home over here in Europe with me!

Castel San Angelo

Part of the Castle that was a fort after being a mausoleum and a jail. 

Inside the fort walls!

 

The Climb to the top!

View of St. Peter's Basilica from the Castel

View from the top!

In Honor of our DTW family who have been struggling with
lost loved ones back in the states

Found this randomly walking the streets...oh rome!

Mikey's first dinner in Rome.. very jet-lagged night out
with my favorite girls!

Trevi Fountain! Stop on our tour! 

MJ is still alive and well in Rome!

Top of the Spanish Steps, just one more Norwalker I saw up here! 

Mikey makes the cars look extra small here!

Mikey's First aranchina!! 

Inside the Victor Emmanuel building 

View from the top of the Victor Emmanuel building in Piazza Venezia

Mikey's Future beard...

We climbed all these stairs... so many steps!

Roman wedding cake! The Victor Emmanuel Building!

Inside the Roman Forum 

Check out the rainbow behind us!!! We are the pot of gold! 

View of Rome from the Palantine Hill

Master of the Colosseum! 

Real Italian lunch! 

View of the city at night 

Our bike ride through Villa Borghese 

Captain Mike!

 

Jackie and Mikey on our way to our tour of the Vatican! 

The Vatican's Prize pinecone! 

Michael Angelo's favorite statue at the Vatican

Can you imagine swimming in this bathtub?

This is the only picture I have of the Sistine Chapel,
they wont let you take picture of the chapel itself,
but the whole room is a breathtaking slice of history!

La Pieta 

Let the Willie Wanka Walls begin! 

The "we made it to the top" face!

This is the "I can't believe I climbed all those steps
and I'm still only half way up St. Peter's Basilica" face.

Old Bridge Gelato as our treat for climbing to the top of St. Peter's Basilica 500+ steps!

This is it dad! Santa Maria in Vittorio!

Here she is.. St. Theresa in Ecstasy, Bernini original!

All the amazing art in the church.. and this is what
the outside looks like! 

A nice cappuccino! 

Mikey's Wish in the Trevi!

Hungarian Film Crew! What a bunch of characters!! 

The elevator from the tower of terror.. hello hostel.

Live.. WHOLE... octopus. 

Naples is famous for terracotta figurines!  

Napoli lays claims to inventing pizza so we gave it a try!
This is at Da Matteo Pizzeria.. AMAZING!

Napoli Grand Central Station!!

Nice Mediterranean view 

On the Ferry to Capri! 

Capri's Natural arches! 

Yes... those are clouds.. We were so high up those are clouds!

Mike and My Horses!!!! 

He's UP! He's a horse back riding natural!!

Us and our guide ready to climb up Mt. Vesuvius! 

We were truly truly off roading

Mt. Vesuvius! 

Off to Pompeii! 

Pompeii's brothel.. 

More Pizza, This time at Da Michele.. Home to EAT. PRAY. LOVE!

Me and Julia taking a lunch break together! I can definitely agree with her that I came to Italy.. and I ATE!