Eurotrip: December 2010

Last week, Spain had a nation wide holiday weekend known as a "puente" where everyone gets a few extra days off from school and work. My friend, Elizabeth and I spent it in the Eternal City aka Rome. We were VERY FORTUNATE to even get to Rome because you all probably heard of the wildcat strike in all the Spanish airports that closed Spanish airspace beginning at approximately 11 am on friday. Our plane took off at 9:25, about 1.5 hours before chaos began, "Gracias a dios!" (thank god) as my madre told me. As we were descending into Rome, we flew right over the city and looking out the window, you could get a spectacular view of St. Peters Basilica and square in the Vatican City, the Tiber river and the Colosseum, all sparkling and glowing beneath the sun. It was definitely the most memorable flight experience of my life. As they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", Elizabeth and I wasted no time and we oficially started our Roman holiday, We had traditional antipasti and spaghetti aglio e olio at a ristorante. Throughout our stay, we had the ultimate time our lives taking in all Rome has to offer. We went to St. Peters square in the Vatican city and went inside St. Peter's Basilica, the biggest and most beautiful church ever! Ate real Italian pizza, went into the castel sant'angelo that rests along the Tiber river. Strolled down the Tiber river admiring the glorious bridges. Made our way into the city walking along the narrow streets filled lovely Christmas decorations and little shops. Drinking cappuccino in a little Italian cafe. Climbing the Spanish steps and making our way to the top just to be rewarded with a breathtaking sight of the Roman skyline....a very breathtaking sight indeed. Walking down the Via Condotti and peeking into the most expensive stores in the world such as Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Gucci...just to name a few. Eating gelato while sitting in the Piazza del Popolo. Tossing a coin into the magnificent Trevi Fountain which was bigger and more illustrious than I ever imagined it would be. Eating lunch in a cafe sitting directly across from the Pantheon. Looking up at the crowning jewel of the Roman Empire, the Flavian Amphitheater aka the Colosseum, one of the wonders of the world. Walking inside of it is truly an amazing experience, just to see the architecture and how these ancient Romans built this mighty structure thousands of years ago. Walking in the Roman forum on the Palatine hill and seeing all the ruins made me really appreciate all that the Roman empire achieved as one of the biggest ancient empires in the world. We climbed to the highest hill and got yet another heart stopping view of this illustrious city. I also took a moment to thank the weather gods for gracing us with favorable weather this weekend. Definitely one of the most defining moments of this trip was finally getting to walk through the Vatican museums and finally getting to stand right in the middle of the Sistine Chapel, looking up at the masterpieces of Michelangelo including the "Creation of Adam". I definitely never thought I would be where I was standing where I was and I realized how very fortunate I am to have this opportunity to travel to one of the most stunning and acclaimed cities in the world. With all the history, art, gorgeous architecture, delicious food and countless views of the city, this has been my favorite and most beautiful city that I have traveled to.Well, here are the pics!!! Enjoy!!!