Seventh Week: Spring Break!

I'm back in the UK and ready to tell you all about the amazing week I had in Paris and Rome! This post will mainly consist of pictures, because most of the sights I saw are best shared with you that way. Words can only go so far.

Steve and I woke up bright and early Sunday morning to catch our flight to Paris. We got into the city at around eleven in the morning and had lunch. We checked into our hotel and then headed over to the Catacombs. Sunday afternoon was the only time they were open during the time we were in Paris, so it was then or never! We got into the long line and waited quite some time, but it was worth it.

Bones from within the Catacombs

From the Catacombs, we trekked over to Notre Dame. The cathedral was impressive in its size and beauty and the inside was even more intricate. When we stepped outside, the sun was just setting and the light hit the stone and made it glow.

Notre Dame just before sunset

We walked around until we found somewhere nice to eat- a quiet restaurant with a pet cat who sat in my lap while I waited for my food. Our food was delicious and I was able to fulfill a requirement of the trip by having Creme Brulée, my favorite dessert, at the end of our meal.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to get to the Louvre. We wanted at least three hours there to see all we could (we knew we would still miss a lot). Here are some of the highlights:

Outside the Louvre by the Pyramid

Venus de Milo

My personal favorite, Winged Victory

Cupid and Psyche

We also saw the Mona Lisa, the Lacemaker and Napoleon's Apartments. By noon, we had had enough of being indoors and wanted some fresh air. So we took the Metro up to Montmartre and walked around the charming district. We had some gelato, watched a mime (yes, a mime) perform, and strolled around a local artist's fair. We ended our wanderings with a trip to Sacre Coeur.

Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) Cathedral in Montmartre

Full from our gelato in Montmartre, we skipped dinner and headed over to the Eiffel Tower. We wanted to make sure we got our tickets, as it was fairly late already. The sun had already set by the time we were in line for the first elevator, so we were able to see the Tower all lit up and look out over Paris and see the city illuminated. It was a lovely way to end our short trip to Paris.

Le Tour Eiffel

Paris Illuminated

The next day, we were able to have a leisurely breakfast at a café near our hotel and then catch a shuttle to the airport to fly to Rome. I was beyond excited for this trip, as I am Italian and have always identified with my Italian grandmother. We arrived too late to do anything the first day, so we walked around the neighborhood near our hotel and found a quiet place to have our own personal pizzas outdoors. They were absolutely mouthwatering.

The next day was a busy one! We went to the Vittoriano, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The Roman Forum is huge! We spent the majority of our day there.

Steve and I at the Roman Forum

The Colosseum!

We woke up early again the next morning to go to Vatican City. We saw Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum (including the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Stanze) in the morning. Unfortunately, pictures of the Sistine Chapel weren't allowed, but here is one of the inside of St. Peter's:

There was much more to see inside than just this section
 and it was all just as magnificent.

After some lunch, Steve and I went to the Castel Sant'Angelo, a castle just sitting in the north of Rome. We walked along the dreary, dark passageways and beheld the breathtaking views from the turrets.

The bridge up to the Castle

The view from one of the upper windows.

We had just enough time to see the Piazza di Spagni and the Spanish Steps that evening before catching a bus home. I took a picture of the Spanish Steps, but there were so many people sitting on them you can hardly see the actual architecture!

Our last day in Rome, we fit in a surprising amount. We first went to the Piazza Navona and saw the artists and street vendors there. There were some pretty funny characters including a man dressed all in green leaves, an "invisible man" with a costume that gave the illusion of a missing head, and three people dressed as various ghosts and ghouls. We took the side streets to reach the Pantheon and explored it inside and out. And finally, we went to the Trevi Fountian to throw a coin over our shoulder (right hand over left shoulder) to ensure that we would come back to Italy some day. I hope that wish comes true. I had the time of my life in just three short days.

The impressive Pantheon

The Trevi Fountain, a lovely way to end our whistle-stop tour of Italy.