Rome, Italy

We have now reached the half-way mark of our honeymoon adventure, and we could not have stopped in a more exhilerating location!

The Colesseum and the Roman Forum.

Rome! There is little arguing that Rome can be considered one of the most interesting and historically impactful places in the world. From its ancient ruins, many which date back over 3000 years, to the Vatican City, Rome stands out as a gem on the planet.

Out of all the stops on our adventure so far, we are definently trying to soak up the most here. Our days consist of early morning breakfasts at the hotel, to a subway trip downtown, to a full day of sight-seeing and history-learning. We have so far taken tours of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palantine Hill - the location of the start of Rome. We have also explored the ancient heart of the Rome, its modern streets, and stopped to take in a few of its grand museums.

It has been VERY hot here, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees C / 113 degrees F on Saturday. Although sweat is a common entity on EVERYONE here, we are still learning to avoid becoming embarassed when the sweat gets really bad.

We are learning some of the tricks of living here, and do have some advice for the those coming to visit:


1.) There are very high cover charges if you would like to eat a restaurant. We recommend buying the food "take-away" and sitting in a park to eat. This can save you literally 10 euros each time - and creates some pretty fun memories.

2.) There is an aqueduct which still brings fresh spring water to Rome every day. Throughout the city, you will find water spouts from which this spring water consistently flows. Instead of buying 2-3 euro bottles of water every time, use one bottle and re-fill with fresh water that is likely better than the stuff found in bottles.

3.) Pay the extra money for the guided tours of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palantine Hill. There is SO MUCH history that you miss a ton if you dont have someone pointed out sights along the way.

4.) Play. Rome is a gorgeous city, and it leaves room for you to become part of its history. Example, see below:
5.) Take time to realize where you are. Rome. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Florence, Italy

Tyler waking up on the night train between Paris and Florence.

Goodbye, France. Hello, Italy! In order to save us a day of travel time, last night was spent aboard a night train between Paris and Florence, Italy. Each car fits six people, and beds fold down from the wall when it is time to sleep. We shared a train car with 4 fantastic Argentinians on their way to Italy for the first time. It was definently a new experience, and one we would recommend trying at least once in your life. Just make sure you bring some ear plugs to get some sleep!

The best part of the train was falling asleep outside of Paris, and waking up the next morning in Italy! Florence was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982 and widely considered one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. It is also the birthplace of great names such as Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Galileo Galilei! A lot of history in this city!

We have already had our fill of fantastic pizza, pasta, and of course Gellato (Italian ice cream). Tomorrow we hope to search for the Statue of David, arguably Michelangelo's most famous sculpture, which is found here in Florence!

Florence at night.

The River Arno, which runs right through the heart of Florence.