Day 2 in Rome!!

We went to a nice place for dinner last night after I posted. It was the kind of place that has a predetermined menu and they bring you each course without you actually ordering. I ate the appetizer, which was like some kind of tuna pasta dish I think. It was okay, but it had a strong fish taste and I didn’t really like it. Then the main course was fish and some kind of salad that I didn’t really care for… I did try to eat the fish, but I just couldn’t do it. After that they brought out dessert. It looked like maybe vanilla gelato, but I took a bite and realized it was lemon, which was really really good!

I was so exhausted by the end of yesterday, but I made myself stay up until 11PM so maybe my body can get used to this new time zone. I got up and 7 this morning and went to have breakfast here at the hotel. The breakfast here is a little different than back home. They had lots of different pastries (like chocolate covered scones). I tried what looked like a donut with sugar on it and chocolate in the middle, but I realized it was Nutella or something like it in the middle once I started eating it (also really good). They have pineapple juice that was delicious too, so I had some of that.

We left the hotel to walk to the Vatican at about 8:15 this morning. It is about an hour walk to get there and it was hot outside, so I was sweating and worn down already by the time we arrived. Inside the Vatican is beautiful. Words cannot even describe it, and the pictures I took do not do the beauty and justice at all! The Sistine chapel was phenomenal. You are not allowed to take pictures and the guards are very serious about it! There was a lady sitting near me who had taken a couple & he opened her tablet and made her delete them all, then told her “no photo!” and walked off. Next we got to see Saint Peter’s basilica.

After walking around and taking a few pictures in there, me and another girl got separated from everyone else in the group and never did find them, so we just found a little shop with a map and wandered around Rome for the rest of the day, shopping and site seeing, with no particular agenda. It was pretty fun actually. I bought several souvenirs for friends and family, and even got myself a couple of things too! We went through the bargain market, which was kind of interesting. I have never bartered before, but you can there, although I didn’t.  We came back to the hotel for a little while, then we went out to dinner.

We went to a place really close to our hotel that was having a special with bruschetta appetizer and since we both like bruschetta figured, “why not give this place a try?” The bruschetta was really good, and a little different than what I usually get back home. What I got here was served as 1 big piece instead of several small pieces as I usually get in Oklahoma and it was covered with a lot of olive oil too. Also, the toppings were full of flavor, rather than just plain with minimal seasoning (if any) as I have received back home. The special we got was another some-what predetermined meal. We got to pick out of 3 entrees (we chose to get lasagna, but I don’t even remember what the other options were to be honest). Then got to pick out of 2 “2^nd” courses, which both contained veal. I have always been adamant that I would never eat veal, but I tried it anyways, because, “I’m in Rome, why not?!” I’m happy to say that I have concluded I do not like it. It kind of tasted like wild turkey or something like that. I don’t think I will eat it again. Then they brought out a big cup of mixed fruits (pineapple, kiwi, and apple [I think]) that was SO sweet, but really good also. I have gotten so used to the fruit I get from the grocery store at home that usually isn’t very fresh, I forgot how good it can be when it is fresh.

I’m really excited about tomorrow. We are going to the Colosseum, which is one of the biggest things I really wanted to see while I’m here… So I am going to go to sleep so I’ll be rested tomorrow and have plenty of energy to walk around and see some more exciting sites in Rome. 

PS
I tried to post this last night and wifi wasn't working. :) So this is my post for yesterday. Not from today. Lol