Rome...here we come!

Wow - only 2 days until we fly to Rome. It hardly seems possible! Here is our itinerary:

Saturday:

• Arrive in Rome at 8:15am
• Drop off bags at hotel
• Brunch?
• National Museum of Rome (10am – 2pm)
• Snack/second lunch?
• Borghese Gallery (reservation required), 15:00, must be there 30 minutes beforehand
• Dinner
• Night Walk Across Rome (pg 71 Rick Steves book)
• Spanish steps
• Trevi Fountain

Sunday:

• Vatican Museum (free and packed) (8:45- 13:45). May do this on Tuesday if too busy
• Sistine Chapel
• Lunch
• St. Peters Basilica (Mass starts at 9:00, 10:30, 11:30, 12:10, 13:00, 16:00, 17:30) open 7:00-19:00. Cost €6 to climb dome
• Trajans Column (7:15 – 18:00) free and always viewable, 1 hr to tour if touring market as well – Closed Monday
• Capitol Hill Museum (9:00-20:00)– closed Monday
• Dinner

Monday:

• Colosseum (9:00 – 15:15), Guided tour €3.50, 45 min
• Forum (may want to do this first and purchase tickets at Arch of Titus or buy Roma pass) (8:30-18:15) Guided tour €3.50, 1hr
• Palatine Hill (9:00 – 18:15) Guided tour only once daily €4, 90 min
• Pantheon (8:30-19:30), free and 15 minute walk from forum. Rome's best gelato at Gelateria della Palma, two blocks in front of the Pantheon (Via della Maddalena 20).

Tuesday:

• Appian Way
• San Sebastian catacombs
• Dolce Vita stroll

We will miss Jenna terribly but it will be fun to go. I'm so excited - this trip will be a long awaited and much needed vacation. Jenna has driven me nuts all week with her terrible twos so I need this vacation. She's almost as bad as my students :).

In other news:

1. Check out this guy who does beatboxing with a flute - now that is talent! Forget American idol!
2. Finally finished the Dark Tower by Stephen King. Has a better story been written? Not sure. It was marvelous!!
3. Lent started today. I'm giving up candy. Bye Bye M&Ms, Reeces cups, etc. I will miss you. It will be good for me though! I eat too much candy.
   
4. Erik and I made new Everquest characters. I made a Warden wood elf namd Caedwynn and Erik made a Monk wood elf named Caedmon. I thought of naming myself something like Call so we could be Caedmon and Call but I thought that might be slightly cheesy. So I went with a name somewhat like his. I picked out his name this time. His other characters are named Kire and Karazduk. Need I say more...
5. I got 60 points on Quiddler today. A terrible showing since I lost the V which was worth 11 points. I did make the word bloat. That is how I felt after I ate too much biscotti and hot cocoa tonight :).

Toodles!