Euro Vacation...So Far, So Good

Well, we finally made it after numerous planes, trains, and automobiles.  We drove to Dallas on Saturday because it was cheaper to fly out of DFW than Little Rock, of course.  We spent the night at one of the airport hotels, a Marriot, which offered free parking during our trip and a shuttle service to and from the airport.  After a smooth departure flight and layover in Chicago, we boarded for an overnight flight to Fiumicino, the airport in Rome.

Maddie has been the BEST little traveler.  She hasn't complained one time, although she has wimpered with exhaustion a few times and was caught sleep walking yesterday.  She managed to sleep a few hours on the plane.  Don and I didn't get much rest, but we were too excited to notice the fatigue when we landed.

We took the bus to the Hotel Morgana, which is where we are staying for the first leg of the journey.  It is conveniently located across from Termini Station, the central station in the city for trains, buses, and the metro system.  The bus was only 10 euro, versus 40 for the train, so we decided to be frugal.  Buses are always adventures because drivers in Italy are adventurous souls and driving here is challenging to put it mildly.  I'm glad we took a bus because we were able to see a little of the countryside and outskirts of the city.  Don said it looked just like Arkansas.  We saw some hay bales and pine trees, so I guess it did a little.  As we drive through some rough areas, Maddie kept exclaiming, "This place is so beautiful."  She finds something pretty in all things.  

Our hotel is very nice and is air conditioned.  The wifi signal is strong, so the Bentons are all happy.

After showering, we set out to see four sites today, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona.  We took the metro to the Spanish Steps and walked from there.  Rome is always very crowded, so keeping up with Maddie is a challenge.  We stopped around 3 p.m. for pizza and prosecco.  It was delicious.  Nothing compares to real Italian pizza!  Afterwards, Maddie had her frst gelato, Nutella flavored.  She was in heaven and a chocolatey mess when she finished.  

After seeing the sights on the agenda, tossing coins, etc., we decided to call it an early night and head back.  Maddie was too tired to walk, so we took a bus to the metro station and then took the subway back to Termini.  We crawled in bed to rest for awhile, but were all asleep entirely too early.  At the moment, it is a little after 3 a.m. and everyone is awake.  Maddie is watching an Italian cartoon and can explain the plot, so she is content.

Two additional events today: my converter tried to electrocute me and Don got shafted exchanging currency for the first time.  Traveling is a learning experience.  Tomorrow, we have "underground" tickets to the Colloseum.  The third tier and dungeons are now accessible, so this will be new for me.  They weren't open when I visited last year or in the past.  Afterwards, we will visit the Forum.  It is pretty warm here, 85 today, so we are going to take it slow with Maddie.