Day 64: A Walk through Rome!! (July 17):

    This morning, we woke up early, like 6:30 so that Grandma, Grandpa, me, Dallin and Dad could go inside St. Peter's Basilica before the long lines formed. Modest clothing required. Inside they were having small church services, with priests wearing colorful robes. Under the chapel were dead popes (This is where St. Peter is buried).

 We left and walked home, taking in the smokey air, grafitti walls, tourist shops, Gelato stores, and black men selling purses and sunglasses. Every parking spot is filled! If there are any open they are taken within 40 seconds! Most likely by smart cars! Two of them fit in one spot! One parks parallel and the other vertical! There are millions of smart cars and mopeds! Ok., so the mopeds are insane!! They always go right in front of you and they don't really stop at stop signs or lights. They don't wait for pedestrians. And, if you're not driving fast, they get angry! Yep that's Italians!
   Once we got home and had a little nap, we all drove to the Colosseum! Benson finds  a parking spot and we start walking. WOW!! Everywhere you look there is some cool building or some ancient ruin - you just wonder what it used to be. It is an amazing walk!! Anyway, we walked 800 yards down cool old RUINS! 

 

 

There were street performers who painted themselves navy blue! With water guns that looked real! And after I put a coin in their bucket, they pointed the gun to my face for the picture! 


 Later, we walked to the Colosseum! It was outstanding! But what in Europe isn't!? Anyway, it was huge! Some parts broken! older than America! We waited in line forever! After getting in, they showed us underground mazes, and parts of the stadium where gladiators would fight people or animals. Also prisoners were sometimes punished by being put in there and not knowing which door an animal would come out to attack them. The Colosseum was HUGE! Outside the Colosseum, men dressed up as gladiators to get a picture with them (for a pricey cost).
 

   Everyone is hot and hungry. We have been used to the temperature being 68 degrees all summer - at times we have thought our thermometer was stuck, because it was always the same. But today it is 100 degrees. We found a pizza place. 

   Later, we went home and went to cool off. Then we went in the evening to Vatican City to shoot the helicopters. We stopped at this Gelato store that Always has a huge line because they give you huge scoops! We come back home and enjoy a fun game of Take 2.