#3058 The Trip: Rome - the Colosseum tour

ussie in the Colosseum

For our first full day in Rome, we'd booked a tour of the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. This tour was T's one request for the trip. He really wanted to see the Colosseum, so we were glad to make it happen.

We had about a 30 minute walk from the apartment to the place where we had to meet our tour group. Lizzie, if you are reading this, we met the group at the piazza just above the Colosseum, and there is a fantastic view of the building from there.

the Colosseum

This is where I bought the snazzy hat I am wearing in the top photo. I think I got the men's version of the hat. It is a bit big because surprisingly, I have a small head. I liked the style of the men's hat a little better than the women's. The hat is made of paper and I wore it most days for the rest of the trip. I even brought it home with me because I couldn't bear to abandon it in Venice when we left. It survived the trip fairly well. Have I worn it since I got home? No, not yet, but I might.

There was a heat wave in Europe while we were there, and I can attest to the fact that the heat wave was NOT fake news. I fanned myself with the paper ticket for the tour, but it didn't provide much relief. Fortunately, I did have a bottle of water and Rome has many nasoni, fountains with cool water that are available all over the city, including in the area where we were touring. It's good to stay hydrated. 

The tour was three and a half hours long walking tour. Our guide was knowledgeable and fun. MT and I had taken this tour when we in Rome before, but the order was reversed on this tour. We started in the Forum and ended in the Colosseum. I liked that because on the previous tour, we didn't get to see or learn much about the Forum because our guide spent a lot of time in the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. Another difference was what we saw at Palatine Hill this time. It looks like there have been some changes up there from when I was here before, like the addition of a museum. More likely, the museum was there before and we didn't pass it. Palatine Hill is quite large. The Colosseum tour was basically the same with two notable exceptions. First, you have to show your passport before you can enter the Colosseum and the Forum. (They are close together, but are two separate entrances. You can buy entrance to each of the places separately, but since we were on a tour, they were both part of the tour.) The second thing was the gift shop in the Colosseum. I do not remember it being there before, or maybe our guide didn't take us by it since we were going to the other places after the Colosseum. 

Here are some photos I took:

the columns on the left are the Temple of Vespasian and Titus (87 AD)
the columns on the right are the Temple of Castor and Pollux (14 BC) 

Temple of Antonius and Faustina (141 AD)

There is a lot going on in this next photo. The arch on the right is the Arch of Septimus Severus, dedicated in 203 AD to the Emperor Septimus Severus. On the left, the columns you see are the Temple of Saturn rebuilt in 360 AD, but originally from 497 BC. That single column closest to us in the photo is the Column of Phocus, the latest addition to the Roman Forum. It was placed there in the second century AD. I don't know about those columns in the back. NOTE: you will probably see this photo again in a few days when I talk about the Capitoline Museum. That is the building with the bell tower you see in the back. 

The Roman Forum

I don't remember what this place is, but I liked the flowers coming up among the ruins

I think the photo above was taken on Palatine Hill, but I don't remember for sure. Palatine Hill is where the emperors lived. It is above the Roman Forum on one side, overlooks Circus Maximus on another side, and had underground tunnels to the Colosseum, which is located on the other side.

inside the Colosseum

In the above photo, I am standing where people would have sat to watch the events . That open area is where the cells and cages for the animals and gladiators were. There was a floor, of course, covered with sand so spectators couldn't see those cells and cages. Trapdoors and platforms brought the fighters to the surface. There is a tour of that area, but we didn't have that ticket.

my menfolk like the Colosseum

After our tour, we had lunch at Pasqualino al Colosseo. We all had pizza and it was really, really good!

We wanted to go to the Vittoriano, the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, because we have seen on Instagram that there is an incredible view of the city from up there. Something was going on because there were police all around it and it was blocked off. We walked up the back way and ended up on the Capitoline Hill at the Piazza del Campodoglio. I'd been there with Lizzie, and it is just stunning. 

replica of She-Wolf statue on Capitoline Hill

Piazza del Campodoglio

We kept looking for a way into the Vittoriano. I thought there might be a passage at the top of some steps by a church, so we climbed over 100 steps to the top, but there was no passage. We went into the church instead. 

inside the Basilica of Santa Maria in Arecoeli

The church was very beautiful, of course. It has many, many chandeliers, which made it extra wonderful, in my opinion. I was not surprised to learn that the hundred plus steps I climbed to get to the church was once considered a pilgrimage of sorts for women who wanted a baby. You had to want to get up there. The steps were no joke on this hot, hot day.

A micro memory of this stop happened while I was sitting in a chair, contemplating the grandeur and the chandeliers. T and MT had been roaming around, looking at different chapels. T came back and I asked him if he'd seen anything interesting. He told me that there was a room with a glass box with a baby doll in it. Maybe I didn't do a good job of explaining Catholic stuff to my son. Of course, the baby doll represents Baby Jesus, and apparently the baby doll was very significant to this church and it was stolen in the 1990s. The baby doll on display now is but a replica. Still, T's description cracked me up.

From the top of those 100 plus stairs, there is an incredible view of Rome, including a very nice look at St. Peter's Basilica (center left.)

view from Santa Maria in Aracoeli

I read that the sunset view from here is awesome, nearly as good as from the Vittoriano, and you don't even have to pay for it with money, just in sweat (because of all the stairs.)

We didn't stay for sunset. Instead, we walked back to the apartment and promptly got comfortable for the evening. We were all still full of pizza, so we didn't even go back out that night. My step count that day was 17,851.

On Friday, I'll tell you about our tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter's Basilica, and the Pantheon. 

xo

PS I got all the info about the ruins in the photos of the Forum here.

#3057 The Trip: first night in Rome

ussie at the Trevi Fountain

On Wednesday 10 June we said good-bye to Spain and hello to Italy; Rome to be exact. We flew from Barcelona to Rome and arrived in the Eternal City around 2:00 PM. We met our driver at the airport and he dropped us off in front of the hotel Lizzie and I stayed in when we were there a couple of years ago. Our apartment was just a three minute walk from that hotel. We met our host very easily and she took us up to the apartment. Curiously, the apartment was on the fourth floor, but you had to press "7" on the elevator to get to it. The elevator was tiny and slow and I was a little bit scared of it, but it always worked. I usually took the stairs going down (there were 75), but I always took the elevator up. Another curious thing was that our apartment did not have a number. That's a good reason to take the elevator. I knew exactly where the apartment was when I got off the elevator. All the doors by the elevator on the other floors looked just the same as our door. The apartment was two bedrooms, one bath, a nice kitchen and big living room. The bed MT and I shared was weird, but the AC worked well and I loved the location of the apartment. 

Once we got settled, T was planning to nap, but MT and I wanted to go walking around. We convinced T to come along. It wasn't a hard sell. He's been wanting to come to Italy for a long time, ever since he played "Assassin's Creed." 

As we were staying on Via Pantheon right off the Piazza della Rotunda, obviously the first site was the Pantheon and its obelisk.

MT and T in Piazza della Rotunda

MT was eager to go to Piazza Navona, and on our way there, we passed a church sign that said "Caravaggio." A little history: the first time MT and I came to Rome, we somehow became fascinated by the artist Caravaggio, and we decided the next time we came to Rome, we would go on a Caravaggio Quest to see as many of his paintings as we could. I know there are several churches with free entry where there are Caravaggio paintings, and this was one of the, San Luisi dei Francesi. 

There are three paintings by Caravaggio in this church. Sadly for me, a professional photographer was set up in the chapel where the paintings are so my view was partially blocked. Here's what I saw:

The Calling of Saint Matthew (1600)

The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (1602)

The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (1600)

Caravaggio is such an interesting person and his art was remarkable in the way he used light. I'm fascinated by his paintings.

Feeling extremely happy, we went on to Piazza Navona where we stopped at a cafe for an aperitivo. I didn't take many photos of my meals or food on this trip, but here is a pic of T in the piazza.

T in Piazza Navona

I knew we weren't far from Largo di Torre Argentina, the ancient site where Julius Caesar was stabbed on the Ides of March in 44 BC. Now it is a cat sanctuary in addition to having these ancient ruins.

Largo di Torre Argentina

From here, it wasn't a long walk to the Trevi Fountain, so that was our next stop.

the Trevi Fountain

If you want to get near the water so you can throw a coin in the fountain which is supposed to mean you'll come back to Rome, you now have to pay two euros to go down there. We did not do that, but I'm pretty sure I'll get back to Rome someday. I really love it. 

On our way back to the apartment, we passed the Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva. Outside there was a big sign that there was a Caravaggio painting on display not in the church but in the building right next to it, and we could see it for free, so we had to! This painting was on loan from Palazzo Barberini. It was a treat to see it. 

Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini (early 1600s)

Four Caravaggio paintings in one day! I was stoked!!

When Lizzie and I were in Rome, we ate a a lovely little enoteca not far from Piazza della Rotunda, and I wanted to eat there again, so I'd made a reservation before we left the U.S. I recognized the woman who seats people and at least one of the waiters. Of course they didn't remember me, and I wouldn't expect that anyway. I was delighted to see them, though, and to be in the restaurant. Such good food! 

 a nice little restaurant

We ended our night with a gelato in the Piazza della Rotunda, then it was time to get some rest because the next day was our tour of the Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. I'll tell you all about it on Wednesday.

xo

#3056 three nights and five big meals in Platja d'Aro

ussie in PdA

The next stop on The Trip was a beach town on the Costa Brava where I was lucky enough to spend a few summers with my mom's side of the family. The town in called Playa de Aro in Castilian Spanish and Platja d'Aro in Catalan. I will refer to the town as PdA to keep it simple.  The five of us rode together in a nice, large van that picked us up at the hotel in BCN and drove the 90 minutes or so to PdA. The only bad part about it was that we left the city in the morning and our accommodations were not ready when we arrived before noon. The hotel where Mama and Lizzie were staying was kind enough to store all of our bags, and then we all just sat on a bench looking at the sea until it was time for lunch. It wasn't ideal, but it was a nice day and frankly, there are worse places to wait. 

The hotel room was ready first, so we moved all the bags to the room, then went back down to the beach promenade to have lunch at a place my grandmother really liked called La Tisana. I like eating outside, and if there's a beach view, it's even better!

big meal #1 at La Tisana (pic by Lizzie)

My little family was staying in an apartment, and we were able to meet our host around 3:45. Funny little micro-memory: when Lizzie and Mama checked into their hotel, they were each given a cute little gift bag with toiletries from L'Occitane. When I met the host of the apartment, I was also given a little gift bag, but mine contained two rolls of toilet paper. LOL I suppose I'd rather have toilet paper than not!

That evening, my cousin Sonia, who lives in a small town a bit more inland, came to the hotel to say hello, and we all went out for a quick dinner, local style. She took us to a restaurant called Lola where we had delicious sandwiches, beers, and patatas bravas.

big meal #2 at Lola

The next day, Sonia had the day off, so she came with her daughter Nicole and Nicole's girlfriend Julia in two separate cars to take us to lunch. Before lunch we visited the cemetery to pay our respects to my grandparents' graves and for a quick tour to Santa Cristina where Sonia lives. I like the town.

The restaurant we went to is called Bell-Lloc. It is a a restaurant in a gorgeous old farmhouse. The food is superb traditional Catalan cuisine. It was probably the best meal I had on the entire trip. I would certainly be delighted to go there again (and again and again). Maybe for my 65th birthday? LOL

me with my menfolk

big meal #3 at Bell-Lloc (pic by Lizzie)

the interior is dreamy

After lunch, we all retired to our abodes to rest and digest. Lizzie and I ended up going to the pool at the hotel for a little dip and some quiet time as we prepared ourselves for dinner with the whole family.

My mom's sister, Nuri, lives in San Feliu with her oldest daughter Monica. Monica has two daughters, Aida and Irina. T is the lone male of the kids on my mom's side of the family. Along with Sonia, Nicole, and Julia, the five us met all of them at a restaurant in PdA called Llevant that we have been to many times over the years. There were ten women and two men in our group. It was fun to see everyone again.

Tia Nuri and Mamacita

big meal #4 at Llevant (pic by the waiter)

The next day, MT and T went snorkeling with Nicole and Julia. I know MT was thrilled to get to do a bit of snorkeling. T didn't snorkel, but he did get in the sea. While they were doing that, Lizzie, Mama and I went to breakfast with Sonia at a local's place called Can Felipe, and we also got to meet Sonia's BFF, Gemma. I was also to have a bit of alone time while the menfolk were gone, and I kind of needed that. ;)

The five of us, along with Nicole and Julia, met Nicole's dad, Eric, for lunch at a place called Alexandra. MT and Eric shared a paella and talked non-stop through the meal. They might have a bit of a "bromance."

big meal #5 at Alexandra

After lunch, MT went on a beach walk. T took a nap, and I messed around with my travel journal and relaxed quietly. Mama and Lizzie went to San Feliu to visit some more with Nuri and Monica. I think our last day in PdA might have been one of MT's favorite days of the trip because he got in a bit of physical activity and he got to have paella and listen to Eric talk about his motorcycle trip to Morocco. 

That night, my mom was tuckered out from all the food and the feelings from seeing her sister again. It had been three years since we'd last seen her, but Nuri had some health situations last year and none of us are getting any younger. Mama stayed in the hotel room, but the rest of us, along with Sonia (who had been working that day) went to a bar on the beach for tapas and a drink. I wouldn't call it a meal, though, just snacks.

Sonia and Lizzie

I have a warm, soft place in my heart for Playa de Aro. I think it is beautiful there, and I have so many memories of the place, of which most of them are great. 

I'm thinking about how cool it would be to have a home here

view of the beach from Lizzie's hotel room balcony

street view to the beach from our apartment

That wraps up our stay in Playa de Aro and in Spain. My next post will be on Monday and I will tell you about our first night in Rome. 

xo 

#3055 the last day in BCN: Casa Vicens and Tibidabo

Thompson fam at Casa Vicens (photo by Lizzie)

 On our final day in Barcelona, we started out by going the La Boqueria because MT wanted to buy paella seasoning, and we'd seen some there when we walked through before. I don't need to be coaxed to go into this amazing open market. The smells, the noise, the displays - all of it makes me feel happy.

fruit shop in La Boqueria

We bought four boxes of paella seasoning. We did not read the fine print that each box contains six packets of seasoning. The good news is that MT has already made paella using a seasoning packet, and it was really good, so I'm sure we will use the remaining 23 packets without hesitation.

The main events of the day were a tour of Casa Vicens and a trip to Tibidabo for all five of us. We took two separate taxis to get to Casa Vicens. It was just a couple of miles from the hotel, but it was a warm day and it was a bit farther than we wanted to walk. I wasn't sad about taking the taxi. 

Casa Vicens is the first home Antoni Gaudi was commissioned to design. It is in the Gracia neighborhood, tucked away on a small street. It is very distinctive. 

Casa Vicens

It was built as a summer home for the Vicens family. At the time, the area was mostly empty fields with lots of marigolds. I am fascinated by the way Gaudi was able to design homes in such a way that the air was cool in side. I've been in four of his houses, and all of them share this trait. I think he was a genius. 

My favorite thing about the house was this indoor/outdoor patio. I strongly suggested that MT take a good long look at the design and architecture and recreate it at my house. He laughed in my face. It's just so pretty, though!

outside view of the patio

inside the patio

I love love love the screens and that fan fountain is amazing! I also love the inclusion of the marigold motif in the tiles on the fountain. The colors are so pretty throughout the house. 

There isn't any furniture in the house, which makes sense because so many people go through it every day, although not nearly as many as in Casa Battlo. We had timed entry tickets and we went right in and were able to spend as much time as we liked looking around the house. There was an audio tour that explained the design and function of each room. It was well done. 

The rooftop patio didn't offer much of a breeze or shade on this particular afternoon, but I have to share this pic of Lizzie because her 'fit totally matches the color scheme of the patio, and she looks really cute.

my adorable little sister

After a thorough examination of the gift shop, we went to the little cafe on site to get our ice cream. Our tour was called "Sweet Gaudi" and included a scoop of either pistachio or mango ice cream. I was the only one who got pistachio and it was delicious. We also drank Cacaolat, a chocolate milk drink that originated in Barcelona. Drinking the Cacaolat really triggered some wonderful childhood memories, as did the next place we visited, Tibidabo.

We took two separate taxis to mid-mountain to a restaurant called Mira Blau. We got there around lunchtime, and it was Saturday, and the place was quite busy, so we made a reservation for a couple of hours later, then rode the funicular to the top of the mountain where the park is.

going up the mountain

My grandparents lived in an apartment that wasn't far from the tram stop that would take us to mid-mountain. Then we'd take the funicular up to the top. Tibidabo is an amusement park. When we were kids, Lizzie and I really liked to go there to ride the bumper cars and the little train and play the arcade games. Now our main interest is the view. You can see across the whole city to the sea from up there. It was a little hazy on this particular day, but it was still magnificent.

my people admiring the view

ussie of T and I

ussie of me and my hubby

beautiful Barcelona with the Sagrada Familia on the right

There is a church at Tibidabo, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You know, I don't think I've ever been in the church. I think I've always been intimidated by the many, many steps it takes to get up there. MT and T were game for it though, so they went to check it out. I bought some churros and some water and hung out with Mama and Lizzie. I took a photo of the church though. You can't not take a pic of the church. It's grand.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Satisfied with our time at Tibidabo, we took the took the funicular back down to mid-mountain and went to Mira Blau for a late lunch. We had a great table by the window which gave us a lovely view of the city. The food was good and we were all happy to be there. Here's my cute mama at the restaurant.

Mamacita! (pic by Lizzie)

We took taxis back down to the Gothic Quarter. As we were making our way to the hotel, we were passed by these:

los gigantes!

There was some kind of festival going on, and there were three pairs of these king and queen giants parading through the Gothic Quarter, then they danced and twirled in Plaza San Jaume just down the street from our hotel. There were fireworks and music and it was a scene, although not as crowded as I would have thought. MT and I watched from our balcony. T was napping. Mama and Lizzie went to the Plaza and saw it all up close and personal. 

For my part, I was plumb tuckered out. My mind was willing to go back out, but my body was tired, so my last night in BCN consisted of packing my suitcase and going to bed early. We had an early wake up call the next day for our ride to Playa de Aro. I'm kinda sad we didn't go out that night, but I'm also kind of okay with it, too. I felt like I did pretty much everything I wanted to do. I didn't eat as many pastries or churros as I intended to eat, but maybe that's okay. Next time ;)

That wraps up our four glorious nights in Barcelona. Even though I didn't get to drink from the Font de Canaletes, I feel certain I'll be back in my favorite city at some point.

I'll write again on Saturday and tell you all about our food adventures in Playa de Aro. We spent three nights there and I was full the whole time. 

PS: MT is going backpacking in Canada on the West Coast Trail for a week. He left for Pocatello today. He is going with his brother Kevin and Kev's wife, Janet. They are driving, so they will be gone for a couple of weeks. I think they'll start the trip on Saturday. I'll keep you posted!

xo 

#3054 Barcelona: level 60 achieved

I am 60 years old!

Last year when I was thinking about retiring from work and about turning 60, I had a brilliant idea that I would like to spend my birthday in my favorite city, Barcelona, and have lunch at my favorite restaurant, Can Culleretes, with my favorite people: MT, T, Mama, and Lizzie.  All of my working life I my birthday has usually been spent in the office closing the monthly books. In 2026, I wanted to celebrate so many things: my retirement, MT's 65th birthday, my 60th birthday, T's first trip to Europe, and being with my people  It seemed like all I could think about because I wanted it so much. There were a few times I didn't think it would work out, but I'm so thankful that it did. I had a really great day! Let me tell you about it.

We started out having breakfast with a view of the Cathedral. There was a busker singing in the plaza with a great voice. The sun was shining through the scattered clouds. The temperature was very pleasant. I had a cafe con leche and a croissant and I felt great.

MT perusing the breakfast menu

Mama and Lizzie arrived shortly after we ordered - they had breakfast at their hotel. The reason we gathered so early was that Lizzie had scheduled a professional photo shoot for us! Did you know you can do that through Viator? 

We met our photographer, Borja, in front of the Cathedral, and for the next 30 - 40 minutes, he took photos of all of us in nearly every combination EXCEPT with Mama and Lizzie together. How did we miss that combo? Ugh, so disappointed in missing that opportunity. The photo at the top of this post is one that Borja took. I think it turned out okay, although it felt incredibly awkward. I was even mouthing those words as he was snapping the photos. Here are some of the pics we chose:

I love this one even though (or maybe because) I'm tucked away

Lizzie and I are supposed to be kissing Mama, I was cracking up!

father and son posing for their boy-band album cover

Lizzie and I strolling through the Gothic Quarter

another family shot

After photos, we went for lunch at Can Culleretes. Did you know it is the oldest restaurant in Barcelona? They've been in business since 1786. Isn't that incredible?

dreams come true! (photo by Lizzie)

I don't know if I can fully express how delighted I was to be celebrating my birthday at this restaurant with these people. Truly, it was very precious and special for me. I get a little misty-eyed thinking about it now.  The food was great, the service was good, and it was all just really, really wonderful.

I am a lucky, blessed woman

We were all full of delicious Catalan food and a little worn out from smiling for Borja, so after lunch we went to our rooms to rest for a little while. Lizzie texted me after an hour or so and we decided to have art time in their extra hotel room. (It's a weird story, and I'm sure Lizzie will write about it in her blog at some point. For now, just know that Mama and Lizzie had an extra hotel room, so we used it to have art time.) The extra room had a wee balcony that overlooked Via Jaume, so we took this photo, which I love.

could I be any more pleased?

In the evening, the five of us went to Plaza Real to have aperitivo, then MT, T, and I walked to Casa Battlo for a tour. I've never been in the house, and MT was curious to see the inside. If you don't know, Casa Battlo is a house that Gaudi designed for the Battlo family.

exterior of Casa Battlo

MT and I in the first floor room

I'll be honest: I did not love this tour. It was an audio tour, and that part was fine, but there were so many people in the house and I just felt like sheep being herded from room to room. The only rooms we saw were "public" rooms, not anywhere the family lived. The family quarters were on higher floors and you had to pay extra on the spot to have access to those rooms and to the roof where the dragon is. However, none of that was made clear when I was buying the tickets, so I was kind of bummed about it. The architecture is stunning, of course, but I got a lot more enjoyment from seeing Palau Guell the last time I was in Barcelona, and I also really like Gaudi's house in Parque Guell. Take photos of the outside of Casa Battlo, but go to the other places for smaller crowds and equally beautiful architecture. At the house in Parque Guell, you can also see furniture that Gaudi made. 

On the way back to the hotel, I detoured us just a little to see The Kissing Wall. The mural's title is really "El mon neix en cada besada" (The World Begins with Every Kiss.) The mural is created by 4,000 little tiles of individual photos that people sent the artist. Here's a sample:

 It was installed in 2014 by a photographer, Joan Fontcuberta, and a ceramicist, Toni Cumella.

El mon neix en cada besada

I think it is so cool. Can you even imagine putting that together? Fantastic. If you are in Barcelona and want to see it, go to the Cathedral, then turn your back on the Cathedral and make your way down the little street that has the Picasso piece wrapping around the side of the building. You'll pass a little ice cream shop and a cafe and there's the mural. It's just a two minute walk from the Cathedral. 

We got ice cream from that shop we passed - I probably had a scoop of coffee and a scoop of caramel or chocolate. Yum! As we were eating our ice cream, there was singing coming from the area to the right of the Cathedral. There were around a hundred of people singing "Imagine" by John Lennon and other peaceful songs. What a fantastic way to end the day! I will always remember this birthday.

~~~

On Thursday I'll be writing about visiting another house Gaudi designed, Casa Vicens, and about going up to Tibidabo for the views.

xo