I took this picture of St Peter's Basilica from the roof of Castel Sant'Angelo.
Here is a miniture of the castle
Picture of the outside of the Colosseum.
This is a picture of where the animal lived below the arena floor. I was on the built out arena floor.
This is the fontana delle Naiadi. Very famous photo and busy traffic circle
We had an early morning tour at 7 am the spanish steps were empty.
Only
Trevi fountain same thing super early in the morning.
Sistine Chapel
Secret Room from our tour Bramante Staircase
Villa d'Este in Tivoli on our day trip from Rome.
We spent a week in Rome. It was lovely. My mom had a wonderful time. It was an experience. What did I learn or realize? My kids would have been bored with all the history. I think I was a little bored with all the history. Maybe when I'm older i'll appreciate it more. But I thought it was nice.
I also think I prefer my history with some nature and adventure. The ruins outside the cities I've seen before have excited me more. But Rome was lovely.
The food was delicious but boring. They did it all well. But I was ready for something different by the end. Overall it was a great trip. We stayed at the Martis Palace Hotel. I highly recommend it for the location and ease of use. If my mom had been willing to walk things would have been even more amazing.
But overall it was a fantastic trip and something we might start doing annually. We may start going away for a week to places to just me and my mom. One day maybe the kids will join. But it was nice to see her and end the trip with mother's day.
May 21st, 2026 at 07:43 am 1779349385
To me, the Roman empire is also a cautionary tale, and perhaps one that is as relevant as ever. It lasted more than two milennia (yes, I include the Byzantines), and spanned like three different continents. And yet, despite all of its achievements, and all the influence and power it wielded, it fell just the same. Why? Some may point to the barbarians at the gates, but when you look beneath the surface, ultimately, I say it came down to two things: Hubris and Financial Stupidity. The same track we are seeing today with the Trump administration.
Er, not that I'm deliberately trying to steer us into any political discussion, but whether it is individual households to grand empires, the necessity for the people to learn to make smart financial and life decisions are timeless, regardless of the scale. Lest we also doomed to repeat these same mistakes, and the US becomes the latest chapter in the book of fallen empires (only I don't think we have monuments that are as cool as Rome's).
In any case, I'm glad you and your mom had a really nice time, even if the details of Roman history can be a bit on the dry side. If you haven't already done so, may I suggest Greece at some point in your future destinations?
May 21st, 2026 at 02:36 pm 1779374161
People who don't see beyond where they are and the place they've lived. No exposure to anyone different. I think that's a bigger problem with society and turns out not just in the US. It's just more evident here because of the lack of heterogeneousness of the people and culture.
May 21st, 2026 at 06:34 pm 1779388492