When in Rome...

So, people, I'm on vacation! I've had limited internet access, and let's face it, I'm in ROME at the moment, so I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time blogging, or really on the internet in general. But today I have a few minutes and access to a computer, so I'll just tell you about my day today. Pictures and stories of the rest of the trip will come later.*

The rest of my family went and saw The Hobbit this afternoon, but I decided to stay behind, in part because my introverted self was needing a little time to stretch her wings, and also because I'm in ROME, and I can see The Hobbit AT HOME. So I grabbed my book, my wallet, and my sunglasses and started walking. And this is what I did:

• wandered through a green shady park, strewn with the occasional remains of a marble column (fenced)
• watched a soccer game between two community teams, played with all the passion and intensity of Italians that you can imagine
• sat on a rock between the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, reading a book and people-watching
• wandered the streets around the Colosseum, watching various street performers and vendors
• ate what I think was a giant donut that was put in a panini grill thing, which was amazing
• was told by an older Italian man that I was "very attractive" and then he told me that "if you were not married, I would offer to sleep together for the last day of the year, for many presents." Uh...thanks? But no thanks. Most of me was annoyed at this, but there was a small part of me that thought "How classic. What a classic Roman experience."
• looked at the Piazza Venezia, all lit up
• sort of stumbled upon the Pantheon in a search for a public restroom


All in all, a good day. Wandering is sometimes the best way to visit a place.

* Remember when I went to New York like, a year and a half ago, and was all "I'll write more about this later!" and then never did? Me too. I'll try not to do that with this trip; in an effort to ensure posting, the trip posts will probably be less ambitious than the New York ones were. And just for the record, I'll probably never post about the rest of the New York trip.