WWF

I think the leisure part of this adventure has caught up with us. I gave the boys an 8:30 wakeup call today so we could catch our train and they said it was way too early. I tried to remind them about the 1:30 AM wakeup call for our hike up Sinai but they weren't buying it.

Which brings me to reason #51 and #52 for a small carry-on - overhead and aisle space on Italian trains.

I have to disclose one thing though - I too learned the hard way. I have lugged an oversized, heavily laden suitcase filled with unnecessary items around before. I think I strained by biceps, triceps, back, leg, neck and brain. I learned my lesson. I listened to a wise travel guru who counseled; "When preparing for a trip, lay out everything you plan to take on your bed. Then take 1/2 the clothes and twice the money." That is why he's the guru.

Oh! There was fighting today. Not between my 3 travel weary boys but between some Italian women on the Metro from Roma Termini to the stop near our hotel. I am pretty sure the teenage Italian girls were drunk, high or both. Regardless they were VERY loud and EXCEPTIONALLY crude. So some slightly older Italian ladies let the teenagers know that they did not consider then to be nice teenage girls. This was accomplished by swearing at them (Dave said the swears are pretty much the same in Spanish) and making hand gestures that I clearly understood. Let's just say it's a universal symbol. It was a little hard to take it seriously as one of the ladies that was telling off the teenagers was nursing her baby. As he was strapped in front of her. In a baby sling. While one side of her chest was hanging out. Welcome to Italy!

You may have heard me commenting that European hotels are not known to have the most comfortable beds. First, they are small and second, you can determine the spring count just by laying on it. ANYWAY, I've been really looking forward to our 14th hotel because I kind of know what to expect with Marriott - and I was NOT disappointed! Ahhh.

I think the legend of a guaranteed return to Rome if you throw a coin into the Trevi fountain is more than a legend. I've thrown a coin in three times. This is my fourth visit. Your advice; should I throw in another?

Unlike last time we were here (early on a Sunday morning) the streets were very crowded today at the big tourist sites so we chose to go to the Villa Borghese; a beautiful, spacious park on the northern side of Rome. We found the tranquility quite enjoyable.

They have these hilarious rickety, jarring four person bike/cart things that you can rent and ride all over the park. As everyone has to pedal as one person steers and brakes, they test the ability of your family to work together. The paths for the pedestrians and the paths for the bikes aren't really clearly distinguishable - or at least that is what we claim. In 2007 we participated in the same activity and lost one of Daniel's flip flops. He spent the rest of the afternoon with one shoe until we could find a replacement pair at one of the stores. We were on the lookout for it.

On the way back to the hotel I found (okay, I looked for) a gelato store that I haven't patronized before (fortunately there are thousands!) and tried the biscuit and chocolate. It was pretty good, but so far the best gelato we've had was in Milan at 'Chocolat'. However, the taste testing comparison is far from over.