Italy day 3 -- jenny and nicole arrival, Vatican City.

Woke up at 10 am to discover jenny and Nicole's flight was delayed from a 930 am arrival to 1020 arrival. Perfect. We got ready to stop for breakfast and they messaged us saying they were catching the 1108 am train to arrive to termini at 1140. We had our meeting place set and decided to wait to eat until the girls arrived. They found us within ten minutes of their train arrival. Walked them back to our hotel so they could drop their bags and take a quick shower before setting off for our 130 Vatican museum tour.

After meandering for awhile to find the metro train station we found it and were on our way to the Vatican. 10 minutes later were at the stop and walking to the museum. Worried we were going to miss our 130 time, we started straight to the museum, to be stopped by a guy who informed us we can go at any time not per the reservation. So we found a cafe for sandwiches and then went to the museum, where we stood in a short line to get through the metal detectors and then had to exchange our vouchers for admission tickets. That took awhile, but then we were on our way. Decided to take the fast track to the Sistine chapel as that was the highlight of our time in the museum. Passed through some marvelous rooms and gorgeous ceilings. After meandering for a couple hours we finally found the Sistine chapel. Then over the museum. But we had to meander for another half hour to find the exit. Matt grabbed an espresso then we headed to at peters basilica. The line was forever long to enter and it was 500 the duomo closes at 7 pm we got into the basilica at 545 and headed to the duomo. 8€ for the elevator and then 320 windy stairs. Or 6€ for all climb 551 stairs. We paid the elevator which got us to the top of the inside of the duomo of St. Peter's. All of the wall paintings were actually tile mosaics. We then started the 320 stair climb to get to the top of the outside of the duomo. The 360 view was gorgeous. Then we walked through the lower of the basilica stopped for some gelato and headed back to the tram.

Got the girls checked into their hotel and took them down to see the coliseum at night. Then meandered to a back alley ristorante and has dinner. Underwhelming dinner. Then called it a night. Early ish morning the next day to see all the sites of Rome.

Italy day 2-- pompeii

Woke up at about 11, after 12 hours of sleep. Walked to a nearby cafe for a sandwich and then to the termini station to try and find our way to Naples and then to Pompeii. The one hour train was 50€ a person. Yikes! One way!! But there was a slower two hour train for 27€ a person. Opted for that. Rode the train with ac and figured out there was a private train that for 2€ brings you to Pompeii scavi, the station 100m from the entrance to Pompeii in a half hour. Sold. Train arrived to Naples and we meandered our way to the other train station and got on board the train. Half hour later we were arriving to Pompeii. Pompeii closes at 8 pm but the last 2 hour train from Naples to Rome departs at 831pm. Which means we need to leave Pompeii at 7. We entered the park and meandered through the ruins. It's amazing how well the volcano preserved everything. We hiked out to an old rich persons home and then back to the coliseum and theater round. The houses still had the wall paintings preserved. Then before we knew it it was 630 and we had to start our hike back to the train station.

Arrived a little after 7 for our 725 train. Which was delayed. Then at the next station entirely shut down. Not sure what happened but everyone pointed to us to get onto the other train headed towards Naples. A half hour later we were finally departing. Noting we were probably going to miss the two hour slow train, I tried looking up other routes home. 845 is a 3 hour slow train for 11,60€. 901 is a two hour train with an exchange for 40€ and 950 was a night train with an exchange not able to price out. We figured we should arrive to the private train station at 830, which gives us 10 minutes to run to the other station, buy tickets, find the train platform and board.

We arrived to the station at 832. And off we ran. I bought the tickets, matt looked at the platform and looked for a validation machine. 842 we boarded the non air conditioned three hour slow train to Rome termini. Three long hours. But we were heading home. In the mean time jenny and nicole were boarding their plane to come to Italy!

We arrived back to Roma termini about 1150, starving and dehydrated. We found a place to buy a kabob box and a bottle of beer and returns to our hotel to meet up with jenny and nicole to hit up the Vatican the next day.

Italy day 1-- arrival

After going back and forth which flight to ams to take, we last minute decided to take the 734pm. 4 first class seats. We were 2/3 on the list. Left work about 20 minutes early and made it to the airport about 6pm. Matt had already cleared my passport and then we waited. Thirty four long minutes to make sure no one listed last minute. And no one did. We scored our first class seats across the pond. Asked the nice gentleman next to me if he wanted to swap and have a seat to himself so matt could sit next to me. Score. The purser was very friendly and he ordered the seared tuna and I the chicken and Rossito. The zed fare link was broken and we couldn't check in for our zed from ams to fco. Hoping that would be back up and working by the time we landed. Two movies later and our five course dinner and I was out cold. Awoke to the clinks of the glasses for breakfast being served. Some frittata which wasn't as tasty as I'd hoped. Then we landed and we're on our way.

We made it through customs and finally got listed for the klm flight. It was yellow, meaning there might be seats, but Europe never oversella tickets so we should be ok. Exhausted we bought some sandwichs and then returned to our flight, which we got seats together. And then we both were fast asleep. Even the free drinks in coach didn't arouse us.

Landed in Rome, and had to wait for our gate checked bags. Purchased train tickets into the city for 14€ each and then took out some cash. After waiting 20 minutes our bags finally arrived walked the fifteen minutes to the train and were on our way to Rome termini.

After thirty minutes we arrived and made our way down the busy steeets filled with tents and merchants to where we though our hotel was. We booked it after we got seats in amsterdam and it was listed as a hotel being right next door to jenny and Nicole's hotel and was only 100$ a night. Buttttt we couldn't find it. We called the number. Thank goodness T-Mobile just works. The front desk guy then said he would meet us outside hotel Verona. He arrived and walked us two blocks around the corner. Apparently the hotel we booked is under construction so we are staying in this other hotel. Up two flights of stairs to a rickety elevator to the top floor (4) into the hotel sandy, a five room hotel. For the double room with the en suite with the tiniest shower I had ever seen. Oh well. It's a room and it was clean. Good enough. The desk man said we could pay cash of 400€ tomorrow and save on taxes and fees. Okay. We showered and freshened up after traveling for 18 hours and hit the road to the coliseum. Sunset hits the rocks and makes it gorgeous. It was about a ten minute walk from the hotel. We then detoured back to this cute restaurant that has outdoor seating. Orders a bottle of the grappe de Castillo (house wine red) and ordered mushroom artichoke olive pruschuto pizza and matt the spaghetti and meatballs. Yummmmm. Then we walked to the Trevi fountain for some night time pictures and grabbed gelato for the 20 minute walk back to the hotel. Where we passed out from exhaustion to sleep for 13 hours.