Most of us had European history in the 3rd, 6th, and 10th grades.  We were taught and forgotten most of what the textbooks discussed about the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, and the Vatican City.  We know from Rick Steves that it is shaped like a boot, has great food, and some wonderful old ruins.  We all had a dream of going to Italy and riding a gondola in Venice.  Last year alone, 185 million people visited Italy to eat pasta and see one or more of its 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites (the most in the world).

Italy has a population of 59 million, uses the Euro, and its capital is Rome.   We took our trip to the country in September 2009.  We flew into Rome and took a train to Florence and Venice.

The domed church on the left is the Santa Maria dei Miracoli. The domed church on the right is the Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and obelisk in the foreground was stolen from the ancient Egyptians. All of this is from our fist stop in Rome.

Fountain of the Goddess Roma

Rome is more than just some old buildings

Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber River in 753 BCE

Rome City Center

Artists selling their paintings in a city square

Rome is a jungle of historic buildings and churches. I didn’t know what most of them were.

Piazza Navona with the Fountain of the Four Rivers and obelisk

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Outside seating at the restaurants and cafes.