Athens to Rome

On November 30, 2018 Angelina and I traveled from Skiathos, Greece to Athens, where we spent 12 hours in the airport. We had a short two hour flight from Athens to Rome and it was very nice, as they provided a breakfast. Our host had arranged a ride from the airport for us and we arrived at our new apartment about noon. We were greeted by our host, Fabrizio and welcomed into this artsy, apartment that is steps away from the Vatican City. Yesterday, December 1, 2018 we walked around Rome and saw the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. The view of Rome from the top of the steps was magical, and we both cast our wishes into the Trevi Fountain. Both of those locations were packed with people, as it was Saturday night and the first day of December. Holiday shoppers were already out in mass. We caught a bite at a local restaurant named, ¨Spaghetti¨ and I chose linguine with shrimp and tomatoes and Angelina had lasagna. We also saw the Parliament building with the huge bronze statues and guarded by the army. We took in a bit of shopping, and Angelina found some plaid Christmas pants. The shops are gorgeous and I may spend one day just taking pictures of the windows. Wow, the city is all decorated up for the holidays! I am so happy to be in another ancient city, Roma. We met a family from near Prague and visited with them at our airbnb. Regina and her son, Dusan were so friendly and we enjoyed a great chat last night. They were here on holiday and her son is studying architecture. They shared some of their favorite spots here in Rome and also extended an invitation for us to see Prague, so we will see. It was a pleasure to meet them.-Mona

Yesterday December 1st we arrived in Rome! We went to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. I am so happy to be in Rome and am excited to go out and explore. I have been waiting to come here for so long. I hope I know enough Italian. We have an Italian phrases book so I will make sure to look in that. This is a very nice place and a very cool city. I like it a lot so far! -Angelina

Here is some history about the Spanish Steps:

The Spanish steps were built in 1723-1725 by a design of the rather little known architect Francesco de Sanctis and were financed by French diplomat Étienne Gueffier’s bequeathed. It was built in order to link the the Trinità dei Monti church that was under the patronage of the king of France, with the Spanish square below. The long, triangular Spanish square is named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy Sea.

Information on the Trevi Fountain: The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini. Standing 26.3 metres high and 49.15 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world.