Our Italian Honeymoon: Rome, The City

I'm not sure exactly what I envisioned in my mind when I thought of Rome.... sand and ruins maybe?  What I did not picture was a large city, but that's just what Rome is.... a HUGE city!  New buildings built directly next to old buildings, and in between sit ancient crumbling ruins, touched only by the wars that led to their demise.  Alleys that lead to more alleys with Piazzas (Plaza's) in between promoting local art, wine, olive oils, and of course Gelato :)

We could have spent weeks roaming the streets of Rome and still not touched most of the city.  We learned that in order to truly appreciate the value of the Italian life, you must do as the Italians do.  Sleep in late.... stroll through the city investing in whatever catches your attention, and then enjoy slow, conversation filled dinners.  Oh... and you must eat Gelato as often as possible.  The limon is the best, in our opinion :)

I thought the climate of Rome was very strange.  VERY hot.  So, So, So hot.  No need to wear makeup because you would sweat if off the moment you walked out of the hotel.  It was very rare to see an Italian woman dressed up like we do in the South.  They were very natural, no make-up, natural hair.... My hair stayed up in a bun practically every day.  I should have brought more headbands :)  Also, they have palm trees and other vegetation that you would expect to see near an ocean, yet they are still 2 hours from the coast.

 Many of the aqua ducts that once brought the entire city of Rome indoor plumbing still work and run through fountains throughout the city.  You just bring a water bottle and can have icy cold, clean water from the fountains all day long.  It was really neat and definitely needed with the hot weather!

Italians are CRAZY drivers!  Like... hold your breath and say a little prayer that you don't die kind of crazy.  I felt like our lives were at risk each time we stepped into a cab.  They don't obey the laws of traffic.  They don't stop at red lights, stop signs are non-existent, and I did not see a single speed limit sign in the entire city.  Another thing about Italian driving is they drive super-small cars, think Fiats, and they will park ANYWHERE they can!  When you walk next to the cars you can see that they are all banged up from trying to squeeze into so many tight parking "spots".  

Everything is Italy is small and compact.  Even the hotels.  It really made us realize how much luxury we have in America that we take for-granted.  Like big elevators....