When in Rome!

ROMA!!!  Yo everyone, writing you from Barcelona once again.  Rome was a trip,  I couldn't imagine heading down town Santa Cruz a seeing something as big as a Baseball stadium that was built over two thousand years ago, but on the flip side I guess they couldn't imagine seeing a tree that started growing over two thousand years ago either.  I'm glad we managed to keep a few of those around.  We flew into Rome with my pops, and after tough negotiations with the Taxi driver we managed to make it to our flat in Rome.  The people are cool and all, but it seems with the city people at least you really need to be a bit stern, its good to make them explain the extra charges to you.
  After kickin it in the room for a bit after the travels, we went out for a meal at a place called Porko Vaco which judging by the sigh means slutty cow, or cow in langere, I don't speak Italian.  Man the food was the best yet, its not like its too much different, they just do it right.  I went for plain old spaghetti with tomato sauce and was blown out of the water.  The food didn't let us down once. 
   The next day we headed to the Colosseum which got its name from a giant statue of Colossus which stood out front for what must have been a thousand years,  and I wonder if thats why all Colosseums have that name.  This place was nuts, to think slaves built it with no modern tools, and its standing today, with the help of a few modifications implemented in the nineteenth century.  Seeing this place really brought into question the whole 'civilized' idea; so we've got these 'civilized' Romans, ya know just feedin people to lions, and having gladiators hack them apart while the whole city watches in delight, then we have savage hordes of uncivilized people doing god knows what, but it can't be much worse.  We continued to waltz around ancient Rome, looking at massive arches, famous rivers, and a square that I cant remember the name of, but where again we had awesome food.  On the way back to our place for a siesta in the heat of the day (which is wise to do here by the way) we saw the Fountain Trevi.  A lot of people had this idea too, but I can see why, its a Fountain depicting the final battle over athens when Zeus cast his enemy and his winged beasts into the fiery depths of the underworld.  I just made that up, but I really wanted to make it seem as cool as it looked.  After our nap  it was off to eat again, but not once did I have Bishkut Ian, are you sure its not a Jewish dish?
  So with the ancient buildings and monuments at our rudder we headed for a holier horizon, and holy it was.  We took Vicadin city by storm, completely ignoring the warning on the internet about being "properly dressed," we figured, hey we're americans right?  Wrong.  Some guards at the door denied entry to Nima on the ground that her almost knee length skirt was too short, and that her shoulders were showing, but with some quick thinking and what looked like a drug deal with a little old lady selling scarfs we were in.  I didn't mention is was about 100 degrees.  Once inside we were stoked.  We saw all the cool sites, and we even saw Pope John Paul, he is still there incased in glass for everyone to see; kind of creepy.  At the top we caught a birds eye view of all of Rome.  The stairs to the top were a little on the sketchy side.  500 some odd steps of twisting winding and ever shrinking corridors.  Dad was gettin a little claustrophobic, and the gung-ho stair masters on our tale really added to the adventure. 
  That night we dined our last night together in the famous Campo De Florie, and were awed again by the food and the wine.  Dad and I had Feticini Alfredo and Nima had Gnocchi.  A great night to end a great trip.  The next day it was off to the airport, to once again say our goodbyes, and it really never gets easier, but we racked up another memory and I know there will be many more to come.  Much love dad and thanks for an awesome time, and to everyone else keep your heads to the east and and don't stare at the TV, you'll go deaf.