Castel San Angelo or the outside of it...

We got a good night’s sleep (even if it was later than it should have

 been) for the first night, but Oscar and I still got to sleep in because the group was up early and out quickly to get to the Vatican.  We were supposed to meet at Castel San Angelo later in the day, but that gave me and Oscar a day in the hotel room.  I would never consider a day in the hotel room in a foreign 

 country before, but it was pouring and I didn’t want to lug a baby around in it.  Also, we needed the time to just have a little bit of normality.  The hotel had children’s books and a toy box with lots of toys in it and we just hung out and took a good afternoon nap like usual.  Feeling human again, we set 

St Peters is a long way away in this picture

 out for Castel San Angelo and got a picnic on the way where I found baby food packets like we have at home and had to buy some to see if Oscar will take to Italian baby food.  We played in a park by the Quirinal hill which is the president’s home in Rome.  It had a grotto, some birds to feed, a fountain 

Did the Trevi and didn't care

 to play in and a playground that got ignored in order to splash in water and wave to people who had climbed to the top of the grotto.  This was a little slice of paradise in the middle of Rome and was a good stop except for Oscar not wanting to leave and get back into the stroller, or 

the Pantheon is just another building

 trying to run out of the park into the street, but he doesn’t quite understand the concept of staying near me yet.  Or following rules, or about anything else for that matter.  We start back off because we don’t want to miss the group and we pass the Trevi fountain which is so white now, but 

where are the chariots and horses in Piazza Navona?

 there is no way to get a baby and stroller close enough for either of us to throw a coin in to ensure a return trip to Rome.  The crowds are astounding.  This is one of the most crowded sites every year, but it feels more packed than normal.  We keep heading to the river and pass the Pantheon, which I

Bridge of Angels leading to Castel San Angelo

  think is the most important building in the world and again, Oscar doesn’t get the importance of what he’s seeing.  I was amazed when we got to the bridge that leads to San Angelo how many people were there too and how pretty the bridge was.  Again, this is a new site for me in Rome, so 

the sensitive Italian before the pushing started

 while I have seen Castel San Angelo from the top of St. Peter’s, from the top of the hills in Rome, I have never stood in front of it to appreciate the immensity of the place.  Because of Dan Brown’s books and movies, most people are familiar with it now, but it’s hard to believe that it started 

he's not in full rain gear yet because it hasn't started

out as a tomb for Hadrian, one of the emperors of Rome.  You can see the ancient stones at the bottom and I’m sure all the marble it was originally clad in was stolen to build other buildings in Rome at some point in history.  In the moat around the place, they have created a park and Oscar and I 

here, you see a mother has given up

 went there to swing, try to steal soccer balls from older kids, and push around young Italian children.  There was a boy his age that was in full rain gear and didn’t want to be touched, so the minute Oscar laid his hands on him, he started to scream, which made Oscar find it fascinating to try to touch 

haz mat suit in action

 him and make him scream.  So, we had to move away, but not before sharing a whole bunch of puddle jumping together, which was fine for the other kid who had galoshes, rain coat, pants etc and was ready for a nuclear holocaust, but Oscar was in normal clothes and we were nowhere near a place to 

1. change.  So, after he got thoroughly wet and had had his fill of fun and I realized that the group was not going to show as the ticket office to the castel was closed, we tried putting on our clothes in the diaper bag for something dry, but guess what, my new diaper bag that I bought for this trip does not appear to be waterproof, so the reserve clothes were wet too.  So, that’s two fails on the kids’ stuff so far.  Apparently, I should have researched everything as thoroughly as I did the stroller…..But, no matter, we’re just going to get the wet stuff off and get going, but Oscar is very unhappy at this point.  He’s wet, tired, hungry and most likely cold.  So, I decide on a bus back to the hotel to get us there quicker, but every bus is full.  We finally get on the 4th bus that is going our way and need help from others to get everything on right.  I was able to board with everything, but had forgotten the stuff in the bottom of the stroller that was keeping it from closing properly, so had to close it on the bus.  And while I’m fussing with that, some Italian woman has a hold of Oscar’s collar from behind while the bus is moving to keep him steady and some Italian men help me get the stroller off the bus too.  At least we’re back at the hotel in a timely fashion, but I’m thoroughly out of sorts by now and deciding that Rome is now too crowded and too much of a pain in my ass.  John and Rachel finally get back and we go have dinner to discuss who had the worse day because they couldn’t go to the

   

   cuddling after a hard day helps everyone feel better

     Vatican originally because Pope Francis was talking, so they did the museums first, couldn’t find some students for a long time, and then couldn’t get through St. Peters in time to make it to Castel San Angelo.  So, it was a bad day for all of us and weather and crowds are mainly to blame, but I also start to realize that I can’t plan on meeting the group because you never know what’s going to happen to change the schedule that they try to set out.  But at least we had another stellar dinner near the hotel at Cotto.  The bread was delicious and homemade, the pasta was clearly homemade and again everything just tasted delicious.  I finally had veal alla 
   

   

   getting soaking wet and pushing people around wears you out

Romagna, which I have been avoiding because John has a moral objection to little calves raised and fattened to be slaughtered, but this is a traditional dish of Rome that I feel that I need to try and we’re not sharing tonight.  And it’s (of course) delicious.  Rachel pointed out that it could be made with chicken and I think that’s something I might have to try at home and maybe John will even try it.