Day 15- Kayaking...in Rome?!?!

BEST DAY EVER! Ok well at least on the top 10 list. I decided to get away from the chaos of Rome and took a train to a little mountain town about 45 min from here. I was excited but it by far exceeded any of my expectations. And... I am definitely buying a kayak when I get home!

Now this is summer vacation at its best!

It is hard to tell from the pictures but the water was a green/blue and clear. The paddle is in the water about 3 ft. Best of all it was warm! (Not too warm though Alona... I think you would still feel refreshed). :)

It's called Lago di Albano, in the town of Castel Gondolfo. The pope actually has a summer residence here. Not too shabby...

The Pantheon. This is probably my favorite building in Rome. It is a 2000 year old temple (now a church). The dome is huge! Actually it is the "largest masonry vault ever built". The Romans were incredible architects. What I found especially fascinating was that it has a 25 foot circular hole in the top. It was really beautiful how the sun was shining in. Apparently the floor curves in a way so that when it rains the water is able to drain out. So cool!

I'm thinking about trading my motorcycle for one of these... What do you think?!? Actually the driving is kind of crazy here. The roads are small, often made with cobblestones and mopeds are everywhere. There are pedestrian walkways but the cars don't stop until you walk out in front of them. Crossing the street is always a bit of an adrenaline rush!

These natural spring drinking fountains are found all over the city. The water is cool and refreshing! (And best of all FREE!)

Arco di Constantino

Colosseum!

This has been a great vacation so far! I was thinking the other day how when traveling it is really easy to either love or hate a place, but it is really all about perspective. For example in Egypt the the dirt and traffic and pushy people can really get to you. I've learned to just accept it as it is though and love it for all its madness. The motto I am adopting for this trip is "just love it, whatever 'it' might be." I succeeded when I got yelled at by the lady cleaning the bathroom at a monument. Normally my instinct would be to get irritated but this time I just thought, "I'm getting yelled at in Italian. Cool!" The trick will be letting this attitude carry over into real life. I may also need a reminder if India does not fare well on my stomach!

I have been working on a special project to honor the best of Rome. Will post tomorrow. Get excited!