Rome

We went to Rome for a few glorious days. This is Sky at the top of the Spanish Steps during an early morning walk he and I took one morning. Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Plaza, was across the street from San Carlo al Corso, a 17th century church whose dome you can see in the background.

It was a lovely old hotel and we had wonderful adjoining rooms.

The hotel was originally built as a residential palace for a nobleman but was converted into a hotel in 1860. Pope Pius IX stayed there in 1866 during the visit of the Mexican Empress Carlotta, who was also staying there.

All of this was lost on the boys, but they loved the place anyway. Here they are playing after breakfast - the idea was that Sky would move while the shutter was open, approximating the image of a ghost, while True acted terrified.

We did a number of touristy things, testing the boys' patience. Here we are waiting to enter the Sistine Chapel, which we were fortunate to see. True took his stuffed dog, Tiny, with him everywhere.

Tiny, in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrement at St. Peter's Basilica. The chapel holds a chair said to have been used by Saint Peter beneath a window of yellow alabaster. It is beautiful.

Of course, the boys will only know that they were once there. Here,they are touching the foot of Saint Peter, which is worn smooth by centuries of pilgrims - and now tourists - doing the same.

True climbing around a cherub.

We did a lot of walking, including climbing the dome, and were pretty tired by the end.

We at at La Capricciosa, a restaurant near our hotel. The boys loved this restaurant because it served tagliatelle alla bolognese, otherwise not easy to find in Rome. It also served a wonderful spaghetti alle vongole, which Anna and I ate.

The restaurant was in a square called Largo di Lombardi. I like this photo because of the couple kissing in the background.

We went one evening to watch AS Roma play. It was pretty wild in the stands.

I don't remember who won... the boys do, I'm sure.

Afterward, we went to eat at La Capricciosa again. True wore the AS Roma jersey he had bought at the game.

Out on the town with Tiny.

Anna and Sky near the Piazza del Popolo.

The boys on one of the stone lions surrounding the obelisk in the Piazza del Popolo. They'll visit again some day and remember climbing up there.

We ate some excellent pizza.

True, Sky and I waited for Anna one evening on the Corso.

At the Trevi Fountain.