Kid Fun in Rome

Ryan is trying to convince Dan he still fits in the stroller

Believe it or not, looking at piles of really old bricks isn't all that exciting for kids.  Of course for adults, the main reason we go to Rome is to marvel at all these piles of bricks and relish their historical importance! 

Luckily, every little kid can rally their tourist mojo for the Coliseum!  Kids are blessed with very active imaginations and when you can tell stories about gladiators battling to the death, they can finally get excited about seeing a really old building!  Especially after we made them walk 25 minutes in the rain to get there. 

Prior to our trip, Dan and I made use of the free audio tour podcasts that are available from Rick Steves.  We listened to all of the available podcasts about Rome so that we were prepared to offer tidbits of information about all the various sights around Rome.

 

To give the kids a break from all the 'old stuff', we headed over to the Borghese Gardens where there is a zoo.  To the kids' delight they found a playground on the way.  Most people go to the Borghese Gardens for the amazing art and sculpture at the Borghese Gallery-we went for a playground and zoo.  Travelling with kids definitely gives you a different perspective of a city!

 

The zoo was a typical city zoo with small habitats, and the kids enjoyed it.  We were grateful for the sunny day, and the chance to let the kids run around a bit. 

 

Ryan did really well with the amount of walking we did to get around the city.  Luckily, we realized that the best cure for tired feet is gelato, and Ryan was happy to keep walking along the streets of Rome with gelato in hand.  The kids ate gelato everyday we were in Rome, but to be honest, I don't think it is any better than American ice cream (gasp!)  I did find a place close to our hotel that had cannoli, which is right up my alley!

So, I think I may dedicate one or two more posts to our Rome trip, and then I am pretty sure everyone will be sick of hearing about Rome.  Luckily we will be going to Tuscany and Venice in a few weeks!  At some point I will get around to writing more about Germany and living as an expat...