Sometimes stereotypes happen for a reason. Or, in the absence of reason, anecdotal evidence.

The first time I rode in my sister-in-law's car, she told me to watch out because she's short, Asian, and a woman.

Well at least she didn't hit a curb, launch over a 2 foot wall and land in a round-about like this lady did at Val's old work today.

Steve and Val go to Italy

So this was funnier at 4am when we left for the airport, but our neighbor just bought a Smart car and parks it behind her Jeep.

We landed in Rome at 9am and managed to get to the hotel and check in by 10:30am which was great since breakfast was open till 11. I’m not sure if we were supposed to eat on the morning we arrived, but it didn’t seem to be a problem. Oh, we got a swanky room upgrade too. What you can’t see in the picture is the walk-in closet, the balcony and the really nice bathroom with toilet, bidet, shower and bathtub. Good times.

I’ve always liked the outer edge of the Coliseum for some reason.

They have a stage inside now that I don’t remember from last time I was there. It really doesn’t seem to fit, but maybe they use it for shooting movies or something.

That would be us, as taken by a nice Indian man who seemed to be following us; or at least going in the same direction at the same speed and pausing in the same places.

Sometimes you just got to climb up on a rock and flex.

Neat clouds.

They are the same height. That is neat.

Arch in the Forum.

More Forum

Just because it looks cool.

This is apparently where the Vestal Virgins hung out when they weren’t in their box seats in the Coliseum or being buried alive for not being virgins.

Chillin

Can you tell which fingers aren’t original?

There haven’t been any pictures of naked dudes yet despite their prevalence.

Via Di S. Teodoro

In lower case.

By a fountain I think.

Hottie wife.

Spanish Steps

Fountain/round-a-bout near the train station on our way to dinner.

Same fountain. Closer.

I don’t remember the name, but it was neat looking at night.

Coliseum at night with speeding cars. The cars weren’t actually going very fast, but the shutter was going slow. I have a remarkably steady hand if I do say so myself though.

St. Peters Basilica.

The bell on top of St. Peters

This is the line to get into the Vatican. It extends around a corner and down 1 block to the left of the picture and then off the right side of the picture it turns right, goes a block, turns left, goes 3 blocks and then you get to the ropes that mark the entrance to the airport style security. It was well worth the 80 euros it cost to have a guided tour if only to skip that line. They were nice enough to walk us by the line so we could feel good about our purchase though.

Admit it. It’s funny.

15 ft tall bronze statue. Of a pine cone. Go figure.

Fighting with snakes or something. I think it looks cool though and if we ever have a daughter, I’ll have to put a full size replica in our front yard so she won’t be able to date until she moves out.

Aggrrrhhhhhh!

Matt, at least you don’t have plaster cracks in your priceless works of art…

This is apparently really famous….

Some old guy

Walk like an Egyptian.

Statue with blue eyes. Freaky.

I really liked this statue.

Venice is neat. So are old maps.

Yeah, he’s been dead forty some years. They claim it’s going to be a miracle if he makes it 50 years without decomposing. Then he gets to be a saint.

Val’s favorite statue.

Pigeon anyone?

Disemboweled statue. 1^st of many at the Dumo in Milan

Lots of spires. Pretty cool looking though.

Excessively graphic statue/wall decoration of David and Galiath on the outside of the Dumo in Milan.

You didn’t know He had a website did you.

Lots of stained glass.

Apparently the black marble is harder than the white and wears slower. The floor is left with kind of a lumpy feel.

Yep, that’s his skin slung over his shoulder. This is also a famous statue in the Dumo.

That red dot up at the top is apparently where they keep “one of the nails from Jesus’ cross”. They only take it down for people to look at once or twice a year. It’s kind of a big deal so says the guidebook.

It’s supposed to be good luck to grind your heel on this mosaic bull’s testicles. Not sure why but we did it anyways.

Val enjoying Venice.

Little boat, little boat…

So we ended up having lunch during an afternoon squall but with food and 2 (half) bottles of wine, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Raining. Still Romantic?

Laughing at the wind. But not in the crazy way.

How tough do you think it is to row (?) a boat while holding an umbrella?

The ever popular ‘keep-the-tent-from-collapsing-by pushing-the-water-out-with-a-food tray-technique’. Note the audience in awe.

On one of the bridges after the rain. We ate at the restaurant down to the right between my shoulder and the little bird.

There I go trying to be artsy again but it looks like I had a little much flash. Granted I haven’t figured out how to reduce my flash yet so I’m kind of stuck. Guess I’ll keep my day job.

Isn’t she cute?

And she ate the paper…

Check out the Cal Trans orange pants on the Venetian paramedic.

This is that bridge we were standing on earlier.

Not too many mullets in Italy but we found one.

Nice place for a stroll

A nice place to have lunch.

Practicing I guess.

I’m Tony the Tiger and I approve this message.

Just taking a rest.

I want a knocker like that someday.

We really liked the Rick Steves guidebook. Thanks for the tip E.

Short bus. Hee heee.

It’s a little hard to see, but this guy is actually doing the moonwalk with his little Michael Jackson hand puppet. It was creepy, but you had to watch.

Stop. In the name of the tinyist stop light ever.

One of my pet peeves. Claiming something is home made when it’s clearly made at a store.

We almost got to see the Pantheon.

Ringo in the house!

It looks like truck.

We’re destined to come back to Italy since we threw coins over our shoulders into the Trevi Fountain.

How many people are there in this picture?

If crowds are supposed to be light in August, I don’t even want to see the Trevi fountain during peak season.

Another mini bus. You didn’t think it was really that small did you.

Us at an arch across the way from the coliseum.

The statue throwing down the peace sign actually has new fingers.

Vandalismo Terrore!

Remember that poor bull’s testicles we talked about earlier? Here’s our good luck.

Swamp coolers in the subway.

Look at me be a tourist.

Hanging out at the bus stop in Venice.

Pretending to sleep on the plane on the way home.