How to See Rome in 2.5 Days

I posted a few weeks ago about our whirlwind, trip-of-a-lifetime to Europe in December. Well, I'm back with a recap on how you can see Rome and the awesome architectural attractions in only 2.5 days.

 

Our half day was the first day we were in Rome - we left Australia and after three long flights we landed in Rome at 12:30 pm. So, here we go!
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Grocery Markets Around the World

The Ninja admiring all the dried meats and fancy cheeses at
 the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia

 One of my favorite things to do while traveling abroad is visiting grocery stores and food markets. Not only are markets a great venue for people watching and experiencing culture, they also provide me with a valuable lesson in food diversity, value and, most importantly, they remind me to be ever-so-thankful for our American food supply.

It's always fun to peruse a foreign grocery store to see what kinds of different products are available that we don't have in the U.S. For example, I was in Poland for a short time in December and saw many unique things in the store. Live carp were available in the fish section and the produce section featured a wide variety of pickles and sauerkraut.
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Around the World in 35 Days

Backpacking was quite the adventure!

I have just returned from a whirlwind trip that took my boots to eight countries and 10 cities in 35 days. And I did it with a single backpack (mostly) and only three pairs of shoes. No hot air balloon involved.

How? Why? Where? Great questions!

As you may have noticed in my Instagram feed, the Ninja finished his PhD in September 2015 - a goal that he has been working towards for 10 years. Ever since we went to Australia for 10 months in 2011, he has wanted to go on a backpacking trip around Europe to celebrate the completion of his PhD. So when May rolled around and the end was in sight, we started talking about bringing the dream to fruition.

Fruition turned out to be the trip of a lifetime with an equally adventurous, flexible and fun-loving husband! I cannot adequately convey the magnitude of fun we had on this trip, but I will try. It was so relieving to be away from the stress of our daily lives and just be with each other while soaking up as much history, fun and food as we could. I affectionately call this trip the "Art and Carbs Tour of 2015."
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