Day 59: Observing the Sabbath

Start: Rome, ITA
End: Rome, ITA
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

We woke up bright and early this morning in order to get to the Vatican, which opens at 9am. The museum is free the last Sunday of every month so we thought this would be a good day to go. Unfortunately every other tourist in Rome thought the same thing. The line was 4 city blocks long and growing when we arrived, but thankfully it only took us an hour to get inside. The highlights of the visit were Raphael's vibrant frescoes and the magnificence of the Sistine Chapel.

A trip to Vatican City would not be complete without a stop by St. Peter's as well. As we came upon the piazza in front of the basilica, we were met with an enormous and lively crowd. Turns out the liveliness was in response to the Pope, who was addressing the masses from his apartment window high above the Piazza San Pietro. We still have no idea what he said.

After the Pope spoke, we joined the masses on their pilgrimage inside the basilica. We saw the tombs of many popes, inlcuding John Paul II, and also the ornate shrine where St. Peter's remains rest. The basilca itself was breathtaking.

Next we headed back to the city center and happened upon the Piazza Venezia, where a gigantic shrine to Italy's first king Victor Emmanuel stands. We thought for sure the structure which contains giant columns and statues of chariots dated back hundreds of years, but it turns out it is modern by Rome standards as it is only a century old.

Our last sightseeing stop for the day was the historic Pantheon, the most well preserved structure from Ancient Rome. Over the centuries, it has served as a temple to the gods, a Christian Church, and now a tourist attraction for all.

Dinner was a feast of exquisite pasta dishes and Italian chianti. It was so good in fact, we had a second dinner down the street immediately after our first. Our new motto has become...when in Rome, eat dinner twice.

Day 58: Nuovo Post da Italia

Start: London, ENG
End: Rome, ITA
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9)

Though we were sad to say goodbye to London and our new friends at the hostel, we had to catch a flight to Italy. Our flight on Ryan Air was much smoother this time, with only a 30-minute delay in take off due to an "unidentified traffic in the airspace". There was even in-flight entertainment...a gorgeous bird's eye view of the Alps below.

Upon arriving in Rome, we took a bus to the city center and enjoyed the sunset over ancient ruins along the way. To find our hostel, we enlisted the help of an Italian woman at a local pizzeria, but Patrick really just wanted an excuse to buy a piece of pizza. Both the directions and pizza were satisfying and delicious. But not as satisfying and delicious as our "hostel" room at Residenza Don Bosco, where we have a private room, private bathroom with bidet, and towels provided! We even have a small TV suped up with Italian cable stations.
We had dinner at Ciao Bella with possibly the best lasagna we have ever tasted. As we wandered the streets of Rome looking for Trevi Fountain (above), we stumbled across the Spanish Steps. Despite our fortuitous find as a result of being lost, we decided to continue our search for Trevi Fountain after we bought a map. The search was well worth it as the glistening grandeur of the fountain by night was magnificent.

Day 57: Taking London By Storm

Start: London, ENG
End: London, ENG
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

Our day in London was jam-packed with attractions. We started off with a visit to Buckingham Palace, and to our delight, we had arrived 15 minutes before the Changing of the Guard! It was like nothing we had ever seen.

Walking through St. James Park and by 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister's residence), we arrived at the House of Parliament. Not only did we see the beautiful interior halls of the historical building , but we were permitted to watch the proceedings in both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Westminster Abbey is just across the way and touring the historical church is an amazing experience. Many former kings and queens are buried there, and almost all have been coronated there.

We finished the day with stops by St. Paul's Church, Trafalgar Square, and the National Gallery of Art before an evening of pub-hopping.

Days 55-56: Planes, Trains and Buses

Start: Berwyn, PA
End: London, ENG
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

On a whim, and in an effort to extend our trip longer, we decided to go to Europe. After 27 straight hours of travelling--including 3 plane rides, 2 train rides, and a bus ride through the German countryside--we finally made it to our first destination: London. Along the way we encountered a cancelled flight, a child bride, and a new roommate named Chako "who's just laying low for a while".


For our first night in London, we scouted out London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and the surrounding area. We had dinner at a pub on Gracechurch St before checking in to our hostel for the night. We are unable to upload photos now so pictures to come later.

Day 54: Berwyn...Where Every Day is a Holiday

Start: Berwyn, PA
End: Berwyn, PA
Miles Driven: 28.7 (10850.9 total)

Happily back in the kitchen, the morning began with a big crepe breakfast in honor of Katrina's mom's birthday. We spent the afternoon seeing some of the Berwyn area landmarks: the township building, the thrift store, and the King of Prussia Mall (incidentally the second biggest mall in the US--no rollercoaster in this one).

For dinner we met up with Katrina's best friend Ali at their old favorite restaurant from high school. Chili's was as delicious as ever, and this time they were able to get away with ordering beer!

Once Katrina's mom got home from work, we squeezed some limes and mixed up fresh birthday margaritas. Patrick also got his first experience with the family rhumtopf. Also know as boozenberries, the deadly concoction of blueberries, rasberries, strawberries, and 151 rum always ends the night on a good note.

Day 53: Merry Christmas...Again!

Start: Washington, DC
End: Berwyn, PA
Miles Driven: 158.6 (10822.2 total)

Today we officially left the South. We did cross the Mason-Dixon Line, but the real marker was the end of Waffle Houses off every interstate exit. The final meal included all the favorites: double waffle, double hashbrowns and a bacon cheeseburger--and that was just for Patrick!

It was Christmas in January when we arrived in Berwyn. Katrina's mom had left the tree up for us, and Patrick got to take part in his first Christmas present scavenger hunt. Our hard work and detective skills were rewarded with his and her rocking chairs that we imagine will fit perfectly in our next apartment.

Day 52: Museum Hopping

Start: Washington, DC
End: Washington, DC
Miles Driven: 0 (10663.6 total)

The National Archives opened at 10:00 AM and we were first in line. The famous documents including the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were not in very good shape, but the new exhibit exploring America's past through the thousands of documents, recordings and videos of the Archives was fascinating.

We raced through the eerily empty National Art Gallery (with special attention to the Impressionists) prior to meeting up with Patrick's DC grandparents for a delicious brunch at Clyde's in Chinatown. Before returning to the Mall, we swung by Ford's Theatre to see the site of President Lincoln's assassination.

As snow began to fall on the nation's capital, we took refuge at the Museum of Natural History. Patrick enjoyed the many interactive exhibits including designing his own volcano, creating his own earthquake, and even a virtual archeological dig.

The last stop on the museum tour was the American History Museum, which was interesting and fun...if by interesting you mean closed and by fun you mean not reopening until 2008. We disappointedly settled for the Air and Space Museum instead...where we were overjoyed to find some of the American History Museum's treasures on visiting display!

After a day on our feet, we settled in at the ESPN Zone to watch the Pats-Colts game. And that is all we are going to say about that.

Day 51: The District By Dark

Start: Asheville, NC
End: Washington, DC
Miles Driven: 488.1 (10663.6 total)

The drive from North Carolina, through Virginia, to Washington, DC took us surprisingly little time. We made it downtown before dark--which was particularly helpful since there was a blackout at Katrina's cousin Gabby's place (where we were staying).

Though the museums were closed for the day, we took the Metro down to the National Mall for sunset. We finally felt ready for Mexican food again so we ventured down the cold sidewalks of U Street to Alero's. (Not sure if you noticed, but we had ALOT of Mexican food while in the South.) Keeping our fingers crossed for power, we arrived back at Gabby and Chris's to find a still-dark apartment. Just as we were settling in for a night of cards-by-headlamp, the lights flickered back on and the electricity returned!

Day 50: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Start: Columbia, SC
End: Asheville, NC
Miles Driven: 188.3 (10175.5 total)

The day began with a milestone; we surpassed the 10,000 mile mark just north of Columbia. Other than that the ride was uneventful as we climbed from the foothills of upstate South Carolina to the mountains of western North Carolina.

Today's destination was Asheville, where Patrick grew up. The first stop was Roberson High School and we arrived just as school was letting out. The building was just the same as Patrick had left it six years ago, complete with dirty bathrooms and mean librarians. As we prepared to leave, we realized that neither of us had our car key; we had to make our first call to AAA of the road trip. Luckily, they dispatched "Key Man" and he had us out of our jam in no time at all.
The next stop on memory lane was Patrick's old house on Muirfield Drive. We then drove to downtown Asheville to take in the sights: art galleries, book stores and restaurants. Dinner was at Barley's with local beer and half pepperoni-half tofu pizza.

A drive through the dark backroads of Asheville delivered us to the Grove Park Inn, where famous guests over the years have included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, and six US Presidents. Sitting by the huge fireplace of the inn and taking in the century of history around us capped off our evening.

Day 49: The Soggy South

Start: Charleston, SC
End: Columbia, SC
Miles Driven: 165.1 (9987.2 total)

An ice storm in North Carolina prevented us from driving to our next destination today, so we were stranded in South Carolina for a cold and rainy day. Luckily, we found some good indoor activities for the day which started at the Karpeles Museum just as it was opening. David Karpeles holds the world's largest private collection of manuscripts, and today on display was a special exhibit of maps of the United States from as early as 1507. We also visited Gaillard Auditorium to see a powerful collection of photographs taken by children reflecting the dilapidated conditions of schools in the state's poorest school districts.

Our next stop was the home of former Governor and Declaration of Independence signer John Rutledge. While most of the historic houses in Charleston charge entrance fees to tour the building, the mansion is now an inn so we were free to tour the lobby and ballroom to see beautiful chandeliers, antique furniture, and intricate woodwork from the floor to ceiling.

Having run out of free, indoor activities in Charleston, we drove to Columbia to see the State House. As we entered the lobby we saw a group of people gathering, waiting for what we assumed was the 3:00 tour. Turns out we actually happened upon a presentation of surveying licenses, and the other people with cameras were not fellow sightseers, but rather proud family and friends. We snuck away and took a self-guided tour instead, seeing the House and Senate Chambers, the points of the State House facade struck by General Sherman's cannon fire during the Civil War, and statues of George Washington, John C. Calhoun, and South Carolina's favorite son, Strom Thurmond.

Today was also the day we saw our first New Hampshire license plate outside of New England. We really are getting closer to home.