Friday, May 27, 2011

Rome Alone

Fresh off the train, we spare no time and hit the streets. 
Here Ashley enjoys a skinny coke.
Epic reaper action under what looks like some sort of NFL logo.
Over to visit one of Rome's greatest hits.
"Flowers for the officials?"
 Multiple weddings going on. 
303 A.D. Christians were slaughtered here.
2011 Christians are married here.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...
Ciao Templetons!
The oldest Gelato factory in Rome was right down the street from our place. Very cheep with very generous scoops.
Food blog worth scoops.
Ashley starts off confidently chiseling away with her gelato tool.
Things started to melt down quickly. 
I threw my cone in there for technique comparison.
Poor cone management.
Look at the panic in her eyes.
After a clean up we called it a night and fell into a gelato induced coma.
Circus Maximus, not so Maximus anymore. 
You could almost see the track lines where the chariots would do doughnuts.
The view of the Tiber on the way to Trastevere.
The ladies "ooo and ahhh" at the neighborhood's cuteness.
More weddings. 
Out of all the weddings I have seen on this trip this one took the cake. Bonus points for an equestrian exit.
Cacio e pepe, the reason we ventured into these parts. 
Rome had the cheapest metro by far, except it missed a big portion of the city.
Spanish Steps, crowded even on a rainy day.
 Deanna ran into some of her people at the steps.
"Soy de Mexico"
 "Me too!"
Ed goes for  Warhol with "touch of gray" beard look.
Down the tourist highway.
To the swarming hive of the Trevi Fountain.
 The Templetons search for currency that best suits their wish.
"Definitely can afford a 2 Euro wish."
Over the shoulder just as the tradition rule book states. Not pictured: Ashley not making her coin into the fountain.
Ms. Purple legs. This outfit wouldn't fly at St. Peter's Basilica.
Our first try at the Pantheon.
Shut down! Right as we walk up the doors close and the outsiders desperately snap away.
 Another ancient cathedral quickly pacified us.
 A monument honoring an ancient king of Italy placed right on top of even more ancient ruins. 
Still, the gods were pleased.
Ciao for now.

Monday, May 23, 2011

I Love Lausanne-geles

 The gang and I took a day trip up to the hilly city of Lausanne.
 
 Weird things greeted us instantly.
Up to the Lausanne Cathedral for a panoramic view of the city.
 Seats for the sinners.
We're not here to pray, we're here to play.
From our cathedral perch.
Down in the thick of it.
 A fine example of a classic Swiss fountain that is not only decorative...
...but multi-functioning.
Here Ed laps up the Evian that flows from all faucets here.
 The background for a Milk Teeths photo shoot.
 Ashley's mandatory macaroon stop. Judging by the store front you'd think they specialized in bath products.
Deanna giving Ed the look for fiddling with his iToy.
Ashley already having macaroon withdraws.
 I wonder what kind of weird cities Europeans laugh at when they come to the states. 
 About to switch from Au Revoir to Ciao.
 We sliced through some Alps on the way out.
Off to another Euro city.