Take the Kids to Rome!

Yes, take the kids to Rome and do it during the off-season. While everyone else is rushing around in their black, gray or brown, you have a light sweater on and there are NO CROWDS! We walked right into the Colosseum and Forum with our Roma Pass (one adult per child under 11 years old for most things, but we did have to buy 3 kid passes in the Ancient area) and didn't elbow a soul to get around. The Pantheon was a bit more crowded (free). As was Trevi Fountain (free) and the Spanish Steps (free), but that's where everyone shops. We scooted right through the VATICAN (small cost) and SISTINE CHAPEL (NO LINES, NO SWEATING, CROWDED passageways!) and the guards weren't shushing to us under Michelangelo's masterpiece because my kids had free Rick Steves mp3 guides in their earbuds. St. Peter's was gigantic and we were HUNGRY, but we got there. Quirinal hill where the old Pope/new president's residence sits was interesting and Piazza del Popolo was fun to watch people. Found as many of the 7 hills that Rome is built on as possible with short legs and un-gelatoed brains. The Sant Angelo's castle was build for kids and we romped all over that place. By the way, the ROMA PASS covered our Metro and city bus travel too. No taxis for us in ROMA. The Catacombs were a necessity for the Daddy and we got a wonderful neighborhood tour on the city bus to get to the Apian Way. We saw flocks (do you call them flocks?) of bats at dusk just as I'd seen in Austin Texas years ago. We ate gelato and pizza and one expensive pasta meal with Chianti. We took the express train to and from the airport and got out on the first planes we tried. Take the kids, and the gramma for that matter. It was a blast for Thanksgiving abroad this year!