Rome with Uncle Bud - day 1

We went to Rome last weekend...
I know. We were just in Belgium, then Wales, then a week off in Hannover, then 3 days of work before a holiday weekend. Life in Europe is pretty good in the Spring. And you can't make me feel guilty about it. So there.

Rome was never on our list of must-see destinations. Neither is Paris or Vienna or Euro Disney. We went to Rome because my great uncle (with a real name of Br. Martin, but called Uncle Bud by my family since way before I was born) is there for a few months and it was a good chance to visit.

Uncle Bud is a Christian Brother. That means he has taken vows but is not quite a priest and not quite a monk. He joined the brothers as a young man and has lived, worked and taught in many places around the world. This year he is working as an interpreter in the Brothers' conference in Rome, as he has every seven years for the last few decades. On our first day in Rome, Uncle Bud gave us a tour of the Casa La Salle, the main residence and headquarters of the Brothers worldwide. We saw the chapel, the meeting rooms, the interpreting booth, the dining room, Uncle Bud's room (considerably larger than the hotel room I had booked online) and climbed up to the rooftop.

From the roof of Casa LaSalle

Then, despite telling us that he doesn't get around on foot as well as he used to, Uncle Bud took us on a wandering tour of the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. We navigated through crowds and turned down Bangladeshi men selling sunglasses and flowers and squeaky toys. We dodged hordes of tourists, mostly Italian ones, and window shopped at Gucci and Valentino and Prada. We ate huge cups of Gelato.

From the top of the Spanish Steps

In Rome's old city

It's odd to be in a city crowded with tourists. We've had a series of off-peak trips that has left us exploring largely on our own. Now we were a few in a horde of map-carrying, guidebook-reading holiday travelers.

At the Pantheon

Are Brian and I travel snobs? Do we groan at the thought of visiting another church, another museum, waiting in another line? Not quite. And if that ever happens please smack me.
Brian and I have just figured out what we like to see when we travel... you'll read more about that in the next post or two. And it does not involve Euro Disney or squeaky toys.