Rockstars

Well, folks. We made it.

When I told people that my grandparents were coming to visit, the fist reaction I'd get was, "Whoa. Wait. Your grandparents? Are they able to get around?" I'd laugh and respond by saying, "Oh, yes. They are quite young. But, we will probably have to change our usual pace a bit..."

I was right. We did have to slow down from our usual city exploration pace, but trust me when I tell you it was only a little bit. I am still in awe of the amount of "getting around" my grandparents did while we were in Rome.

I picked them up from the airport, drove them through the madness of Rome, and made them lug their suitcases (not many suitcases, though, because they are amazingly light packers) several blocks to the apartment I'd rented right smack dab in the middle of all the craziness. I woke them up bright and early the next morning and made them sit through a 3 hour mass at St. Peter's. Then, since I'm cheap and don't like to spend money on cabs, I made them navigate the Rome city bus system. They not only endured all the bumps, confusion, and standing-room-only on the buses, but they did so with smiles. Aaand, let's not forget to mention how much walking I made them do. Incredible. Almost unbelievable, actually.

Obviously, they impressed me with their strength and ability to get around a giant city, but what really puts the cherry on top is that my grandma was clever enough to bring several little gifts for Graham. We decided to let him earn one each day by cooperating and going through all the churches and museums. That kid will do anything for a slinky, I guess, because he was an absolute saint during the entire trip.

One of the gifts she brought for him was a snap bracelet with the word "Rockstar" written in large letters on it. I think I need to find two more of those bracelets so my grandparents can proudly wear them around, because when it comes to touring Italy, they truly are rockstars.

Stay tuned for more photos from Rome and more adventures to come. The plan is to hang out here in Naples for a few days and then head to Assisi on Friday.

So, rest up and get ready!

Ciao, for now!