European Vacation: Paris, Day 3

The next morning, we tried to find a train to the airport, but at 4:00am, there weren't any.  We ended paying for a taxi to the airport and flew to Paris.

 We checked in at our hotel, where David was yelled at by a Frenchman (a must-have experience).  Our hotel was located next to a Carrefour, which came in very handy getting things to eat for Tyler.  We went straight to La Tour Eiffel:

 We decided to climb the stairs to the first level.

 Tyler decided he didn't want a backpack nap, so we carried him:

 
I stood here for a smooch....
 
...from this handsome guy!

 
 I was nervous about the glass floor:

 But Tyler loved it:

Then we hopped on this beautiful train to Versailles:

 
 Tyler was such a good sport, but his jet lag really caught up with him that day.  He hadn't been hungry earlier at lunchtime, so we bought him a waffle from a vending machine at the stop for Versailles.  He was one happy kid (temporarily).  And no wonder--that waffle tasted like a doughnut!

 
 Tyler got a little violent when his waffle was gone.  He really needed another nap.

 David is not laughing here. He was bleeding by the time we got Tyler to sleep!

 

 Versailles was beautiful. 

 The famed Hall of Mirrors:

 We bought tickets to ride "Le Petit Train" to view the gardens and the Chateaux de Trianon.  A couple of Asian tourists gave Tiki some chocolate.

 The Trianon:

 The gardens at Versailles:

 The Petit Train had sounded like so much fun....  It was so slow and Tyler was so cranky.  I even got yelled at by the cranky train driver when I asked when the last train would return to the palace from the Trianon--I was so excited he had understood my French!  Riding the Petit Train ended up being one of those terrible experiences that becomes hilarious after you get home.

 Tyler finally zonked on the train back to Paris.

 David tried to teach me how to take a selfie while we ate sandwiches for dinner.  Je ne peux pas faire ça très bien.

 David mastered the art of the selfie.  Our balcony at the hotel:

European Vacation: Rome, Day 2

The next morning we smeared some sunscreen on our camera lens and took a taxi to the Vatican!

First, we decided to climb to the top of St. Peter's Basilica.  We didn't realize this cost money and didn't have change, but when the guards saw we had a bambino, they let us in for free.  They even let us ride the elevator for the first leg of the climb.  This is the outside of the dome:

This is the inside:

 
 The view of the basilica from up in the dome was amazing:

Tyler looked a lot like this bambino:

The view of Vatican City from the top of St. Peter's:

 
The Vatican gardens:
 
 
 Inside the basilica:

Tiki found some birds on the grounds:

 Next we toured (some of) the Vatican Museums.  Tyler said he was ready to take a nap, so we strapped him in the backpack....

  ....where he took a little snooze.

 The museums were very crowded and house amazing artwork and gifts that have been given to the popes throughout the centuries.

 The Sistene Chapel is part of the visitor route through the Vatican Museums.  We were not allowed to take photographs, but for all the hype, it did not disappoint:

The museums are huge--hall after hall after hall, all filled with treasures.

 

We had lunch on the way to the Spanish Steps.  Pizza again with all sorts of fun toppings.

 The Spanish Steps were so crowded we didn't climb them.  Our GPS took us on a wild goose chase trying to find the subway station.

 We found a restaurant close to our hotel and ordered the cheese plate:

 Tyler was delighted when some birds joined us for dinner.

Europe Vacation: Rome, Day 1

We're off! Thank you so much to Grandma Joy for watching four of the kids so we could go to Europe!

 Tyler was wide awake at five in the morning.

By the time we got on the flight to Rome, it was bedtime.  A flight attendant made friends with Tyler by playing catch with him (and Pooh Bear).  He also loaned Tyler a hanging portable crib.

Tyler slept in it for a couple hours...

and spent most of the night on Mom's lap.

 Rome Fiumicino Airport had a fire the morning we arrived.  Lots of flights were canceled, but we were allowed to land.

We soon learned it was often easier for people to understand our Spanish than our Italian. Our hotel had a small balcony:

 We checked in and headed to the Colosseum:

 
 We were so tired we felt like we were sleepwalking.

  Palatine Hill and Imperial Forums:

 
 Mamertine Prison:

 Tiki loved the fountains:

 The Pantheon:

 Piazza Navona:

 Dinner at the Piazza Navona.  Tyler loved the pizza, and we tried cacio e pepe.  Even the water was extra delicious.