The FREE $25,000 Vacation Part 6

The second day in Rome started a little later than any of us planned because we decided to check out the nightlife the previous night which took us to a place called the ICEBAR, which is made completely of ICE!! This is absolutely a MUST stop for anyone between age 18-23, which made us feel like parents when we showed up and the place was filled with backpackers and students! This was probably the most entertained I have ever seen Jeff, when you combine something like an igloo and alcohol along with pay one price and drink FREE for as long as you can stand the cold!! Due to the fact that we attempted to stay in as long as we could bear it, and then tried a few other bars we definitely did not get the proper amount of sleep for tourist activities! We finally started the day at the Coliseum, and for me this was one of the best things I saw on the entire trip. I have always been a sports fan, and so this is like the birthplace of competition and athletics to me. The Romans sure knew how to entertain, and if you actually understand what it took to build the Coliseum and operate the events and control the crowd it is really unbelievable! This is also why I purchased season tickets in the new Cowboys Stadium, because I think the stadium is like our modern day Coliseum! There are a lot of different interpretations of the gladiator events, but the bottom line is that place was where people fought to the death not always but sometimes. The Coliseum was also the epitome of Roman Decadence (just like the cowboy stadium). We then got a chance to visit Vatican City, and St. Peter’s Basilica. This was also a major highlight considering I have seen this and read about it since I was first able to read. The whole area controlled by the Catholic Church is really unbelievable. The decadence of gold blended with the frescoes from some of the greatest artists in history all adorned by carvings, sculptures and statues dedicated to the early saints are absolutely breathtaking.
We attempted to make it to the Sistine Chapel, but due to a planning glitch we got there as they were closing it, but by that time I was not only exhausted from all of the walking and waiting in lines, I was pretty much like Michelangelo Who? Besides in less than 18 hours we would be on the

NEWEST Cruise Ship in the World, and we had several more things to see and do!!

On the morning we were leaving to head to the cruise ship our bags finally showed up, to this day I have no idea what we would have done if they had been just four hours later. I will never fly US Airways again, and I will make sure they don’t get any business from anyone I know either. Not having your bags for a week on a trip you have been looking forward to your entire life is a pretty disappointing experience, and their lack of customer service and effortless approach to helping us left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.

Nonetheless we were now on our way to the pier outside of Rome and headed for the best cruise of my life! The 12 day and 11 night itinerary boasted some of the best sites in the entire Mediterranean and thanks to WorldVentures not only did we get a discount, but we also were completely reimbursed by the company after we got back!!



Stay tuned for more photos and stories from the cruise,
Wes Melcher