Waking up in Rome to the sound of industrial work, we decided that today we would focus on Villa Borghese and all it has to offer, primarily a row boat rental. On the way there we passed by Piazza del Popolo where we took a few pictures. Zoe grabbed a phone and snapped a few for us, too!
Once in the park we made a beeline for the boat rental. Along that line there were fountains and flowers we had never seen before, so we stopped for a quick look. My favorite is Zoe taking her own selfies. She makes such wonderful faces.
Making our way through all of the distractions, we found the lake that surrounds the Temple of Asclepius and rented a boat. We all hopped in and I rowed us out into the water, but it wasn't long before Zoe insisted that she could paddle the boat, so we swapped spots and the cutest boat captain took over.
Now this is very important because if you ask Zoe or Cheryl they're going to tell you a completely different story. At one point in our voyage, after Zoe and I swapped rowing duties for the umpteenth time, I lost my balance and fell over into the boat. I can assure you, this was not funny at all, but don't take my word for it. Cheryl took a picture so you can judge for yourself.
Once the laughter died down, we explored all we could at the lake before returning the boat. We went to a nearby cafe for some lunch and a binky break. At this point there needed to be a little play time, so we made our way to the nearest playground where Zoe insisted Cheryl lay out an obstacle course so she could have a little timed competition with herself. She did really well considering the unfamiliar terrain.
Our wandering then took us to an area where you could rent bikes. Now, when I say bikes I am not reference to your typical bicycle. These bikes looked like go-carts with pedals. We grabbed a one-seater and a two-seater and began pedaling our way through the park, up and down the paths, through puddles, taking a bunch of selfies along the way. We even swapped seats a number of times so that everyone had a chance to ride on their own.
Now, again, similar to what happened in the boat, Zoe and Cheryl might tell you that when I tried to pop a wheelie on the bike and tipped way back, falling onto my butt, that it was funny. I can assure you it wasn't. See for yourself!
That much biking burned up a lot of energy. It's hard to tell from the pictures but there were some descent hills in that area, and the smallest member of our group kept insisting that that's where we ride. In order to maintain for the rest of the day we required more food. A nearby cafe was happy to provide us with some afternoon treats. Zoe opted for a mint gelato, which she shared with me, and Cheryl had a tiramisu. Refueled, we decided to head over to the zoo. Luckily Cheryl knew a shortcut, which took us along a road where Zoe spied a dead, bloated frog. After wishing him peace in the afterlife, we finally made our way into the zoo, where all of the animals were alive. One of the peacocks took a particular interest in Zoe. There was also a photo opportunity where Cheryl and Zoe were monkeys. I didn't know why Zoe was smiling so big until I saw how they lined up behind the board.
I hypnotized some meerkats with a crinkly, cracker wrapper while Zoe's favorite part was definitely the reptile house. It is hard to say if she liked it most because those were her favorite animals, or she enjoyed pointing out the things she through would most gross out Cheryl. Either way, she had fun.
It was getting late, so we made our way home for a quick rest. I ran out to grab a few things for the apartment and while I was gone Zoe passed out. We let her sleep for about an hour before waking her up to get dinner just across the street. The food was delicious, but Zoe kept her head on the table until her carbs arrived. Once Cheryl was done eating, Zoe wanted to sit on her lap. For some reason Zoe did not like the smell of Cheryl's breath, but Cheryl thoroughly enjoyed breathing on her.
The day was beginning to feel very late as we were still adjusting to the time difference, so we went home to get some sleep. There are a lot more pictures on Flickr for this first, full day in Italy.
Once in the park we made a beeline for the boat rental. Along that line there were fountains and flowers we had never seen before, so we stopped for a quick look. My favorite is Zoe taking her own selfies. She makes such wonderful faces.
Making our way through all of the distractions, we found the lake that surrounds the Temple of Asclepius and rented a boat. We all hopped in and I rowed us out into the water, but it wasn't long before Zoe insisted that she could paddle the boat, so we swapped spots and the cutest boat captain took over.
Now this is very important because if you ask Zoe or Cheryl they're going to tell you a completely different story. At one point in our voyage, after Zoe and I swapped rowing duties for the umpteenth time, I lost my balance and fell over into the boat. I can assure you, this was not funny at all, but don't take my word for it. Cheryl took a picture so you can judge for yourself.
Once the laughter died down, we explored all we could at the lake before returning the boat. We went to a nearby cafe for some lunch and a binky break. At this point there needed to be a little play time, so we made our way to the nearest playground where Zoe insisted Cheryl lay out an obstacle course so she could have a little timed competition with herself. She did really well considering the unfamiliar terrain.
Our wandering then took us to an area where you could rent bikes. Now, when I say bikes I am not reference to your typical bicycle. These bikes looked like go-carts with pedals. We grabbed a one-seater and a two-seater and began pedaling our way through the park, up and down the paths, through puddles, taking a bunch of selfies along the way. We even swapped seats a number of times so that everyone had a chance to ride on their own.
Now, again, similar to what happened in the boat, Zoe and Cheryl might tell you that when I tried to pop a wheelie on the bike and tipped way back, falling onto my butt, that it was funny. I can assure you it wasn't. See for yourself!
That much biking burned up a lot of energy. It's hard to tell from the pictures but there were some descent hills in that area, and the smallest member of our group kept insisting that that's where we ride. In order to maintain for the rest of the day we required more food. A nearby cafe was happy to provide us with some afternoon treats. Zoe opted for a mint gelato, which she shared with me, and Cheryl had a tiramisu. Refueled, we decided to head over to the zoo. Luckily Cheryl knew a shortcut, which took us along a road where Zoe spied a dead, bloated frog. After wishing him peace in the afterlife, we finally made our way into the zoo, where all of the animals were alive. One of the peacocks took a particular interest in Zoe. There was also a photo opportunity where Cheryl and Zoe were monkeys. I didn't know why Zoe was smiling so big until I saw how they lined up behind the board.
I hypnotized some meerkats with a crinkly, cracker wrapper while Zoe's favorite part was definitely the reptile house. It is hard to say if she liked it most because those were her favorite animals, or she enjoyed pointing out the things she through would most gross out Cheryl. Either way, she had fun.
It was getting late, so we made our way home for a quick rest. I ran out to grab a few things for the apartment and while I was gone Zoe passed out. We let her sleep for about an hour before waking her up to get dinner just across the street. The food was delicious, but Zoe kept her head on the table until her carbs arrived. Once Cheryl was done eating, Zoe wanted to sit on her lap. For some reason Zoe did not like the smell of Cheryl's breath, but Cheryl thoroughly enjoyed breathing on her.
The day was beginning to feel very late as we were still adjusting to the time difference, so we went home to get some sleep. There are a lot more pictures on Flickr for this first, full day in Italy.
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