Photo by Kelly Bell Flikr

The photo above shows a cat in the Roman Colosseum. We went there today for a very specific reason- we were more interested in seeing the stray cats than the Colosseum itself. Yesterday, enroute from Florence to Rome, we received a devastating phone call. Apparently, while we were away, our cat Willow crossed over the rainbow bridge.

Our greyhound Giselle was at "camp" at the Dog House in Breckenridge. Two of the girls who worked there were visiting and checking up on our cats, Blackcomb and Willow. On Friday, one of the girls walked in and discovered that Willow had breathed her last breath. Although they are a dog boarding place, they brought Blackcomb to the Dog House to stay with Giselle. If you ever need boarding in Breckenridge, these folks go the extra mile.

So this is why we wanted to see the cats of the Colosseum. But sadly, they are no longer there. Perhaps the city got rid of them. Who knows? On a lighter note, we spent a lovely day in Rome, considering the circumstances. We found a wonderful restaurant on one of the side streets near Piazza Navona. It's called Rust, and it's located on Via Del Teatro Place, 34/35. Thirty four Euros got us an appetizer, an entree, a bottle of mineral water and a bottle of wine. It's far less frenetic than the restaurants right on Piazza Navona, and the food was delicious!