Rome 15th September 2010

So off we set bright and early to find the Hop on/off bus and bought a 2 day pass.  Our first stop was the Colosseum.  We decided it was a good idea to pay the extra 8 euro and join a tour group which made a total of 20 euro each.   The tour groups went straight in and missed the very long queues and also included with the guided tour was free guided tour through the remains of the Forum etc. of Palatine Hill.

The Colosseum was in very poor condition – no marble covering left.  Different Popes had stripped the marble from the Colosseum to build and decorate churches.  The missing side was also taken down and the material used to build other things, but they had made sure that any visiting officials or VIP’s were taken past so that they couldn’t see that the building wasn’t complete.  Inside there was no seating and no floor – you could see straight down to the underground passage ways and rooms.  We were glad we had seen the arena at Arles so that we could imagine jut what it must have looked like.  It was really good though and we did enjoy the tour.  The Palatine tour was also very interesting and informative, so we enjoyed both tours.

We re-joined the bus and our next stop was Piazza Venezia.  We had been just looking around on one side, thinking it was pretty great.  Pop went round the corner to take a look to see if we would go that way or back on the bus.  He came back and said ‘You’ve got to see this!’  It was stunningly beautiful.  It is huge and magnificent.  It is known as the ‘wedding cake’.

Back onto the bus and back home to rest before going out for dinner.  Some people we knew from home just happened to be staying in Rome at the same time and so we had arranged to meet up with them at the Trevi Fountain.  We travelled by taxi.  It was a lovely evening, so nice to see a familiar face and also to be able to talk and hear English being spoken.  We had pizza and enjoyed a lovely evening.  The fountain is beautiful but we were all surprised that it is in a small square – I had always imagined it out in an open area.  Ice-creams for sweets, then back home by taxi.