Wednesday 27th - Rome!

Delicious breakfast at the hotel - then we set off to explore Rome!  Re di Roma metro station just down at the corner.  Rode to Flaminio station - and began Kez's tour with the Piazza del Popolo.


Architect Guiseppe Valadier expanded this site of festivals and public executions into an elegant piazza in 1811-23, adding four Egyptian-style lion fountains in the base of one of Rome's oldest obelisks.  The 1200 BC  Ramases II monolith was moved to the Circus Maximus by Augustus then placed here by Pope Sixtus V.


Walked along the Via del Corso (main shopping street) to The Spanish Steps and the Villa Borghese.


This elegant, off-centre sweep of a staircase is Rome's most beloved Rococo monument.  It was named after the Spanish embassy to the Vatican located nearby.  All year round it is littered with people drinking in la dolce vita (sweet life) and musicians strumming guitars until late into the night.


It was a long, hot, sweaty walk up those steps but the view from the top was worth it!  Had to avoid the hawkers handing out single red roses to any unsuspecting tourist - who may have been instantly flattered but - upon accepting the flower was then hassled to hand over a payment!


We found our way next to the Trevi Fountain!

This beautiful fountain is one of the most familiar sights of Rome.  The relief shows a virgin discovering the spring from which Augustus built the Acqua Vergine aqueduct, which still feeds the fountain.  

The movie, 'Three Coins in a Fountain' taught 'us' to throw coins over our shoulder to ensure a return visit to Rome.  We (and several thousand other people) were doing this exact movement at the fountain.  It was fun!

In the heat of the day, we continued......  walking to The Pantheon and listening to our walking tour;  on to the Piazza Navona (one of Rome's loveliest pedestrian squares);  then over to the Metro station to ride to Termini station.  There we changed onto the Blue line to ride the train to the Colosseo.  

Here the imperial passion for bloody spectacle reached its peak of excess.  When Emperor Titus inaugurated the amphitheatre in AD80, he declared 100 days of celebratory games, some involving the massacre of 5000 wild beasts....

The Colosseum is certainly one of the wonders of the Ancient world - and we queued up to walk around.  By this time it was after 4pm and believe it or not - I had heat rash developing on my lower legs!  We decided to head back to our hotel. David and I headed out again just after 7pm and went back into the city centre to meet up with Leanne and Lexie - who had arrived in Rome for a few days as well!  We had an enjoyable dinner - even though it was still very hot!  David and I headed back to our hotel just before 10pm!