Rome, Italy

Monday, April 27th

Disembarking went fairly smoothly.  There was a small mix up regarding our transfer and our van was about an hour late but no big deal!  We arrived at our hotel, Casa Valdese, about 10AM.  Our rooms were not ready so we decided to get something to eat and walk to the Vatican.

  Bridge over the Tibér River close to the Vatican

  The dome of St. Peter's

  The Pope doesn't live there any more!

  Stopped to check out a local market on our way back to the hotel.

We were able to check in when we returned to the hotel.  Pam and Mike decided to go out again and follow a Rick Steves walk.  We decided to just hang out and then have an early dinner.  Unfortunately, early in Rome is different than my early!!  We went out about 5:30 only to find all the close restaurants would not reopen until 7:30!! Our hotel recommended a restaurant a short walk away and we had an excellent dinner.  It started to rain pretty heavily as we finished dinner but we had no choice but to walk back to the hotel.  We arraigned looking 

Tuesday, April 28th

 This morning we took the Metro to the Colosseum.

We had booked a tour of the Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill thru Walks Of Italy.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  The day was overcast with periods of rain. Because of the rain, we were not able to access the underground tunnels.  Our guide did the best she could and we did get an opportunity to learn a lot and did have access to parts of the Colosseum not available without a tour.

ENJOY A VIP TOUR OF THE COLOSSEUM UNDERGROUND, ARENA FLOOR & THIRD TIER.

Feel the fear and hear the roars of the crowd above you as you descend to the Colosseum underground, walking in the footsteps of gladiators who waited here to be hoisted onto the floor. As you tour the tunnels, your guide will tell you about the true life of a gladiator, far different to that which you see in films. You’ll be settled into their skin before our next stop then – the arena floor. Walk out onto the stage upon which the fighting took place and be blown away by the most impressive view of the Colosseum (seen by so few!)

Our special access doesn’t end there though. You’ll follow your expert guide away from the crowds and chaos of general access areas and up to the third tier level. From here you’ll encounter stunning views over the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. You’ll also find some peace and quiet no matter how busy the day, so your guide can fill you in on some of the most fascinating tales of the Colosseum.

Since the weather was so bad, Charlie and I decided to head back to the hotel.  Pam and Mike decided to continue on for the rest of the tour to the Forum and Palatine Hill.  They got lucky and the rain stopped.

We had an early dinner(late lunch) at a little restaurant close to the hotel.  Again,an excellent meal and good wine!!  After dinner, we headed for the best Gellato in Rome!  I've never tasted anything like it!  It was wonderful!!                   

Then it was back to the hotel to pack up everything and get ready for an early pick up to take us to the airport for our flights home.