Rick Steves'
Best of Italy in 17 Days
DAY 15
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"When in Rome, do as the..."
Where are we?
"Ben-Hur" takes place in 26 AD and the love theme from this 1959 film captures the essence of Rome and its iconic treasures.
Leaving our serene surroundings, we headed south to conquer ROME. A short eighty mile drive later we arrived at our centrally located hotel. After a quick orientation tour and lunch, we rode the Rome Metro to commence a tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Pantheon.
Ilaria, our local guide, met us outside the Colosseum and we spent the remainder of the afternoon learning about the sites we'd only read about in textbooks.
It was our good fortune to have a knowledgeable guide who answered our questions, dispelled myths and helped us navigate through the throngs of fellow tourists. Surprisingly, there wasn't much distance between the Colosseum and the Forum...so much history is confined to about two acres of land. There is SO MUCH to see here that we found it very helpful to take photos and do additional research on our own after the tour ended.
Colosseum (Forum in background)
Forum overview
Exiting the Forum at Capitoline Hill, enroute to the Pantheon, we walk by Caesar lecturing to a group of students...
Capitoline Hill
Sunset was approaching as we reached the Pantheon, a
structure that has been in continual use since it was built in 120 A.D. The incredible dome's open oculus is the only source of natural light. Following an "on your own" dinner it was back to the hotel to prepare for the next day's activities.
DAY 16
An early start enabled us to get to the Vatican before the majority of the crowd arrived. Maria Laura (aka Diana Ross), our local guide, gave us the information needed to appreciate what we were about to see. The Vatican Museum with its immense art collection and the Sistine Chapel (no photos permitted) were awe-inspiring. With an introduction to the adjacent St. Peter's Basilica, we were left to follow our own interests.
This was our last evening together as a group and we ended it with a memorable dinner, friendly "roast" to Mary and impromptu serenade by tour member Calla. Although our formal tour ended after breakfst the next morning, we stayed an addtional day and a half teaming up with fellow tour members, Arne and Sandy, to explore additional sites in Rome.
THIS WAS ONE FANTASTIC TRIP AND WE COULDN'T HAVE HAD A BETTER GROUP TO DO IT WITH!
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Baths of Diocletian-now Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Michelangelo adapted baths
to make church in 1563
The church's impressive pipe organ
The Spanish Steps
Sculpture: St. John The Baptist
The President's Palace
Bernini's famous St. Teresa in Ecstasy
The Fountain of Moses
Borromini's Church of St. Charles
of the Four Fountains
Persuasive Italian salesman
Park statue: Carabinieri Patrol In The Storm
Crowd control then.....crowd control now
Capuchin Crypt
Church courtyard statue
Street entertainers
Rice stuffed tomatoes with potatoes
Delizioso!
Calla's serenade
Not an unusual sight in Rome...
May we recommend...
