Rome, the Final Stop

 We took the train from Florence to Rome for the last 2 days of our 2 week journey.  I was getting weary, but grabbed my list of things to see in Rome and started crossing them off my list almost immediately after dropping our bags at the gorgeous Colonna Palace.

Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain and it was swarming with people, uncomfortably so.  We took a few photos, looked at the sculpture of it and moved on.  We thought maybe it would be less crowded early in the morning, but our friends went at 6 a.m. and it still had crowds of people around it.

Trevi Fountain

Our next stop was the Spanish Steps that we climbed.  Again more crowds and the ring of the whistles being blown for people sitting on the stairs which is not allowed.

Views from the top of the Spanish Steps

Next was the Pantheon.  We did not go inside, but walked around the structure.  I was taken back to the similarities between the Pantheon and the Lincoln Memorial.  On our last evening we were able to sit on the roof top and listen to a violin concert at the Pantheon.

Pantheon

From the Pantheon we continued site seeing journey and walk to Piazza Navona before finishing our night with authentic spaghetti and meatballs that I ate so fast I didn't even get a photo.  But I did get the photo of the wine.  After dinner, we returned to our hotel room to rest for our final excursion, a 9 a.m. tour of the Colosseum.

 

Piazza Navona

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

Fontana del Moro

Things you see walking around Rome

Julius Caesar Statue

Ancient ruins along the road

Ancient Baths

The Coliseum

Engraved seating for the elites

The "green room" for competitors

A sample of the crowds at Palatine Hill

Arch of Constantine

Italian Water Fountain

Ancient Ruin just lay where they fell

Palatine Hill

First glimpse of Coliseum 

Basilica of Maxentius

Garden on top Palatine Hill

Triumphal Arch Titus

Bascilica di Santa Francesca Romana

The Roman Forum

Temple Divine Romulus in the Roman Forum

The House of the Vestal Virgins

Antonius and Faustina Temple

Altare della Patria

I hit the wall in Rome and could go no farther

Gelato makes everything better

Our hotel was across from Parliament.  There were lots of guards and tv cameras.

A final dinner in Rome with friends

Rooftop views

Steps/Mile Walked= 19784/8 miles

Glasses of Wine = 3

Cocktails Experienced = limoncello spritz, limoncello shot, no name - vodka, dark cranberry and OJ

Gelato Enjoyed = 2

Pizza Partaken = 1

Photos Taken = 360

Souvenir = photos

Firsts = limoncello

Reflection:  Rome was amazing, but once is enough for me.  The crowds were insane and this was "shoulder season".  At this point in our trip my body was tired and my mind was on overload.  Again I was surprised at how much we were able to see in such a short time.  The history was fascinating.  While we ate lunch, we looked over to ponder that we were eating at a cafe looking at the Coliseum. Unreal.