We arrived in Rome in the afternoon and away I went, taking photos of everything that wasn’t nailed down, and a lot that was. What a great city, so much to see and so much to do. Our guide was full of information, telling us all the history of every rock that had been discovered. My head was spinning and my neck was aching from looking left and right. It would take a very long time to see the whole place starting from the first bridge, and so many beautiful buildings with endless sculpture on the outside.
This post continues on the journey I took with my son in 2010 around the world. If you would like to see the story so far you can start it all here.
LINK: My First World Trip : Where It All Started
All this beauty with the continuous traffic noise, horns honking, cars breaking, and people shouting in Italian. It all made me shake my head and wonder how I had ever ended up here. One of the great things about the city is that there was always a water fountain nearby, usually with a lovely sculpture in the alcove.
After we booked into our hotel we had the afternoon free, so the first thing I wanted to see was the Trevi Fountain so I could throw three coins in it. Legend has it if you do throw three coins in, you’ll return some day. The other thing I needed was a Gelato ice cream. Two things ticked off the list. As you know I love ticking things off lists as it gives a sense of achievement. But I seem to add more to the list than I ever get to check off. Oh well.
As we made our way back to the hotel thanks to Google Maps, we went into a little supermarket as I needed some shampoo. All the labels were in Italian of course but I saw an old couple just down the aisle and wondered if they spoke a little English. They looked at me like I was from outer space and shook their heads and hurried away, so I just picked the nicest looking one and hoped for the best.
Our group was going out for dinner to an Italian Restaurant. As we sat down I noticed that there was a little gift for everyone. You’ll never guess what, yes a very small packet of spaghetti. How thoughtful. Lol, I don’t think they thought about how a bus load of tourists would cook this on a tour only staying in hotels. We didn’t eat it raw but I don’t think it made it home with us. Skip the pasta and give me Vino baby!
The meal was very nice, spaghetti of course, and never ending glasses of vino. We were entertained by a singing waiter who got one of the ladies up for a bit of a dance and ended with kisses on each cheek. Her husband missed it, as another waiter dropped a serviette over his head at the beginning of the serenading.
 |  |
Up early the next morning to take the bus to the Vatican City and the Vatican Museum. This is where we learned a very important fact about visiting the Vatican and that is that you should always go on a tour. The reason for this is that the tours get let in before all the others lined up outside on their own and there was also no wait for us. Worth a few extra dollars if you want to do more with your day after the tour.
After many years of seeing the Pope on TV and him delivering sermons outside on the news when anything major happened in the world. It was amazing to see it in person. The wealth of the Cathlic church is astounding. I nearly flattened both of the batteries in my camera since I took so many photos. Merely the land value of where the churches sit on around the world would be a pretty penny, or so my son says.
 |  |
 |  |
Words can’t describe the beauty of these places. From the museum we then moved onto the church which is massive when standing inside it.
 |  |
 |  |
If you have not seen the Vatican guard before you will find one below in his dress uniform. I wonder if he ever uses the halberd or if it is merely decorative? An image popped into my mind of a large group of them getting trained on it in a courtyard somewhere.
Once the tour is finished they let you out in Saint Peter’s square and they had just set up for him to give a major address at the time so had the barricades up and chairs placed out. When you see it on TV crowded with people you finally realise just how many people they can fit in there.
After lunch we headed for the Colosseum and had a group photo taken in front of The Gladiators Arch. After a great deal of jostling for position and the cameraman moving people around by height we were finally ready for the photo.
After the group photo we then went in and had a look around the Colosseum. The holes in the walls were where they once had metal clamps that were removed by the locals to sell during the decline of the Roman empire and not bullet holes as most people think from the wars.
The floor inside has rotted away over the years exposing the cells underneath and the main walkway from one side of the Colosseum to the other. You will also notice below a picture of my illusive son that never wants to get photos of himself taken.
 |  |
 |  |
