Roma

Welcome to Rome!
Playing cards, waiting for Florida group to arrive.

    Then we hit Rome running, er walking, with a long walking tour.

The Supreme Court of Italy. Locals call it ugly?!

Azaleas were abloom all over Rome

Piazza Navona is a stadium-shaped square with 3 beautiful fountains!

Fountain in Piazza Navona

Vespas zipped by us during lunch

Pantheon-best preserved Roman building because Christians took it over and the dome was copied many times

The Pantheon's oculus. The concrete dome was the largest in the world until the Duomo in Florence.
The done was once clad in bronze. The tombs of Raphael and Italian nobility are housed within.

discovering first public water fountain in Piazza della Rotunda

Trevi Fountain

Abby

Base of Spanish Steps

Halfway up the stairs and to our extraction point

then we got picked by a bus and taken to our hotel where we got our room assignments and dinner (Bruschetta and Pasta Carbonara). End of marathon Day 1.

I loved our first hotel just outside Rome

view from hotel rooftop

The next day we visited Vatican City (see separate post) then had a little free time.

mailed a few postcards

rested our feet

 and spotted 2 nuns getting gelato :)

Then we walked over to dinner in town.

bruschetta and chicken dinner in Rome
Lydia & roommate Valeria

And hung out a bit around the Tiber River during sunset

We're in Europe!

Group in front of Castel Sant'Angelo

Back to hotel and then early start for Day 3 at the Colloseum.

Colosseum/Circus: where the Romans were kept entertained!
Clad in white marble, this would have been even more impressive

Roman Forum/ancient city center, marketplace

Pomegranate flower

Colosseum with basement of cages for animals, criminals exposed

Our EF Tour Group

Short break to get lunch before meeting back up to walk to our bus pick up to the train station.

Lasagna and spaghetti for our lunch

the second time we visited Trevi Fountain we were prepared with coins to toss over our shoulders
Legend says: 1 coin-you will return 2 coins-you will fall in love 3 coins-you will get married in Rome

always getting 3 flavors of gelato

bronze statue of Ceaser unveiled by Mussolini

Liked these umbrella trees!

Ciao Rome!