Rome in a Day (or so…)

We survived the four flights over – nearly 24 hours from door to door.  And, most importantly, all of the luggage arrived at the same time too! Resisting our urges to take “just a quick nap”, we unloaded our stuff and headed out to explore Rome in the afternoon (the doorman needed four trips to bring our bags up the tiny two person elevator in the loft we rented).

Saint Peters Basilica seemed an appropriate first stop.  An icon of gigantic proportion to start our journey. We decided to take in the Dome climb (an elevator ride and then 350 steps) before our legs gave out on us. Zack enjoyed the views but was uneasy with the ledge and perspective looking down into the cathedral.

Mass was going on as we walked around above it, with the latin verses creating a slightly surreal feel to the whole experience. Back on the ground, the late afternoon sun combined with the remnants of incense to create an interesting effect.

Feeling much better the next morning, we made an early departure for a full day touring ancient Rome. Starting with the 2,000 year old Pantheon – we then worked our way over to the Roman Forum / Ruins and all that had to offer.

Then we walked over to the Coliseum for a visit to the scene of Gladiator and this very impressive façade and interior.

It didn’t take long to learn to love gelato. We plan to be experts by the time we depart after the cruise.

This full day in Rome was capped off with a two hour night walking tour of the great piazza’s and fountains of Rome including Navona, Trevi, Spanish Steps and concluding it all with a very late dinner on the square in front of the Pantheon.

With  just a few hours to spend before finding the train and leaving for the cruise port, we decided to stay local to our Trastavere neighborhood and explore the delightful churches in the area. This included Saint Cecilia’s (the martyred namesake for Kayla’s best friend Cilla) and Santa Maria en Trastavere – a 900 year old church over the site where the first Christians worshipped in Rome.