Italian Adventure!

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Ancient Rome, Part II

We leave the Colosseum, and wander over to an area of outdoor cafes for a bite to eat. Tom has his favorite, Carbonara, I order the Arrabiata and we get Pomodoro Bruschetta and Caprese salad to start. Not up to the standards of our first night dinner, but still really good, and besides, we're in ROME! We head down the street for a gelato ..... these people know how to live, let me tell you. A bit more wandering on our own, then over to the Vittorio Emmanual II monument, to meet up with Brian. Brian is taking us on our Night Tour of Rome, along with a group of three here from Boston.

We begin with the building where we meet, a huge building locally referred to as "The Wedding Cake". Italians (Romans) either hate or love this monument. It was built early on in the formation of the new Italy, after WWII, and it was a very large and expensive project. The bronze statue of Vittorio Emmanuel is enormous, his mustache measures 6 feet across, and our guide (Brian) tells us that there are photos of 12 men having dinner in the belly of his horse before the monument was finished. We also see the balcony and offices Mussolini used, the one where he is always shown in photos. He is a much hated man here.

We wander the streets, through neighborhoods, with Brian pointing out buildings and locations of historical and architectural significance. We visit the Piazza Navona, to see the the Fountain of the Four Rivers, and learn about the chariot races once held in this square. We visit the Parthenon, and view Raphael's tomb and gape at the dome high above our heads. We wrap up the tour at the Trevi Fountain, where Tom and I throw a coin over our right shoulder with our left hand, to guarantee a return trip to Rome someday.

We head back to the hotel, stopping on the way for some pizza and cheese and wine to take back to our room. Using the Metro this time, to save euros, and enjoying the easy train system in Rome. We gladly stay in this evening, our feet are aching and our heads are full of all we have seen.

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