Day 31 - Rome

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Big day planned today and leaving the hotel we walked the 10 minuets the Basilica di Santa Maria a 12 century church close to the train station, the stunning interior typical of the time. Leaving ther Basilica we jumped on the Metro and headed off to find a section of the original Roman walls located just across the Tiber from Trastevere. On arrival we also found the pyramid of Caius Cestius dating back to the end of the Republican era cira 200AD. On foot we strolled down the Via Marmorata crossing the Tiber into Trastevere proper. Heading off to the Ponte Sisto a 2000 year bridge over the Tiber still in use today. Following the old Jewish path we entered the ancient Jewish Quarter admiring the old ruins gradually working our way back towards the Circus Maximus, the site of the ancient chariot races. We had to meet the guide for our tour through the Roman Forum and then the Colesuem. The Forum is one of my favourite places in Rome being the birth of democracy as we know it today and also the heart of Roman life 2000 years ago. The forum covers a huge area with so many ruins and important sites, too many to mention here, the guide was ok but as with this type of tour it was a bit rushed. After a couple of hours it was off to the coliseum, the big upside of a tour is you get to miss the ques and go straight on in. The coliseum, well what can you say, it is quite simply stunning, wandering the walls and the nooks and crannies we spent a few hours until it was time to move along. After a huge long day waling probably 10ks it was time to head back to the hotel before dinner over the road at the local, La Cucina a great little restaurant a block from the hotel.

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