http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Italy , Lazio , Rome en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 08:16:27 +0000 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:16:27 +0000 Day 1We arrived in Rome at the ridiculously early time of 7am. Oli visited Rome about ten years ago but as he has the memory of a fish it was like doing it all over again for him. We got a Terravision bus to Termini station which cost 4 Euro then caught the metro to our hotel. We stayed at Caesars Rooms which is right next to Ottaviano stop and two streets north of Vatican City. The tube was pa http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-786364.html Today we got to explore Rome We started our tour with the biggest and most well known structure the Colosseum. It was amazing they built it in about 8 years. It39s a bit surreal being there it39s not every day you get to visit the colosseum. Then we went to the Roman Forum where we got to see where Julius Caesar was cremated and many other important events. I was starving so i had a pizz http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-786164.html Today we headed back to Rome through Pisa. We took some pictures with the leaning tower of Pisa and had a competition to see who had the best one we didn39t win. Then we had our last pitt stop at Autogrill which we have been going to for our road breaks it is also owned by the Pope it39s kind of like a mini supermarket combined with a place to sit and eat. Today is the last day we see o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-785921.html If there is another city that I would love to return to it has to be Rome.Not because it boasts the stunning scenery like the Alps nor is it having extremely cordial locals that made me feel so much at home. On the contrast the herd of tourists heading there seeking photos of the famous Colosseum can easily put a traveller off. Coupled that with the constant threat of pickpockets and street sca http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-784412.html This morning Nakita and I went back into the centre of Rome. This time we managed to keep walking past the shops and made it to the end of the long street. What we thought was the colosseum in the distance was actually something different. It was the il vittoriano which is an amazing building. Apparently the locals don39t like this building as much because it39s so big it blocks out the othe http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-784401.html Yesterday I fell asleep before I could write my blog. Still a built jet lagged but slowly adjusting. I39ve realised now that ive got to stop thinking like a princess and start thinking like a contiki tourist cold showers and all. Yesterday Nakita told me the what I thought was a urinal in our bathroom was actually a butt cleaner bidet. Thought I39d pass on that European experience . We http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-784288.html Day 1 I arrived in Rome the flight over was amazing I arrived at Auckland airport at about 6.45am on May 2nd and got to Rome on the 3rd May at 6.50am. 3 days of flying so it39s nice to be back on the ground again. I was very lucky and got to fly on business class on air nz and Thai airways and then first class Thai airways for the last flight. When I arrived in Bangkok they had someone gree http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-784180.html Gelato Flavour of the day Tiramasu GMB and Chocolate GLB The day dawned with a little blue sky and there was going to be a good chance that our time in St Peters Square and we hear the Popes Easter message to be delivered at noon would be under sunny conditions. The croissants were late arriving and some of the other guests at the BB couldnt wait as they wanted to ensure a good posit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-779229.html Todays Gelato flavour was Mint and Chocolate I have had an ambition since my college days and geography lessons to see what the Appian Way in Rome was all about.The road was built initially for military purposes in 312 BC and ran all the way from Rome to Brindisi in the southmany hundreds of kilometres away.We were sure it wasn39t going to look anything like that today.The dayat around 16C http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-778855.html The body clock is still not adjusted and although the alarm is set for 5.15am to give enough time to shower and prepare for a taxi to the airport and out 9am flight to Rome we still woke at 3.15amagain Perhaps tonight we will sleep all the way through to a more normal hour.We had been pretty efficient last night and the suitcases were packed and todays clothes laid out. Still havent worke http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-778799.html ltstrong stylemsobidifontweight normalgtRomeltstrong stylemsobidifontweight normalgt as it was for me in July of 1996Rome is among the most attractive European cities. Thats why I choose a trip to Italy as my third trip to Europe after trips to France Germany and Netherlands. Its history spans two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-777355.html So when I was in Rome recently I spent some time talking with Joe you might have known him as Pope Benedict XVI but I knew him way back when he was Fr. Joseph Ratzinger. We had a real 39heart to heart39 about his health his age and all the troubles in the current church and that he should give some serious thought to moving gracefully not just aside but out of the way. Thankfully he http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-776802.html Sergio Grom Rome tour guideAim of this Tour is to give you an idea as complete as possible of what the life of a Roman through different centuries could have been... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-775762.html Well what can i say if you interested in historyand sight seeing mixed with beautiful weather and amazing culture this is the place for you. We went for a week but you could easily fit into a soild weekend we went to Rome of what type of attactions we wanted to see in mind and any thing is would be a plus we went in june when it was very hot indeed there was too air to breathe felt like we were s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-775456.html With breakfast at 9.00am again we sat with Luciano and worked out an itinerary. He gave us some handy hints on avoiding the lines at the colloseum. We had packed our things to move rooms this morning. As Luciano only had 3 nights available when we booked he insisted we stay in his room the last night. What we didn39t realize was that him and his wife would e sleeping on the couch His wife had http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-774905.html Day 20 Thursday 2nd March.The challenge today is to travel to Ancona on the east coast. The route is not particularly obvious but anyway it always depends on the luck of the lifts being offered. I left the hostel at 10am. The first lift drove me to the Ring Road and almost immediately a second lift to the autostrade. However I was dropped at a quite difficult spot as there were two prostitutes h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-774783.html Day 19 Wednesday 1st MarchAnother day just for sightseeing. I decided that it was probably best to look around by myself so that I could concentrate on my own preferences and after waiting 20 minutes in the foyer there was still no sign of Michael and Heather and so I left the Hostel and headed into Rome to St Peters Square. The Vatican is awe inspiring and simply amazing with its pillars the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-773998.html Day 18 Wednesday 29th FebruaryA full day in Rome and with so many sights it seemed best to buy a guidebook 600 Lira. First of all must head to Poste Restante to collect any post good there were three letters and post off the completed film alas no developed photographs were ever received.Places visited Spanish Steps not over impressed although a nice fountain and lots of artists to wat http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-773996.html We joined the owner of the Apartment for breakfast at 9. Luciano popping his head in as we entered. Dressed in his jogging outfit with matching top and bottoms. He is a balding man with a grey moustache and a typical elderly italian man. i admit we were a lttle indimidated by him. He got our coffee and tea ready as we ate the usual croissants and Blackberry jam which we think is home made. After b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-773751.html ltpre styleborderstyle solid bordercolor cccccc verticalalign baseline backgroundimage initial backgroundattachment initial backgroundorigin initial backgroundclip initial backgroundcolor f5f5f5 backgroundposition initial initial backgroundrepeat initial initial borderwidth 1px padding 5px margin 0pxgtWith the places we wanted to visit for the day mark http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-773734.html