Blogs from Rome, Lazio, Italy, Europe

We only had 2 partial days in Rome so had to make the most of them. Today we had a tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum. This was supposed to include the underground but, apparently no one could go underground today so the tour started in the arena area. The arena is where the contests took place, man vs. animals in the morning and the gladiator against gladiator in the afternoon. Apparently, it was a convenient way to hold executions. Hungry lions that had not eaten for a day face a person. Sounds like a real equal matchup! Boys were really interested in the lifts that lifted animals and people to the arena and the guide was great with explaining where they were located. From the Colosseum we went up to Palatine Hill. ... read more

The last time I was in Rome I was a 5 month old baby. For some reason my parents nicknamed me the “Gnome in Rome”. Maybe it was because I always crinkled my nose. That was me smiling. I am now 12 years old and am not a gnome. I adore reading, gymnastics, hanging out with my family and friends, and much more. This travel blog is from my perspective, not Moomoo's (aka my mum). I have read my mum’s blog and am going to write an epilogue. I don’t know what I thought back then but here are my thoughts on Rome now: Trevi Fountain When I first entered the plaza, my first thought was “wow it’s so busy!” The Trevi fountain is gorgeous, and at night it was the best. But still busy. Maybe ... read more

Greetings from Rome! Monday (Oct 3) was a pretty chill last day in Lecce. We had a leisurely morning, with a breakfast of scrambled eggs and mushrooms, cheese and tomatoes, and toast, made by Susan. Delicious! I found another tailor on google, in the continuing quest to get my pantsuit hemmed, and success! The little tailor shop was just a short walk away, and we were helped along the way by really nice locals, one of whom took us right to the shop. While I was in getting my pants pinned, Susan and Beth were chatting with her (I believe there was a recommendation of various restaurant for dinner). I tried out my new purse today and I was really happy with it. We popped into several other shops (Susan got a purse and I got ... read more

It was harder than I thought to get into the routine of a blog again so it's taken me a while to pull this together. One of the downsides of taking a lot of photos - they are time consuming to review and edit! Better late than never, here's the first installment of Marilyn's 2022/23 travel adventures. I hope to catch up in the next couple of weeks... While I was in Whitehorse, I got a phone message from Passport Canada, notifying me that my passport was finally available to pick-up after its summer drama (that’s a whole different story!). Yay – I could leave the country on September 22 as planned! If the Yukon adventure in mid-September was a gentle reintroduction into travel, Italy was like getting dropped into a madhouse! I booked two trips ... read more

TUE, 23 AUG 2022 – Day 11: Rome: Optional Free Day - Rome boasts ancient ruins, historical landmarks, religious buildings and a buzz like no other, and you’ve got a full free day to explore! Visit the Colosseum or the Roman Forum and drift backwards in time to when gladiators, chariots and lions dominated the arena. Join an excursion to the papal palace of Castel Gandolfo in the morning or spend the afternoon in the Vatican City - the smallest country in the world! Explore St Peter’s Basilica and see Michelangelo’s artwork in the Sistine Chapel. One of the best areas for sampling authentic Roman food is in Trastevere where restaurants, favoured by the locals, serve original and classic dishes you may not find elsewhere. Enjoy! Overnight – Hotel IH Hotel Roma Z3... read more