A Day in Rome

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July 21 Friday
After getting up at 5:30 AM, I worked a little bit more on trying to upload as much as I could from Greece to my blog. Breakfast was at seven up on the fourth floor at their garden terrace. I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice it actually was up there even though the rest of the hotel was kind of rundown. They offer the normal eggs and bacon and bread and fruit and cereals. The eggs for ones were actually cooked very well so I had a bunch of that along with two croissants in cherry jelly and a banana. I spoke with the fellow traveler and she informed me that they had ants all over the room so the hotel staff use bug spray last night but didn't change her room. I guess not having a view was much better than have to deal with ants in the room!
We then left at 7:45 to make our way to the Vatican city.
Vatican City, officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City, is a country located within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 110 acres, and a population of 1,000, it is the smallest state in the world by both areaand population. Within Vatican City are religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications.
I must say had traveling with the group is so much better when it comes to popular sites to visit. Most people wait 2 to 3 hours just to get into the Vatican city. We bypassed all those lines after going through security like at the airport. We visited the grounds before entering the various buildings. Once inside we visited first the famous original 16th century Scala Del Bramante (Bramante Staircase).Besides its impressive stonework and design, the tower at the top of the staircase offers spectacular views across Rome and the Vatican property. Today, few ever set foot on the staircase as it remains behind rod iron gates, closed off to the general public. Only those who have been granted special access, such as Insight Vacations and Trafalgar, have permission to enter. We then visited parts of the Vatican Museums. There were lots of antiquity and artifacts from Roman and Greek times. We walked through the long hall which had old tapestries, beautiful art work on the ceilings, and the map gallery. We then visited the Sistine Chapel which was nice but very very crowded. In there you may not talk or take any photos or videos. A guard yells out every few minutes warning the visitors. I found out later that Chase had taken a lot of photos secretly. While I am not Catholic nor very religious, I know how to respect authority. He's lucky he didn't get caught. We then headed for St. Peter's Basilica. Here you could take pictures and talk. I would have preferred a quick walk through but our guide took us through the different sections. I just couldn't get over how much money was put into this place. Nor did I see any reason for this church other to give glory to former popes. Anyway, I did like the architecture and some of the art work.
After leaving Vatican City we had 45 minutes to grab a bite to eat. There was very little choice. I was able to grab a ham and cheese panini, small can of Pringles, and 2 bottles of water from a small deli. There was no seats for the deli but 4 of my traveling companions were sitting at a table at the next door restaurant. I grabbed the 5th chair. Unfortunately I had to leave because the waiter chased me off since I brought food from another restaurant even there the 4 others had ordered food from them. I ended up standing against the wall to eat my meal. Afterwards I entered the Vatican souvenir shop to use their restroom. The 2 storied shop was packed with people forking over money to support the Vatican. After walking to the bus, we then headed to the Colosseum.
The Colosseum or Coliseum, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheatreever built. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72. The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles(for only a short time as the hypogeumwas soon filled in with mechanisms to support the other activities), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and also has links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.

We were dropped off near it. The Colosseum didn't look as big as I thought it would. Once again we went through security screening. I am getting used to seeing military personnel holding their weapons every where we go in Rome. After an interesting lecture about the Colosseum we had 45 minutes on our own before we had to make it back to the bus. There were two options to get to the top of the Colosseum: stairs or elevator. I decided on the elevator. 3 other members of the group decided also. I was just behind them in line to get on. These three and I have not really gotten along especially one of them. One always has a snarky remark when I say something. So they kept talking to themselves as we waited. Once the elevator arrived the 4 people in front of us got on, then the 3 in front of me. As I got to the elevator I couldn't get on even though there was some room available. 2 of the 3 blocked the door. Before I could ask them to move over since they clearly had no intention of moving, the elevator doors closed. Wow! So rude. These three act so snobbish at times. So I waited for the next ride up. The inside of the Colosseum was great. One could even see the area below the arena to where the gladiators waited. It was neat. I then grabbed a few items from the gift shop and headed for the bus. We then went back to the hotel. I immediately kicked off my shoes and took a nap.
After a couple hours at the hotel resting, we headed off for a dinner on the town. We only drove about 15 minutes and pulled up in front of the Marriott hotel. We then found out this was going to be location of our dinner for the night. While the Marriott was nice, I was disappointed that our last night in the Rome would be at a hotel restaurant and not at a local restaurant. It was a nice time hanging out with friendly people. While coffee was being served, I went outside to take a few pictures of the old city wall. I then noticed a souvenir stand. I was able to grab the postcards and magnets of the places I couldn't find earlier, especially of the Vatican. A small group splintered off to walk to the Spanish Steps. I opted not to since my feet were to sore. I'm going to have to change back to my old shoes that have stabilizers. My right foot is sore on top from trying to keep my foot from rolling. The new shoes were great but only for short periods of time and definitely not for the hours and hours of walking I've been doing. I had some extra time to work on my blog before going to sleep.

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