September 24th - Rome, Italy
Today was an important day to fuel up, because we will be covering a lot of ground. A typical breakfast feast with our all important coffee machines to add some extra energy for our long walk. The hotel is bigger here and we actually shared the dining room with other travelers.
The Colosseum
We met our local guide, Alessandria, at the Colosseum. As expected, it was very crowded, but we didn't have to wait in line and made our way in quickly. I think she was our favorite guide of the tour. As we walked in, she glanced around and said "Mama Mia, it's crowded today". We smiled to see that they actually say that. She explained the history and gave us time to wander and take pictures before we moved on.
The Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. We walked through the forum from one end to the other, close enough to touch some of the stones. It's hard to imagine how long this has been here.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is a building in Rome, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome.
Free for Lunch
We picked an outdoor pizzeria for lunch with John and Lucille. The hostess set up a table and some chairs for us since all the others were full. Lucille was finally able to order a pasta she remembered from time she spent in Rome years ago.
And of course we shared a bottle of wine.
And of course we shared a bottle of wine.
We chose to spend our free afternoon walking around and finding a few geocaches. There are many places in Rome to grab a view of the city. The city is filled with parks and beautiful streets for strolling down.
Last Group Dinner
Across the street from our hotel was the restaurant where we shared our last dinner together. The tour is ending tomorrow and we are here to celebrate another wonderful Italian multi-course dinner. We had become a family in only 14 short days and we will share memories forever.