Thursday 18th April 2024

 Thursday 18^th April

SHE SAID:

It was a huge day, which started at 6.15am when we woke up.

We walked to the Colosseum, a ½ hour 2.2km walk, had a 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & the Roman Forum. Then we caught the Metro to the Vatican, grabbed some lunch & a seat on some steps whilst we waited for tour number 2 to begin.

More queuing despite having a tour booked to enter the Vatican Museum, & a very crowded walk through here, then the Sistine Chapel. We took the private walkway to St Peter’s Square & happened across the changing of the Swiss Guard at the exit. We were left to our own devices for the final tourist event, the Basilica of St Peter.

Getting away from the tourist traps we found a “bar” for a cuppa & ice cream before catching the Metro back to the apartment. We were totally shattered; I clocked up 21,115 steps today, which is 14.36km!

Colosseum

Constantine's Arch
View from Palatine Hill over the Roman Forum

Water garden on Palatine Hill
Roman Forum

Vatican Museum

St Peter's Square & the Swiss Guards

A clash of "religions"!
Fountain in St Peter's Square

Tiber River
& St Angelo's Castle

Rose-ringed Parakeet (native to Italy & 
living in the Colosseum)
Tiny coffee & huge tea!

HE SAID:

We expected a big day today and that is what we got. It was good to experience both walking around Rome and also catching the Metro. I have read so many warnings about pick-pockets, especially on the trains and at tourist places, that I am keeping a very close guard of our valuables. So far, so good. Anyway, the sights were grand! It is quite amazing to be in such old, and so famous, places. The events that have transpired here...

There were many thousands of people swarming all over the Coloseum and grounds this morning, with even more thronging the Vatican in the afternoon. It is a licence to print money!

All around any tourist area we passed have been many dodgy looking sellers of everything from trinkets to tours, water to whiskey, shirts, umbrellas, power banks, you name it. I find it really off-putting. There are also police and military, statics and patrols, at many places. I don't know if this is usual or because of a current threat situation.