One Day in the Eternal City

     Rome, what can I say about the Eternal City? It is beautiful beyond words, and one of our most favorite cities in the world! We have been to Rome before, back in 2007 with my good friend Stacey and her husband Brian. That trip was a full-four days, and we were going non-stop! We still didn't see everything!

2007- with Stacey and Brian in front of Trevi Fountain, Rome
"More roses means more love!"

     This time, we only had about 6 hours! Not nearly enough time in Rome, so we had to walk quickly, and only admire each spot for a few minutes before heading to the next attraction.
     We started early once again, about 7:30 for our breakfast in the Provence Dining Room before heading to the Bordeaux Dining Room where we would meet our group. We were on a "on our own" tour, which meant that we were on a shuttle to and from Rome, but the rest of the day was up to us. Since Rome is inland, the ship docks at the port of Civitavecchia, about a 90 minute drive away.  We were on the shuttle and on our way to the Eternal City by 8:30am.
     By 10:00, we had arrived at St. Peters Basilica, which is the entry to Vatican City. Since we had done the Vatican and Sistine Chapel last time, we decided to skip it on this trip. Vatican City is an entire day on its own.

St. Peter's Basilica

the street leading out from St. Peter's Square to Rome

     We started our adventure by walking all the way across the city to the Colosseum (about 5-ish miles). Along the way we stopped to admire various sites. The first stop was the Castel Sant'Angelo, a museum that was once used as a fortress for the Popes. Although we did not go in, we admired the beauty from the outside.

Castel Sant'Angelo

Another of Castel Sant'Angel

the bridges leading from the Vatican to Rome

mom and dad 

beautiful bridges over the river

the statues that decorate the bridges

     The next stop was one of Jeremy's favorite sites, Piazza Venezia. The Piazza is the Central Hub of Rome, and serves many purposes. The front of the Piazza houses Italy's tomb of the Unknown Soldier, known as the Altare Della Patria.

The front of the Piazza

Italy's tomb of the Unknown soldier

the center of the Piazza

     We climbed about half-way to the top, and explored the basilica inside, as well as the beautiful views around the city before heading back down to meet up with my parents.

view from the top, 

selfie at the top! Do you see the Colosseum in the background? Look to the left!

     After admiring the beauty from atop the Piazza Venezia, we headed over to the Colosseum. Such a remarkable piece of architecture. We decided not to go inside, since we were short on time, and have already had the inside tour before.

The Colosseum

mom and dad

What an amazing structure!

Us in front of the Colosseum

fun with the "Roman Soldiers!"

     Once we were satisfied with the pictures we had captured, we decided to walk across the street from the Colosseum to get some lunch. We found an amazing restaurant with spectacular views, and had a true Italian lunch!

Tortellini in Rome!

Real Italian Pizza!

The view from our lunch table!

     After lunch, Jeremy and I headed over to walk around the Forum. We discovered that it was now fenced off, and you have to pay to enter! Last time it was entirely open to just walk around. We decided again to just walk the path around the fence and admire what we could see without paying.

The baths in the Forum

The Roman Forum- "The beating heart of Rome"

     On our way back towards the Vatican, we stopped again to climb the Spanish Steps. The views from the top were beautiful to say the least!

looking up the Spanish Steps from the Piazza

looking down from the top

mom and dad at the bottom of the steps

The fountain at the base of the steps

     My dad's leg was starting to bother him, so we started heading back towards our meeting place. We stopped at the Trevi Fountain, which is my favorite spot in all of Rome, only to discover that it is completely empty and has scaffolding all around for restoration! I was dissapointed, so we stopped to have gelato to lift my spirits!

see, no water...all scaffolding...so sad :(

     At this point, my parents decided to take a cab back to St. Peters Basilica, while Jeremy and I walked to see a few other sites on our way back. One of the major sites that we enjoyed was the Pantheon, built by the Roman Emperor, Hadrian and dedicated to all the gods of Pagan Rome.

selfie in the piazza in front of the Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon- the Alter of the Basilica

The piazza in front of the Pantheon

Inside, looking up. That is open air, shining into the Basilica

     After battling the crowds inside the Pantheon, we were getting short on time, and decided to take a cab back to St. Peters Square. We arrived with some time before our bus left, so we walked around the square admiring from the outside.

all four of us in St. Peter's Square

     Once back on the ship, we headed to the buffet for a light snack, then back to our staterooms for showers before cocktails. We met up with mom and dad at the Wheelhouse bar for happy hour before eating dinner at the onboard specialty restaurant, Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse. The food was excellent, Jeremy and dad were adventurous and tried gator ribs, while mom and I opted for the steak! After dinner, the waiters came around with a chocolate cake and sang happy anniversary to us! It was a wonderful end to a very busy day!

     Stay tuned...up next is Naples, Italy-where we hiked Mt. Vesuvius, and walked the streets of Pompeii!