Entries about rome

Before we departed Firenze on Monday, we diverted our cab to Piazza Michelangelo where you can get a panoramic vista of the city

It was then off to the stazione to jump on the express to Roma.

After 90 minutes of zipping through the Tuscan countryside we arrived in the Eternal City. After checking in to the Hotel Regno, we had a walk to the nearby Trevi Fountain, where a tired Lucia decided to pull her grumpy face for the required tourist pic.

She cheered up when I told her about the tradition of throwing a coin in the fountain to ensure that she returned to Rome one day.

On Tuesday, Rome produced a bit of a showery morning but we still ventured out after breakfast to jump on the open top bus to see the sights.

We passed the Coliseum which was obviously undergoing some renos

We then passed into Vatican City where the rain clouds parted to afford us a panoramic view of St Peters Square.

We plan to return today for a closer look at 'Catholic HQ'. We jumped off the bus to grab some lunch and walk over to the Spanish Steps which even in early spring was crowded with tourists.

The nearby exclusive shopping strip of Via Condotti was traversed but it was window shopping only on this occasion.

We did however linger at a nearby street market where the lovely Albanian stall lady took a shine to Lucia and allowed her to pick out a little silver and amber charm

After returning to the hotel for a rest, we ventured out for dinner in a piazza overlooking the Impressive Pantheon.

Afterwards we lingered to listen to a busking cellist under the Pantheon dome. The acoustics made for an uplifting performance.

After the usual visit to the gelateria for dessert, we weaved our way back through the crowded alleyways to rest up for our next day of touring.

MBOL