Roma

We were all looking forward to today.  Off on the train to the capital of Italy - Roma.  We had a train to catch at about 8.30 so as we weren't sure how long it would take to get in we got an early taxi hoping also to have breakfast at the train station.

our train pulling in

There seem to be two main train stations in Florence and this morning we were headed to the second one.  We were really surprised at how little there was there - a few vending machines and a coffee bar.  Italians are very serious about their coffee.  Its hard to explain but its like a job do you in the morning.  Its very serious and you dont take your time - you have your pastry and your espresso and then you move on.  We of course wanted to sit and take in the sights and sounds which is certainly not the norm here.  Sitting in the cafe for about 30 mins we lost track of the number of people who came in for their morning shot. They dont sit, they stand and then move on.  It would be awesome to set up one of those time lapse cameras over the course of a day to capture the comings and goings.

We boarded our train just before 8.30 and as it was a fast train we were in Roma by 9.45.  We really only had a day to spend a day here and due to the train schedule we actually only got 6 hours.  So that meant we had to be organised and only see the things we really wanted to - unfortunaltey anything with a queue was out. The best way to do that is on a Hop on and off bus.  We got tickets easily and then stopped for a coffee before we started.  It does seem like there are a lot of coffee stops but its directly related to the size of the coffee and they're tiny so you need twice the stops.

Nate contemplating the view

Rome is alot busier than anywhere else weve been so far - we thought there were lots of people in Berlin but this is a whole new ball game.  The first stop on the bus was the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore - the largest church in rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  Its also the richest church in Rome with many priceless works of art inside.  While it is in Italian territory its fully owned and managed by the Vatican.

side entrance to the station

a typical street

front of the Basilica

the rear of the building

quite hilly in parts, lots of steps

Second stop was was the Colosseum and oh boy she is massive.  We had a good look around and I was really surprised by the size of it.  Its also very difficult for me to comprehend the ages of this beauty and what went on here many many years ago.

held 50 to 80 thousand spectators in its day - built between 70 - 80 AD

Arch of Constantine

palatine hill

Nate looks a little too happy

Victorius

We went a bit further past the ruins of Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum.  Circus was formally a chariot racing arena and the forum was where many Christians were fed to the lions. 

Circus Maximus

rear of the forum, massive steps flanked by lions

sunlight through the ruins

The Roman Forum

It really is breathtaking to turn any given corner and see an ancient monument or building.  They're everywhere here.

It was soon lunchtime so we decided to grab some panini in the shade of one of the Vatican gardens in the Piazza San Pietro.

Borgo St Angelo over to Vatican City

Ponte Vittorio

St Peters Basilica - The Popes Office

After lunch we were back on the bus and visiting the Fontana Di Trevi.  Clearly I didn't do enough research as I didn't realise how big that is either.  There were hundreds and hundreds of people there but it was quite easy to get down to the fountain to touch the water, have a photo and throw some coins in.  We decided to have some icecream/gelati here and it went down a treat - it was so good we thought about having a second serve.

Fontana De Trevi

Loving it here

We finished the circuit and before you know it we were back at the train station.  The station itself is a hive of activity so we bought a couple of souvenirs and then sat and had a cold drink before leaving on our frecciargento train.

lots of streets lined with orange trees

  
The journey back to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station only takes about 90 minutes so when we got back it was dinnertime.  Not many dinner options as it was about 6 and too early for the locals to eat so we suffered through a Maccas meal (Nate was happy though).

great scenery everywhere you look

Not as fast as the Shinkansen 

where did we go today?

We caught a taxi back to the hotel and had another Italian driving lesson - the lanes on the road are just suggestions you can stay in yours or straddle two lanes or do whatever you like.