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Day 21-23:Friday November 23-Sunday November 25
Had a lovely buffet breakfast, worked out in the gym and then headed to the airport. Flew from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, a nice 2 hour flight, then walked to the next gate and boarded the plane for Rome. Great flight but very noisy, Joyce and Gordon napped a little but Patty and Stephen were not so lucky- thank goodness for the movies. Arrived at the Hotel Metropolis in downtown Rome at 10 am Saturday, had a quick breakfast and set out to explore. We were a 10 minutes walk from the Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica. The church was closed till later as there was a special mass going on for the appointment of a new cardinal so we saw St. Peter's Square which was commissioned in the 17th century by Pope Alexander VII. It was designed by Bernini, an Italian sculptor and architect. Built in the Baroque style, the great open space was created so more of the faithful would be able to see and receive the blessing of the Pope. The architecture is massive and it is hard to believe that it remains standing today. We walked along the Tiber River to Castel St. Angelo, a huge fortress that was built in the 2nd century by the Emperor Hadrian to serve as his mausoleum. It was also used by the Vatican as a defense fortress in the 1800's and houses a large collection of ancient weaponry, historic artifacts and paintings which date to the Renaissance. We stopped at a little fruit market and bought apples then headed back to the hotel to check in. Our rooms were small but very modern, clean and chic. We walked the other way to Piazza Mazzini and there was a huge demonstration going on-lots of carbinerie around in assault gear and helicopters flying overhead. It was very peaceful but we didn't stay long! Found a really neat coffee shop called Vanni. Joyce ordered hot chocolate and it was pure chocolate, almost too thick to drink, with a huge bowl of fresh whipped cream on the side! We all tried the local draft beer Nastro Azzurro, blond for Stephen and I and red for Gordon. We had olives and nuts as our appy and they were OK, not as bad as the vermouth soaked ones in PEI LOL. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a little grocery store (that turned out to be huge once we were inside as it went back for a long way and had a large basement area) and bought some beer and soda. Joyce watched them make fresh pasta- the locals would order what they wanted and it would be made fresh! Had a quiet dinner at the hotel and went to bed early- jetlag was affecting us all!
Sunday morning we booked Ciao Roma, on open air bus tour of Rome. We walked to the Vatican to start the tour, lots of people around the square again and long lines to get into the Basilica. We drove along the Tiber River, past huge estates such as the Borgia villa and gardens before getting off in Piazza Barberini. We eventually found the Trevi fountain(completed in 1762) but not easily-the streets are narrow, crooked and not well marked and they all look alike! Back on the bus we headed to the Colosseum for lunch. Years ago Steve and I had eaten at a small pizzaria called Rossi Martini, just outside the walls and we wanted to see if it was still there. We found it and it was as quaint as we had remembered-it is still owned by the same family and the son now runs it. They were delighted when we showed them the old business card and once again they gave us free gifts! We had beer and pizza and it was amazing. We sat in the sun and enjoyed watching all that was going around us. After lunch we wandered around the colosseo, a marvel of design, engineering and construction that is the most recognizable symbol of the power and majesty of the Roman Empire. It was started in the 1st century by Emperor Vespasian and completed by his son Titus. For over 400 years and during the reign of 42 Emperors, the primary function of the Colosseum was to provide violent amusement and entertainment for the people of Rome. On the return trip we saw the famous Spanish Steps recognized as Europe's widest staircase. The 138 steps were built in the early 1700 and connect the church on the top and the Piazza di Spagna on the bottom. When we arrived back to Vatican City there was no line to get into St. Peter's Basilica so were able to get right in. The church was built in the late Renaissance style and was financed through the sale of indulgences. Construction began in 1506 and was not completed until 1626. According to Catholic tradition the basilica was erected over the burial site of the apostle Peter. We had a lovely dinner at Vanni, a restaurant and bar. We were the only tourists and it was interesting watching the locals come in, dressed very elegantly compared to us!
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