Night Location: Rome, Italy

For our final full day of the holiday we separated into two groups with Amber and David heading off for a tour of the Colosseum and Gemma and Mum wandering through Piazza Navona and across to the Pantheon.

David had done his research and had found a small group walking tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The guide was fantastic and due to the tour starting in the early morning, we were able to go down into the ancient remains of the Colosseum where she pointed out the various mechanical techniques of lifting people and animals up onto the floor of the arena. We were able to walk out onto the reconstructed floor and gazed up at the stone stands. It was truly remarkable to get some sense of the scale the ancient Romans went to for the entertainment of the masses. Walking through the Forum was also fascinating as without a guide the columns and scattered capitals can be meaningless. It was very hot by the end of the tour so we opted to catch a taxi across town to the Via Della Croce.

While Amber and David had been on their tour, Mum and Gemma had spent the morning wandering through the beautiful streets of Rome. Mum was particularly delighted to purchase a leather satchel for school from a shop just near the Pantheon. They met Amber and David on the Spanish Steps and then we all walked back along Via Frattina and Campo Marzio to our Hotel.

For dinner we returned to the Vegetarian Restaurant that Dad had found in 2011, but unfortunately the tasting menu that we chose was heavily cheese based and therefore not as enjoyable as last time. Nevermind! We have been very spoiled on this trip! It seems surreal that tomorrow we head back home after such an incredible holiday.