After a very long flight, without a hoped for business class upgrade, we finally arrive in ROMA. We were glad before we even left the airport that we had followed advice given to us to "NOT DRIVE IN ROME!" Whoaee doggers! We make it in one piece! Beautiful building, our room is five stories up, thank heaven for the 'lift'. Only a few hundred yards from the Vatican, what views we will have. But for now, bleary eyed and jetlagged, we collaspe in our room 'Divine Comedy'.

Day 1. Awake and ready to go we head for the Metro and Piazza del Popolo, not a famous landmark, but I'm reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert and she mentions a church there with some wonderful paintings by Caravaggio depicting the martyrdom of Saint Peter and the conversion of Saint Paul. Unfortunately, the church was not open, but the bronze doors were beautiful and depicted scenes from the life of Christ. My fascination with door 'knockers' began here in the Piazza, and continued throughout the trip. We went to Piazza Di Spagna E Scalinata Di Trinita Dei Monti, better known as The Spanish Steps (for obvious reasons). What a fascinating place for meeting and watching people. And it really wasn't that hard to count the 138 steps, or was it? I didn't get the 'count' correct. This tourist stuff is hard work. We need gelato! Good thing there is a gelateria right next to our door... Let's go home.

Day 2. We had planned to see the Vatican (and Sistine Chapel) with a tour group. Our guide kept telling us we would be underwhelmed by the Sistine Chapel. It's so cramped in the actual chapel, that the tours use an outdoor courtyard with stations set up with photos of the paintings to explain everything to their groups. No pictures can be taken inside the chapel anyway, but tell that to the people that took them and then were escorted out by security. It was surreal in there. Learned a lot from our guide, and it's still awesome to stand inside the chapel and realize where you are and who has been there before you and what has happened there. St. Peter's Basilica is awesome (I need to think of some other descriptive words) and the Piazza has it's own surprise thanks to Bernini's colonnade. Time for more gelato.

Day 3. The Pantheon. It, like so many of the places we visited had scaffolding up as work is ongoing due to the age of the buildings. Absolutely mind boggling, the engineering of this building back in the early second century. We also went to Trevi Fountain, and yes tossed coins into it with our wishes, so I guess we will be returning to Roma soma day. Had one of our favorite meals after our visit to the fountain, then went back to see it at night. There was a bride and groom having photos taken there. Can you imagine? Beautiful! No Metro goes to the ancient part of the city so we were on bus and it was late...ended up taking bus to termini station and catching Metro back home. No gelato today, wahhh...

Last day to explore, we did Colosseo, that includes Arco Di Constantino, walking along the Circo Massimo and then had to see the Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth) in an out of the way church behind the Palatino Hill, one of Rome's seven hills. You may remember the mouth of truth from the movie "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck. If you haven't seen it, and like oldies, but goodies, it's worth watching. Needed gelato twice today to make up for yesterday. On to Toscana next day in a rental car... (I will probably cover later on, time for a homemade gelato right now!)