July 1, 2024–Rome, Italy

Rome, the Eternal City. Getting there from the cruise terminal in Civitavecchia doesn’t take an eternity, but it is a long drive. Fortunately, we were on the road before 8:30 am, and with one rest break along the way, we were dropped off near People’s Square in the heart of Rome at 10:30.

The day’s itinerary called for us to be on our own until 12:45 pm, when we were to meet our bus and tour guide for the organized part of the trip. Our friends Denny and Dianne had mapped out a morning walking tour, so along with two other friends, Jack and Lori, the six of us set off to see the city.

And see it we did, at least as much of it as you can see on foot in a little less than two and a half hours. In that short time we managed to see Hadrian’s Mausoleum, the Pantheon, the Obelisk of , the Italian Parliament Building, the Marcus Aurelius Obelisk, the Trevi Fountain (yes, I threw a coin in), and the Spanish Steps. Whew.

And here’s the thing about Rome. You can map out a walk like that, and in following it you’ll walk right past other amazing places that would be show stoppers in any other city. For example, we walked right past the Leonardo DaVinci Museum because we didn’t have time to stop in if we were to see all the other highlights on our route. Where else would you do that?

With a successful morning hike under our belts, we arrived back at People’s Square with time to spare, met our guide, and returned to our bus for a ride across the city to our lunch destination.

Palazzo Brancaccio is one of those grand old places with high ceilings and uniformed wait staff, and Royal Caribbean had arranged for us to have a delicious buffet lunch there. I should mention that this was one of those World Wonders tours that the cruise line included gratis for the world cruisers, so there were a lot of us there.

After a long lunch it was time for part two of our epic day in Rome, and this part truly was epic. Royal Caribbean had arranged for us to get a guided tour of the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, so at 3:15 we met our new guides, boarded a new bus, and set out for the heart of ancient Rome.

I won’t say much, because I’ll let my photos do the talking, but I will say that they were truly magnificent. Michele and I were here eleven years ago, but that didn’t diminish the sense of awe I felt one bit. If you have a bucket list and haven’t been here, the Forum and Coliseum are worthy candidates for your consideration. I’ll also add that you should avoid coming here during the summer if at all possible. The crowds were overwhelming in some places, and there were wait times to get into the Forum and Coliseum, even with tickets in hand.

After excellent tours of both sites we were back on the bus at 6:20, and off on the long ride back to Civitavecchia. Arrival a little before 8:00 made it nearly a twelve hour day, and with 17,000 steps on my pedometer I think I’ll sleep well tonight. Tomorrow will be another long one, as we plan to visit both Florence and Pisa in a single day. Wish my feet luck.

As always, I’ll be back with a full report, so stay tuned.

Rome has so much to offer that this is the type of place you walk right past on your way to see something even more impressive. I could easily spend a week here and never run out of things to see and do.

The Pantheon, the oldest continuously used building in the world, in use for more than two thousand years. Like everything else in Rome, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Italian Parliament Building, with an obelisk in front that Augustus brought back from Egypt.

You can’t get to it to get a better look, but that’s Hadrian’s Mausoleum.

Column of Marcus Aurelius, a Roman victory column. Incredibly elaborate.

On our apparent tour of obelisks, this one is the Flaminio Obelisk. The almost twin churches in the background are Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria di Montesanto. They are all located in Piazza del Popoli, the Peoples Square.

You can’t get any closer than this, as I shot the photo through a wire fence, but this is an original section of the Roman aqueduct.

The Spanish Steps from above.

And from below.

There’s a delightful fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps. The water is ice cold, and on hot days like today people line up to splash their hands and faces, and soak their hats. Of course, it makes for a nice photo too.

This is what all of Europe looks like in July and August.

The Trevi Fountain wasn’t operating while we were there. We heard it was back on shortly after we left.

The fact that it wasn’t running didn’t stop me from tossing a coin in.

Michele did it too.

A friend took this photo for us. Pro tip: don’t accept if a stranger offers to take your photo unless you think you can chase him down if he runs off with it.

Gelato break with our friends Denny and Dianne. Best five euros I’ve spent in a long time.

Roman centurions, back from the dead to guard us while we had lunch.

Entering the Roman Forum, the heart of ancient Rome. This is the Arch of Titus, a first century AD triumphal arch.

Arch of Septimius Severus, another triumphal arch.

The Forum.

Temple of Antonius and Faustina.

Time to go to the Coliseum.

Excited to see it. We were here eleven years ago, but that didn’t diminish the experience at all.

Inside, under the stands.

The Coliseum seated eighty thousand spectators.

The obligatory photo inside the Coliseum.

And one of Michele.

A friend was nice enough to take this one for us.

Great view of the Arch of Constantine from inside the Coliseum.

We passed this church on our way back. It’s the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiori. It’s significant because it’s where Pope Francis will be buried when he passes away.