DAY 1.

Tuesday, September 15.

Woke up this morning to the sound of a rooster crowing!😳😳 heading for the showers, will talk about those shortly, spied the rooster in question. A Rhode Island Red. Belongs to the caravan park and wanders each morning checking who is still asleep, but not for long.  

    
  
   
 

Showers were amazing with separate kids showers, ladies even had a salon. Blokes wasn’t too shabby either.All that done bus, tram and underground to city centre. Jumped on the on/off bus. This has become a bit of a habit, but it is a quick and easy way to orientate one’s self. 

That done, we visited the Trevi Fountain, which is dry due to renovations. 

    
    
    
    
    
    
 On to the Spanish Steps, where Su and I elected not to climb them, so we sat and watched the passing parade while Dom and Denise did. 

    
   
Left there and went to the Egyptian Obelisk. 

    
   
Needing Doms IPad to sort out we headed back to Myrtle, where Su and I stayed while Dom and Denise went to have the IPad looked at.

We caught up on paperwork and blog then headed to restaurant where Dom and Denise arrived later.

DAY 2.

Wednesday, September 16.

Today we had guided tours organized, firstly at The Colleseum, where part of the arena floor has been reconstructed to show the lifts and under floor area operated.  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 It is still an amazing structure, however having been to Verona to see the opera in the Roman Stadium there, it looses some of its magnificence. 

Following this was a walking tour through the Roman Forum, where many of the buildings are still intact ,  and excavations still underway.  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 This is also where Julius Caeser was buried.  

  

 Pantine Hill, 

    
  Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, which is an operating church as high as it is wide and has under its floor the remains of many of the former empowers of Rome,  

  

  

  

 and  Noveau Square followed. 

    
  We found out that Bernini had designed over 3,500 buildings and statues throughout Rome 

Following lunch, Su and Gaz needed a rest, it was 3.30, so we headed back to Myrtle, while Dom and Denise did some shopping.

DAY 3.

Thursday, September 17.

Up early, even beat the rooster, as we had an 8.00am guided tour booked, and Dom and Denise fly home tonight. Bus and tram trip took no time as everyone was still in bed!😳😳 Even had time for a coffee, while we waited for the tour to begin. One needs to book in as you walk straight in, otherwise it is a two to three hour wait in a queue. 

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 Su, Dom and I had been before, but it never ceases to amaze me with the size of the place and the huge amount of Art work on display. 

Sistene Chapel is still spell binding. Michaelangelo was such a talented individual, especially after having seen David in Florence and the Pieta earlier today. Wasn’t much he could not do.

We did visit the crypts this time, as they were closed on our last visit. 

Quick lunch, as we had a tour of the Catacombes booked.  

 Met tour guide and proceeded to the Franciscan order church where the crypts are decorated with the bones of  thousands of previous monks. There is the head crypt, pelvis crypt, long bone crypt ect…..

No one knows why they did this except that they had to move all the bodies from an old Cemetry hundreds of years ago.

Hopping on a bus we headed doth to  the Catacombes San Domitilla. Denise was starting to panic as they needed to catch the plane tonight and had to go back to Myrtle to collect their bags. As the tour through the Catacombs would take a couple of hours, Dom and Denice decided to leave the tour, so teary cuddles and off they went to catch a taxi. Sad to see them go, especially in such a hurry. 

Onwards and downwards, through a medieval church into the catacombs which went on for miles on many levels. We saw some amazing frescos, which could not be photographed. Many of the graves had been robbed over many years.

On the bus back into Rome and stopped off at the 16th century, St Clements Church, which is built on a 12th century church, which is built on a 4th century warehouse, which is built on a 1st century Druid chapel. The whole complex is known as a layer cake historical site. We were able to walk to the bottom level where the Roman stream is still flowing, 30 metres under the ground. The water was refreshing.

Back to the surface where the tour ended. Caught bus back to a very quiet Myrtle for dinner and bed.