Ciao from Roma! I arrived late yesterday after a rather grueling voyage but I figure flying to Europe in the cheap seats is probably like childbirth-- women forget the pain before the next time around.
I'm with Joni, staying in the hotel where my tour starts Sunday. It's a fine, basic hotel (Hotel Diana). I'm happy to have a quiet, dark location since I'm here 8 nights. Today we had a nice hotel breakfast & set off for the "hop on, hop off" tour which gave us a perfect overview of the city. It's truly breathtaking to see such ancient & historic buildings & sites. We were disappointed that the Trevi fountain & Spanish Steps were blocked off due to renovation but c'est la vie. We did get views of such places as Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Palatine hill, Forum, some big Catholic places ( wink wink), & Borghese gardens-- where we enjoyed strolling & watching folks on skates, segways & carriages. Had a nice lunch sans tourists-- love to find local places. By 4:00, feeling tired from the walking we took a taxi home. Tonight we're having dinner w one of Joni's friends from France who is in town. She only speaks French so it will help me feel less sad that I didn't stop off in France.
We got the bus pass good for 2 days so we can use it tomorrow to go directly to places we want to explore. Today we mostly rode.
Typical of Joni she has struck up conversations with folks from Venezuela ( speaking in her excellent Spanish); from France & assorted other countries-- Holland, Ireland, Australia. Fun!
So far: great times!
Ciao!
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