"Best Mediterranean Cruise ever!!"

What you see in the table above is the total extent of my planning for Rome. I lived in Italy for 3 years (my wife one year) and we both had been to Rome numerous times. We had some general ideas as to what we wanted to see but did not plan a sequence of events. It was definitely plan as you go. [Note: If you have never been to Rome before; this is definitely not the recommended course of action.]

No matter where you go in Rome, no matter what you want to see, there is one given - you are going to walk a lot! Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes and always carry bottled water with you. If you are going to be in Rome for two or three days, the purchase of the Roma Pass is highly recommended. This gives you free entry to two museums or archaeological sites as well as reduced admission to all others. In addition, it provides for free public transportation for the three days it is valid. The later becomes important later in the day after you have walked for what seems to be forever. Find a bus stop that says 'Termini' on the sign and wait (won't be too long.) It appears that almost all buses return to Termini. Definitely worth it! Obviously it helps to know where your hotel is in relation to Termini.

If you are going to venture off on your own, it is recommended that you get a good travel guide so you can read up a bit before you head off into the unknown. [The 'Useful Tips section has some recommendations.] If you have a limited amount of time, you might want to consider one of the 'Hop On - Hop Off buses. They travel a fixed route around the city all day long. Buses are generally 15-20 minutes apart. See something of interest. Hop off the bus for a better look. Catch the next bus and continue your journey. They also provide commentary about the sights so that you don't have to consult your travel guide every few minutes. No matter what, you aren't going to see everything in a few days - not even close. Spend some time with your travel guide before you leave, and make a prioritized list of what is important to you. When you get to Rome, follow your list.

We arrived at our hotel about 4PM on a Saturday afternoon. We knew that we would be tired after the long journey and had decided that a walk, dinner, and early to bed would be the course of action. Our plan, if you could call it that, was to stroll up Via Veneto then cross over to the Spanish Steps, and head to the vicinity of the Trevi Fountain for dinner. Well, a few wrong turns, and a lot of walking later, put us in the middle of the Gardens at Villa Borghese. We eventually found the upper end of Via Veneto and followed it all the way down to the end. From there it was only a few blocks to the Spanish Steps (top) where a 6 Euro bottle of cold Gatorade was very welcome. In time we found our way to the restaurant that I had found on the Internet. We had one of the very best meals in Italy that night.

Next morning we were off to the Roman Forum (about a 20 minute walk.) We spent almost three hours wandering around. Believe it or not, it had changed since we were last there! How can that be? It is still an 'active archaeological dig and there were areas that we walked that were 4-6 feet below the level that they were before. From there we took off wandering and ended up at the Baths of Caracalla. Had never been there before and found it extremely interesting. We eventually found our way to the Tiber River and the Isola Tiberina. From there we walked back to the vicinity of the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II ( a very striking building when it is not completely covered for renovation.) The Trevi Fountain was but a few blocks away. The plaza where the fountain resides is 200ft by 300ft at best. There must have been at least 300-400 people there. It was packed! Still a must see tsite. From there, a bus to Termini and wind down for the day.

The next morning, and early at that, the site was first on the adgenda. We knew the lines would be long, and they were (probably 150+ at 8:30am.) Fortunately our Roma Pass got us in with only a 2-3 minute wait. We spent probably 1 1/2 hours there. The Museum is fascinating and informative. From there, it was off to the Palatine Hill (which was not open to the public the last time we were there. This was the residential area above the Forum where the aristocrats lived. Simply incredible. In a city as large, big and noisy as Rome, you can actually find total peace and quiet as you gaze down upon it all. A lot of walking on uneven surfaces but definitely worth it.

We left the peace and tranquility of the Palatine and headed for the Pantheon. The artist types seem to migrate to this area of Rome. Still, seeing the building and the inside was worth the trip. From there it was towards Via Nazionale and shopping as we worked our way towards Termini. Later that evening, after dinner, we walked to Termini and purchased our train tickets for Civitavecchia for the next day.

The following is from the trip diary that my wife was keeping:
Anyway, we left Miami on June 8. Our trip from Miami to Madrid on Iberia Air was excellent! There was a pillow and blanket at every seat, and we were given little foot socks; we were fed TWO meals with wine, and had ear phones to hear & see several movies during our 8 ˝ hour flight. I slept a good part of the way and missed the movies, but sleep was also good. We changed planes in Madrid and arrived at the airport nearest Rome, Leonardo da Vinci, where we took a train into Rome. As we left the train station, called Termini, we were surprised to see about three thousand armed police and soldiers with loaded machine guns, soldiers, and at least 2 helicopters whirring overhead. There were 2 water cannon that we saw, and sirens everywhere. People with loud speakers shouted at assembling crowds. As we hurried from the area, we were informed that we had arrived during a riot protesting President Bush's arrival. Interestingly, while there is extremely strong anti-Bush sentiment, the Italians are not anti-American. We have a few shots of graffiti of anti-Bush obscenities, and of the crowds. We later learned that a few minutes after we left the area, active rioting, tear gas, injuries, and property destruction ensued.

While the Italians were rioting, we were busy pulling our suitcases over cobblestones to get to our hotel. This is quite common. Almost everywhere we went, people pulled suitcases to get to hotels. Ours was about 4 blocks from Termini. Unfortunately, the first floor was up a flight of stairs, and the elevator didn't start at ground level. In Europe, there is ground level, then what we would call the second floor is what they call the first. Getting the suitcases up those stairs was the hardest part of the trip so far. Our room had typical Italian air conditioning-you simply opened the shutters! This was really no problem, tho, for overnite temps dropped into the high 60s. By then it was about 4 p.m.

The rest of our first day, Saturday, June 9, was spent being tourists. We walked and walked and WALKED, finding the Borghese Gardens instead of the Spanish Steps, but eventually we did arrive there, and I was ever so grateful to sit and rest. There was much to see, for there must have been 1500-2000 people there. It was a people-watcher's delight, with tourists from dozens of countries, locals out for a stroll, date, or a meet & greet, and street vendors everywhere, and a (peaceful) anti-Bush protest. It was all so very colorful and vibrant. From there we walked the Via Veneto-and felt very secure, for there were several hundred police stationed all along that famous street. We think Bush must have been eating in one of the fabulous restaurants along there, but weren't sure. Again, helicopters whirred overhead. However, everything was quite peaceful, and we never saw any riots.

Somehow we found a lovely little ristorante and sat down-right near other Americans! We laughed and chatted, and enjoyed delicious food-and of course, vino rosso. Eventually we found our way back to our hotel and collapsed into bed, sleeping soundly despite the traffic under our window.

Sunday, June 10, we walked through the Roman Forum and the Baths of Caracalla, saw the Tiber River, Trevi Fountains, Victor Emmanuel II monument, and much more. Interestingly, much of what we saw at the Forum was new to us, since many meters of excavations have been happening since our last visit, and many more antiquities were exposed. We ended the day with another meal at a sidewalk café before another night of exhausted sleep.

Monday, June 11, we bought Roma Passes, which entitled us to "free" entry to exhibits and museums, and bus transportation. We went directly to the Coliseum, and spent a lot of time there. Parts are being reconstructed to look much as they did in ancient times. There was also a wonderful exhibit of art, and Eros, god of love, was the focus. Interesting perspective-the ancients seem to have viewed homosexuality as a means of training for heterosexual activity. Hmmmmm. Then we walked a short distance from the Coliseum to explore the Palatine Hill, which overlooks the Forum. Here, the Romans lived and partied, and we saw the actual site of the bacchanals of legend. We watched some young archaeologists doing further excavations, painstakingly labeling every rock as they went about the work of digging, sifting, and exposing the history buried in and under layers of earth. Leaving the Palatine, we went through narrow, cobblestone streets to the ancient Pantheon where the artist Raphael, the Italian King Vittorio Emmanuel II, and the former queen of Italy, among other famous Italians, are buried. We window shopped along Via Nationale, then ate outside at a McDonalds! It's not at all like your American McDonalds. We hopped a few buses to get around town, but they are not air conditioned, and very crowded. By late afternoon, we found a relatively quiet (Rome is a noisy city) sidewalk cafe and enjoyed a relaxing drink-vino rosso, of course.