16-OCT-2006
Trevi, Umbria, Italy
We made one more quick stop, at the church of St. Mary of the Angels, which is built over the little church where St. Francis prayed. It’s rather strange to see this little building inside of the great big one!
We passed the village of Trevi just at sunset, on our way back to Rome. Like many villages in this area, it clings to the hillside.
Technically, the tour was over at this point, and we drove back to Rome. But the bus dropped people off at (or close to) their hotels, so the drop off process was really an interesting tour of Rome off the beaten path. I’m sure we saw neighborhoods we would never have gone into otherwise, as our bus driver took the shortest way between the widely spread out hotels. Since our hotel is in the central area, we were almost the last ones dropped off. We got back to our room a little after 9 PM, still time for a gelato!
17-OCT-2006
Via Veneto in the morning
Our first unscheduled day. We slept late, had breakfast, and set out to explore. First, back to the Via Veneto for a look at it in the daylight and a stop at a bookstore we saw. Then around a different way back, through an area that looked residential, without a lot of tourists.
17-OCT-2006
Rome Film Festival
It turned out that Rome's first film festival was being held this week - so the Via Veneto was "decorated".
17-OCT-2006
Shopping near the Spanish Steps
Then back around to the Spanish Steps, we hadn’t had time to prowl all the little streets in that area before. That’s the fashionable shopping district; all the “big” names are there – Hermes, Yves St. Laurent, Gucci, Prada, etc. Lunch in a little Ristorante near the hotel, trying to catch up a little on my blog, a short nap, and back out for an evening stroll to the Trevi Fountain for a gelato. It’s amazing how many people are out, just sitting by the fountain, or on the Spanish Steps, or just wandering around the streets until late at night.
18-OCT-2006
Benedict XVI
The papal audience was in St. Peter’s Square.
18-OCT-2006
Pope mobile
By arriving early, we were able to get seats in the 4th row of our section, and fairly near the center. This meant a good view of Pope Benedict both time his pope mobile came by – he pretty much circle the area so everyone could get a good view. We also had time to finish up our special shopping, rosaries for the babies so they will have something special, blessed by the Pope, when they get old enough to make their first communions.
18-OCT-2006
Papal Blessing
After the audience, we walked back to the hotel, stopping for a nice lunch along the way, and some shopping. I was hoping to find a dressy blouse or at least a nice scarf for the cruise for formal night, but no luck at all. The pair of shoes I tried on didn’t fit, either.
An afternoon rest, a look at the guide books, and another evening stroll and gelato. There’s rain predicted for tomorrow, so we’ll make our plans for the day based on the weather when we wake up.
18-OCT-2006
Trevi Fountain
Back to the Vatican, this time for the papal audience. We decided to walk, so we left the hotel early. There is almost no one at the Trevi Fountain at 8:30 AM!
18-OCT-2006
Arch of Constantine
Since the sun is shining, we’ll leave early and head over to see the inside of the Coliseum. It’s just a short walk from the hotel, past the Trevi Fountain, down the Via Del Corso, and past the monument to the king who unified Italy. We spend some time looking at the other ruins in the area, and then head into the Coliseum. Rather amazing what they were able to build! The ticket is also good for the Palatine Hill, so we head that way.
The clouds are rolling in, so we don’t linger too long, but there is a lot to see, and some marvelous views. More uphill and stairs than I like, but it’s worth it. As the clouds get darker, we head out and decide that a taxi would be a good idea. And it is! We make it back to the hotel, and find a restaurant just a block away. After a good lunch, we make it back to the hotel just as it starts sprinkling. It rains the rest of the afternoon, but lets up enough in the evening for a quite trip out (more gelato!), our last night in Rome.