!!

So it’s an early start (well be my standards considering I’m on holiday!) and leaving the hotel at 7.45am as we embark on a 3 hour coach journey to Rome.   I’ll be honest I can’t really comment on the journey as I spent most of it asleep but you pretty much know when you get to Rome as the traffic drives you a standstill.

The day begins with a guided tour starting at the Colleseum and the stark reality of how many tourists come to Rome.  The place is rammed with every nationality & language you can imagine combined with those people who hassle you with the offer of bottles of water, postcards & the selfie stick….more of this later.  After a few days visiting fairly quiet places, it was certainly overwhelming.  A bit landing in London & you just have to get into the ‘London pace & mentality’

We didn’t go into the Colleseum as this is literally a whistle-stop taster of Rome but I can imagine it is pretty impressive inside.   Our guide is an art historian and incredibly knowledgeable and fills us with so many facts & information that it is quite overwhelming when standing in the midday heat.  The only thing I can remember is that the Games at the Colleseum lasted 100 days & involved a lot of bloody killing of humans & animals which were cut up & dished out to the crowd at the end.  (That’s the animals not the humans…I think… but who knows?!).

After a quick walk around, it’s back on the bus & heading down to the Trevi Fountain.   A site I’ve heard of but never actually seen a picture so wasn’t quite sure what I expected.   What I didn’t expect was the 100’s of tourists.  It was mental – pick pocket heaven & considering it’s only early June can’t imagine how busy it gets in high season over summer.   It’s such a popular tourist attraction over run with people I can’t wait to get a picture and then just get out as you are just caught up in crowds while playing limbo under all the selfie sticks.   You’re supposed to throw some money into the fountain & make a wish but to be honest couldn’t be bothered to fight my way down there.  Maybe it’ one of those places which is quieter on an evening as it is an incredible beautiful building.

From Trevi we walked to The Pantheon, which again I kept referring to The Parthenon which the guide corrected me & said that’s a temple in Greece….bit of a blonde moment!     Now I’d never heard of this building which is basically a church & has something to do with the emperor Hadrian.  I did want to ask if this was anyway linked to Hadrian’s Wall in the North of England as it an Ancient Roman monument but didn’t want to embarrass myself twice in one day!

I will blow you away with one fact I did learn & have just checked in on Google in case I heard wrong!   Did you know the Margherita pizza is named after Princess Margherita who is buried in the Pantheon?   Well it is……..& there you go.   Next time you are tucking into a red tomato, white cheese & green basil pizza which also represents the colours of the Italian flag it will remind you of one of the great Queens of Italy!

 

From the Pantheon it was over to Piazza Novona by which point I looked at the rest of our group who looked tired & exhausted with the walking and heat of the day.   Our tour guide was great but after nearly 3 hours we all just needed a drink & some lunch! Our brains were saturated with facts, figures and to be honest apart from the pizza fact, it had gone in one ear & out the other!   After we were ‘released’ we had 3 hours to kill to do whatever we wanted.

 

First stop for everyone was food!  One of couples asked me if I’d like to join them.   I just can’t remember everyone’s name but know that the husband is called Alan!   He’s on holiday with his wife and sister who I think is 82 and is amazing!    She is such a hoot but hasn’t joined us on the trip to Rome.      I have at last my first pizza in Italy & it is delicious!!   Post lunch I head off alone to hunt out the obligatory postcard & fridge magnet to add to the collection.   As we don’t have a map of Rome I want to stay close to the meeting point & avoid getting lost like I did in Turin.   To be honest it is so crazy with people, I’m happy just to sit in the Piazza, watch the world go by & enjoy the heat of the sunshine.   It’s always when you just sit and people watch you realise how the world has gone crazy for the ‘selfie’ photo.   Now I will confess it does have its benefits when you travel alone to capture a photo of yourself – but let’s face it you never look great in them!

 

Just had to google who invented the Selfie Stick and can you believe the idea was patented in 1983 with Wayne Fromm bringing his Qick Pod to the market in 2006!   Unsurprisingly he’s a millionaire but my god he’s created a health hazard around the world!  The number of times I had to duck out the way as people wave the things around with the majority being the Chinese!   Either that or you’re being rude to Selfie Stick Sellers who constantly hassle you to buy one!

 

The 3 hours went pretty quickly and my feet were hurting after all the walking on cobbles so looked forward to the 3 hour drive home….and again another little sleep!    Overall it was great to visit, get a taster of Rome & tick it off my bucket list…another “first” done!  It looks a great city – not too expensive if you pick the right places to eat but you do have to be prepared for the number of tourists.  I’m not sure if it would be quieter out of season?  I’m guessing not.

So off back in the bus for the trip back to Tuscany.  Once you get out of Rome the roads, like their trains are pretty good.      One observation was how Italian truck drivers drive.   It seems pretty normal to drive with one hand, use your mobile in the other, have one bare foot up on the dashboard while watching TV!   Scary stuff!  I’ve had to sit at the back of the bus as Marco our driver has a tendency to drive with one hand and be on his mobile with the other so just can’t look.   He’s also a driver who likes a bit of speed.   Normally I’m over taking buses on the motorway but we were constantly over taking cars at quite a speed!

We all arrive back pretty shattered & looking forward to a day off tomorrow!   For me no alarm clock & a lazy day in the local town of Chianciano Terme.

Till tomorrow

Lou Lou xx