our last day in Rome

  

I know, I've been milking this trip for all the posts it is worth, but each day felt like three days because of how much we were able to see during such a short time.   I'm viewing this as a preservation of our daily journal from the trip. 

Our last day in Rome was gorgeous and sunny.  We all felt accustomed to the city, food, and time change.  The day started with a cappuccino and morning stop at the Pantheon.  From there, we headed along the Tiber River towards Palatine Hill, The Forum, and Coliseum.  Part of the beauty of Rome is the old architecture mixed with green trees and the sounds of traffic moving through the chaotic city streets.

Before we bought our tickets into the sights, pistacchio canolis were feasted on at Circus Maximus.  Although it now looks more like a sunken gravel parking lot, this was the location of chariot races - which could be viewed from the palaces built above on Palatine Hill. 

We meandered through Palatine Hill and The Forum -- filled with ruins of sprawling palaces, temples, and markets.  The street carts nearby were calling our name for lunch, so we munched on paninis of proscuitto, salami, mozzarella and basil on the sidewalk.  Since we had bought our tickets at the other sights, we could skip the line and get right into the Colisseum  (watch out for the crazy steep stairs there!).

After a brief siesta, we strolled through Piazza Navona by our hotel for the last time - stopping by Bernini's The Four Rivers fountain.  Dinner at a nearby trattoria felt more like an event, since it lasted almost three hours.  And like the running theme in Rome, it was followed by the best gelato before heading to bed for an early morning train to Florence!