Italy - Saturday 9th June

Epic Roman Day. Up early, breakfast of champions (scrambled eggs). Lou had pre ordered Colosseum tickets online so we weren't too worried about the lines to get in, but we still wanted to get there early. So we did and no one else was there, it seems all this hype about queuing for stuff in Rome wasn't happening for us. The weather was sunny and warm so Lou thought a little flimsy sundress would be good attire for trekking round Rome, and it was, for about the first 30 mins.

Then the black clouds rolled in and the torrential rain started along with the thunder and lightning. It was actually quite cool being in the Colosseum when all this weather was happening, added to the spookiness. Some more about the Colosseum, occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus. Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.

It was covered in scaffolding when we were there which kind of ruined it abit, but it was still cool to see. Hamish had fun doing his gladiator poses. So by this time Lou was freezing, we didn't have our rain jackets and it didn't look like it was going to clear up. So we made the call to go back to our apartment for a wardrobe change which put Hamish in a bad mood but Lou was much happier being warm and dry.

Next on the list was Palentine Hill which is one of Rome's seven hills and where the rich people in Rome used to live, there were lots of old ruins and they had redone the gardens into what they would have looked like back in the day which was nice. This flowed through to the Roman Forum, where several important ancient government buildings are. It was for centuries the centre of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections, venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches, and nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men.

The rain was on and off which was annoying, but we kept up the walk past the impressive Roman buildings that just seem to pop up everywhere, and down to the Trevi Fountain, which was in the news recently because it seems its falling down (which we didn't know). So we did the usual tourist thing and flipped a coin into the fountain over the left shoulder which apparently is meant to ensure your return to Rome. We had our packed lunch at the fountain and watched all the other tourists, we were really hoping for someone to get a bit enthusiastic about their coin throwing and end up in the fountain but it didn't happen. 

Next was the Pantheon, which was really cool, it's one of the best preserved buildings in Rome, especially as it was built in 126 AD, you do the math. Again, not as big as I thought it would be but pretty impressive inside and it's amazing that they managed to construct a perfect dome back then that is still standing. Not a huge amount to see inside apart from Raphael's tomb, and it also started raining when we were in there and seeing the rain come through the hole in the top was interesting.

From there we found a few more impressive squares and fountains, and Lou was starting to get hot again (serious wardrobe issues on this day) so we were scouting for a loo so she could change but as predicted none could be found. So we joined the line to go into the Vatican City and the Basilica which was the longest line we had to wait in for the whole holiday, Lou spied a public toilet just before the entrance so made a quick dash to change back into her sundress. We got to the front of the queue and the very annoying security guard told Lou her dress was too short (which was ridiculous) so she had to fashion a skirt out of a scarf and put another top on which made her hot and grumpy. But anyway, the interior was impressive, we were quite "churched" out by this stage, but we were amazed at the size and also the detail that was going on everywhere particularly the floors. We saw the key Raphael paintings and then made the call to head up to the top where you can get a great view.

Budget conscious Bandit's that we are, it cost 7 euros each to take the lift to the top and 5 euros to take the stairs. Stair's it was, probably underestimated the height of the dam thing but it was pretty challenging to say the least! The view was great though, and we were pretty tired by the time we got down. 

We had decided that we were allowed one gelato whilst in Italy so we were holding out to make it count. Lonely Planet had recommended this place by the Vatican so we headed there and by the size of the line out on the pavement we knew it would be good. We were rewarded with the best gelato we have ever eaten and the size was enormous. And they managed to solve the continual problem of a normal ice cream cone tasting revolting by dipping it in chocolate and covering it with nuts, result! We were very happy campers after we demolished these.

We headed back to our apartment stopping by the supermarket for dinner supplies and crashed. I don't think we have ever been as tired on a trip (apart from the biggest day ever in Paris 2010). Lou cooked up another feast and we ate and drank to our last night in Italy.

Highlight: I guess ticking off all the big tourist attractions, after seeing them so many times in photos and in movies it was cool to see them up close.
Lowlight: The changeable weather was a pain
Interesting Fact: Approximately 3000 Euros is thrown into the Trevi Fountain everyday, and the money is collected to help run a supermarket for the homeless which is nice.