Leaving the Silhouette... bound for Rome!

It was with great reluctance that we disembarked what had been our home for two wonderful weeks. But we looked forward to the next part of our journey...

The Civitavecchia port is 80 kms north west of Rome and we had organised a shuttle to the city. After being directed on to a mini-bus, we were then directed off and on to another which wasn't in the best of form. Each time we reached an incline it lost power, however we finally made it to Rome more than two hours later.

As it turned out, the Hotel Cosmopolita, which we had booked online, was right in the centre of Rome and within walking distance of all the major historical sites, piazzas, shops and trattorias. Not only was it convenient, it was an excellent hotel with a large, comfortable room and bathroom, a restaurant, cafe and bar and the most helpful and efficient reception staff we've come across. That evening we walked out of the hotel and almost straight into the Imperial Forums of Augustus and Trajan on our way to the Colosseum. Everything is so close, so real.

During our stay in Rome we took a hop-on hop-off bus for a day to discover those places we had and hadn't previously seen, and then we proceeded to walk, and walk, and walk to: to the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona and the Piazza del Popolo. We 'happened' upon two particularly remarkable buildings:

The Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, apart from being a beautiful palace that is still privately owned and occupied by descendants of the original Doria Pamphilj family, has its own art gallery. The gallery houses an enormous collection of paintings by master artists from around Europe, including Italian Caravaggio, about whom we had learned during a lecture on the ship. Not to be missed.

Basilica S. Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri was built inside the Baths of Diocletian in the Piazza della Repubblica in 1561. A case of 'don't judge a book by its cover', we were completely blown away by the opulent interior of this cathedral and its incredible size. Just stunning. At every turn, it seems, there is another cathedral, many of which are breathtaking in their decoration.

The food of course is amazing and we loved the pizzas and pastas, the gelato and of course the wine and the coffee. One of the newest attractions in Rome is the Time Elevator, a 5D virtual journey through 3,000 years of Roman history. The show is in 3D but also includes flight-simulator technology and even weather - indoors! And, when in Rome, one must spend at least a few hours in an Irish Pub, particularly as Australia was playing Ireland in the rugby - and we won!

We're home now, and planning our next overseas holiday. But do they get any better than this?

Comments

  1. What a fabulous holiday!! And you have described it so well Penny!! Reading this last post, I was back there, and seeing "amazing" Rome again ... while remembering the delicious, tangy taste, of gelato! The flavour seems so much more sensational in Italy!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, its a wonderful place and this time around we really got to know it well!

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