Day 8 - Friday April 21, 2023 - Rome Italy

By Ellen Outten

 


We docked in Citivavecchia Italy about an hour and 30 minutes from Rome.  I was lucky to find two other couples, via the Facebook group page Viking Travelers Cruisers.  Maurie and his wife hired a limo and were nice enough to allow me to join the party of five.  The other couple Wolf and Char were wonderful to be with all day.  Wayne went on the 'included' Viking excursion while our group of five were picked up at 7:30 am and driven into Rome for our own private tour.  We kept together all day, along with our driver, Minelo (pronounced like Barry Manilow).  Minelo was great.   He managed to take us places I never thought to see.  He navigated the streets like all other Romans.   One foot was on the gas, his hand was on the horn and he didn't stop.  I think the theory is don't look at anyone else.  Just drive like no one is there.  It was bumper to bumper traffic the entire day with all the scooters zipping in and out among the cars, running the double white lines, splitting lanes.  No one cared!  I was in the front seat of the SUV and had a blast watching our guide zip through traffic.



We stopped to walk up an ancient Roman set of ramp/steps that Michelangelo designed.  We stopped to view the city from on high and get a great view of the city giving us a great perspective.

From there we went to Capitol Hill for another overview of the city and the remains of the Roman Temple of Titus.  






We made our way to the Coliseum for a view from the outside.  Minelo drove around the complete exterior showing us the coliseum from different angles.  We elected not to buy tickets to go in (beforehand).  Seeing the coliseum in the midst of a thriving neighborhood in Rome is absolutely crazy.






We drove past the Circus Maximum where the horses and chariots would race.  Obviously it's not there today but the ground is preserved.  





From there we made our way to the Spanish Steps (right out of the Cary Grant movie, Roman Holiday).  And, from there we went to the Trevi Fountain.  The crowds were incredible!  There is no way we would seen of these sights if it weren't for our tour guide.



Finally time for lunch!  Our guide took us to a restaurant, La Soffitta Renovatio and I had to try an 'authentic' Italian pizza.  Great crust.  Not too thick or thin.  Mine had cheese, mushrooms and sausage.  I ate three slices and left the rest.  What was really nice is that it wasn't that crowded and was only a few blocks from The Vatican city.  




Sorry, I have this thing for taking pictures of strange toilets.  I find the upper tanks fascinating.


My companions for the day, Wolf and Char and Maurie & Donna
Fried artichoke hearts.  Tried for the first time.  Very good.  

Manelo took us right up to the doors of the Vatican museum and walked us into the "skip the line" lane.  We were in the museum in 5 minutes!   We agreed on two hours to tour the various galleries of the Vatican museum and see the inside of the Sistine Chapel.  No pictures allowed inside the Sistine Chapel but I sure took many photos (permitted) in the various galleries of the museum.  

Oh, the ceilings!!!!   I loved the ceilings as much as the art on the walls or the tapestries or the statutes.  The ceilings did me in!

Steps, steps, steps.... up and then through a few galleries and then down a few levels.  It continued like this all two hours.  I got my exercise for my knees today!  





I see quilt patterns everywhere










And another mosaic floor or quilt pattern

We met our tour guide right outside the museum and he whisked us away and back to our ship.  Today's total steps 11,720 as I sit and write this.  I did some walking on the ship after I returned as I managed t do a load of laundry and Wayne and I also ate at the buffet tonight.  I was definitely too tired to get dressed for dinner.  Dinner - NY strip steak, baked potato, cold crab legs and cold shrimp.  I'm not telling about dessert!

What an amazing day.  Tomorrow, we dock in Naples and are off to Pompei to see the ruins left from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  




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