Day 15, 16 & 17
Rome
The final leg of the tour took us back to Rome. We said goodbye to Adrian, our bus driver, and headed off on a walking tour of the Roman section of the city. The next day featured the crowded Vatican and the Parthenon, along with an additional walking tour.
Ancient Rome
Varenna
Our first stop in our tour of Rome was the Colosseum, only a few blocks from the hotel. Our local guide took us past the exposed cells (top left) and through the gladiators' entrance into the arena itself (top right). After a walk around the Colesseum, we exited into the Roman forum (bottom left) past the Arch of Constantine (bottom right). The level of the forum is nearly a story below that of the modern city, and it's fascinating to think that we were walking on the same streets as Julius Caesar.
Walking around Rome
Despite our aching feet, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see more of the Eternal City. Our tour guide Deborah took us from Ancient Rome through the heart of the city, from Roman forum through the Jewish quarter to the Piazza Venezia. We stopped along the way to say hello to the colony of cats at the Largo di Torre Argentina (top left). We then walked then past the Trevi Fountain (right), with a gelato stop (of course!) to the Spanish Steps, where Charles and Emma posed for a picture (bottom left).
Our walking tour continued the next day, as we headed through the Piazza Navona to the Pantheon (top right), with its impressive domed ceiling (left). Our day ended at the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica (bottom right).
The tour sadly ended the next day, and we said goodbye to our many traveling partners over the past two weeks. The family stayed another day in Rome before boarding our own flight back to the US. Gratzie e arrivederci!
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