Day 34 - Pisa & Rome

Another early wake up and its off to Pisa to see the leaning tower. We walked from the train station in Pisa to the grounds of the tower and duomo. It is a 20 minute walk at a brisk pace. We knew that we were pressed for time due to the schedule of the trains and our need to venture on to Rome today. So we hustled through the streets of Pisa, and then had a short time to marvel at the tower and take a few photos before heading back to the train to return to Florence and then continue on to Rome. It was a rushed morning and it would have been nice to spend a half day wandering around Pisa, but we sacrificed this for the extra time in Rome, since there is just so much to see there.

We made reservations at a hotel outside of Rome's city center to save a little money. But it turned out to be quite convenient since it was only a couple blocks from the metro and a 10 minute ride to the central tourist destinations. After settling in we struck out for the Coliseum which has seen considerable restoration since I last visited in 1998. We found a cool "Then and Now" picture book from one of the street vendors and then toured the Coliseum. Here we picked up audio guides which explained much of the history, architecture and cultural importance of the famous ruins.

Then we walked into the Roman Forum just as the afternoon light was starting to wane. We didn't have much time in the Forum, but it was warm and beautiful. The sheer size of the structures is immense and it is hard to comprehend what it must have looked like 2000 years ago. We also found a "Then and Now" picture book for the Roman Forum. I took a lot of my own photos in the evening light.

As the sun went down, we walked to the Trevi Fountain. We tossed coins over our shoulders to ensure that we would return again one day to this eternal city. And then we found another wonderful place to eat, enjoyed a good bottle of wine and then had a gelati dessert on the Spanish Steps before catching the metro out to our suburban hotel.