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| Rome, Italy (Spanish Steps in the distance) Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
ROME IS another one of those "ports of call" that is really not a port at all. The center city of Rome is all of 40 miles from the nearest seaport of Civitavecchia, the port stop "for Rome." It is at least an hour and probably more like a 90 minute drive in good traffic conditions. It is possible to get from there to Rome by train (probably a 45 minute to 1 hour train ride - which we would do in 2017) or by private car. Either way, it means you really need a long day in Rome, which is a city that you could easily spend a week in. In 2022, we had the great fortune of spending 4 days in Rome and got so see many of these sights much more intimately (more on that in a future post).
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| View from the top of The Spanish Steps - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
WE HIRED a private driver (Rome-in-Limo) for 6 people for this one. Another couple joined us and we all had a good time - but a very busy and long day. This time, we had tickets to the Colosseum and to the Vatican. Our shortened 2013 cruise had originally included those two venues also, but we missed our tour by a couple days due to the ship breakdown. We spent just an afternoon, walking around the city. We were very fortunate to see as much as we did see on just one short afternoon there. Ironically, we had the best view of the Trevi Fountain during the 2013 trip. The fountain was under repair on this 2015 trip, which was a disappointment. I got the "standard" shots of the Spanish Steps in 2013, and for some reason that entire area was less crowded than when we were there in 2015. Already having some shots, I concentrated on some more "intimate," and unique views of the area.
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| Looking down on the Roman Forum - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 |
ENTERING THE city of Rome from the highway, we got a kind of whirlwind tour of some of the city's highlights. We saw the Roman Forum from a viewpoint up above it briefly (our future, 2022 visit to Rome would include a much more in-depth visit to the forum). We drove along the Tiber River and got a nice view of Castel Angel on the way to the Vatican.
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| Castel Angel - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
WE DROVE by the Mayor's Palace for a quick photo across the busy avenue on Capitoline Hill where it is situated. We made a quick stop at the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps.
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| The Mayor's Palace - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
THIS TRIP, however, was the one and only time we have seen The Pantheon, making a brief stop there in the mid-day. On of the things I truly appreciate about private excursions/tours with a professional guide is that they have "license" to get us in places we might not otherwise see. They can generally get their cars into areas that have no room for a bus. The Pantheon was one of those spots. I would love to get back there again, perhaps with nicer light.
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| The (Roman) Pantheon - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
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| Swiss Guard at one of the Vatican Entrances Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
BUT OUR primary focus were our two booked tours: The Vatican in the morning and The Coliseum in the afternoon.
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| St. Peter's Plaza - The Vatican Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved VATICAN CITY - not really a city, is the smallest (by area) country in the world. It is, of course, its own sovereign government, with its own laws, law enforcement (the colorfully dressed, but highly trained and professional Swiss Guard), and boundaries. Both times we visited there (2015 and later in 2022), our Rome guides and drivers had to drop us off and we had to switch to a Vatican guide, approved by, and licensed to guide in the Vatican. Both times, we had fortunately booked in advance. In 2022, as we entered, it was raining and there was a line of well over 100 people in line.  The comparatively modest Papal Residence Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved ONCE YOU get inside, even though the entire property is less than 1/4 mile square, you get an idea for the immensity of the grounds, as you see St. Peter's Basillica, and the Papal Residence off in the distance. Not surprisingly, the residence is not part of any Vatican tour.  Inside The Vatican Museum Halls Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved MOST PEOPLE know, of course that the Vatican is where we most often see the Pope speaking to an audience, and where up in a small room in the tiny Sistine Chapel, the College of Cardinals elects each new Pope. Perhaps less well known is the extent of riches that are held in the halls of the Vatican, especially priceless art work. Those halls and the Sistine Chapel were the absolutely most crowded places I have ever visited. I was told by our guide that this is pretty much a year-round phenomena (though in 2022 - perhaps affected by the lingering aftermath of the 2019 world-wide Pandemic - we were pleasantly greeted with very small crowds and great ease of moving around and seeing things). It was so crowded that it was nearly impossible to really see the things our guide pointed out - and virtually impossible to photograph them.  St. Peter's Plaza; The Vatican Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
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| The Colosseum - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 |
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| The Colosseum - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2025 |
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| Colosseum - Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
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| "V.I.P" seating just above the main stage - Colosseum; Rome, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
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