Our flight to Mexico City and then on to Guadalajara wasn’t leaving until almost midnight, leaving a full day in Rome to explore. We purposely arrived early to meet our guide for a tour of the Coliseum and the Forum in the morning, and a TukTuk tour of other well-known sights in Rome. Both Jim and I visited many of these amazing sights many years ago, but wanted to get an in-depth view of these ancient areas one last time with more information than we had in the past.
We took the Metro from the airport to the Coliseum, only two stops away. We found a place to stash our luggage at the airport and off we went. It is wonderful to navigate public transportation that functions so well.
We arrived at the Coliseum and met our guide and the other travelers in our group, about 15 in total. What was overwhelming was seeing hoards of tourists all around the area. This was the first time on this trip that we experienced this phenomenon, considering that lately we read that many European cities are demonstrating over the influx of tourists taking over their sights, roads and AirBnB’s. You may have read that Barcelona, Florence, and Venice, among others, are posting signs telling people to “GO HOME.” This is occurring even in Mexico City, so it isn’t just a European issue. Adding to that, the temperature was about 97F, with the impending heatwave starting in full force.
The line to get into the Coliseum for those not with a tour group was nuts. We scheduled a tour and got in quickly. Our guide was very knowledgeable. We were able to walk all around the inside, viewing the interior where the animals (lions and ??) used for fighting with the gladiators. There was a floor that covered the lower levels at one time, but no longer. That allowed us to see the many rows of rooms that housed gladiators and more.
After spending time inside the Coliseum, we met a different guide to tour the Forum across the street. This area houses many ancient buildings, as well as segments of buildings that have disappeared over the centuries. By this time, the temperatures have reached over 95F and Jim’s leg was feeling rather sore. However, we still managed to see a lot in the Forum.
It was time to get lunch after our busy morning. There were a number of restaurants between the Coliseum and the Forum. Although touristy, it was the best option. We ordered our final pasta carbonara and Aperol Spritz, which was perfect. The couple at the next table were young and fun. We chatted all through lunch, until we heard music, megaphones, and started seeing crowds of people coming. We had no idea what was happening, until we saw banners and microphones telling of pro-Palestinian support.
There were tens of thousands of people surrounding the Coliseum area. We watched for a bit, but had. to go to the other side of the Coliseum to connect with our Tuk Tuk driver for our next tour. It was impossible for him to meet us because of the thousands of people who were a part of the demonstration. Ultimately, we were able to reach the driver via WhatsApp and he suggested that we take the Metro two stops away to meet him. We were on our way now…
We enjoyed our tour to all the famous places in Rome. We hit the Trevi Fountain, which had an hour-long wait to get in front of it to throw a coin (no, thank you). Circus Maximus, the destination for the amazing chariot races of old still stands, although a shadow of its former self. Casa Marzio is a huge compound that sits on top of a hill overlooking hundreds of churches and beautiful landscapes. The family that owned this property was wall-known as designers of very pricey pens and other items. They have stores in Rome to this day (which I never visited).
The two churches of Piazza del Popolo, the “People’s Piazza,” actually came from the poplar trees planted nearby. It was the site of public executions. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. It is an iconic destination in Rome.
Our next stop was the Saint’Ignacio de Loyola church. It is possibly the most elegant and beautiful church in Rome. The ceiling painting looks like it is three-dimensional, but it is just the way it was painted. The art is incredible, withstanding the. test of time.
At the end of the tour, on our way to the train station, I saw a market with the most amazing peaches. I should have purchased some, but we had no time if we wanted to make our flight from Rome to Mexico City. The picture will make you drool!
The twelve hour flight went smoothly, and it was easier to sleep on the plane because we flew overnight. The food, by the way, was horrible. Good thing we were tired and ignored the meal service. We arrived in Mexico City very early in the morning and finally arrived in Guadalajara around 9:00 AM. Planning and going on a fabulous vacation is fun, but coming home to our Lola and our home is better.