Rome...The Empire strikes back

We arrived in Rome yesterday at around noon......The train ride on the 'Di Vinci Express' from the airport was "enlightening" to say the least......The main thing that stuck out was ...Graffitti.......lots and lots of it....It definately took your eye away from any scenery , thats for sure!! The train was packed and was NOT an express...Slow and lumbering....It got there eventually.  After disembarking at the main rail station we got our bearings and headed to our internet booked hotel....It turned out to be similar to Paris but in a much nicer area...Hotel district.
We booked in and changed then off to see the Colosseum and more if we could. SHOCKER number one...The Metro.....an underground dungeon of graffiti walls and complete trains as well!! Dangerous area as there are only 2 line sytems in a cross pattern....so many people and not enough room....It beats London and Paris for chaos anytime...Claire was not liking it at all!!
We made it to our destination and  walked out straight to the Colosseum in all her glory.

SHOCKER 2....Line ups were at least 1.5 hours to get in and it was already late. Claire got in line as Mick went to see the tour operators....Paid extra for inside tickets and we went straight to the front of the line-up and in!!...(you only have one life and that can be short ...so what the hell)
What a change from the previous time Mick was here...Hundreds of marauding ferile cats and little kids begging for money and pick-pockets!!....Not now though...Clean and beautifully presented with guide listening centres all around....In fact it was spectacular.....We wondered fo about 1.5 hours.
The same ticket gave us entry to the Forum and surrounding  archeologigal sites...so it was good value for what we paid.
The Forum is vast and so we took our time and spent abot 2 more hours there ...till closing time.....Not bad for our first afternoon there!!

Great evening meal in a cosy restuarant and then then slept like babies.

Next day was hectic as we had a lot to see......Sardine metro to begin with....then the dash to the Sistine Chapel to cut down the lie-up time....Claire was not used to a forced march at 8 am!!

We got to the line and it was already 1.5 hour wait.....so Mick left Claire in the line while he hunted down another time saver.....Tours!!....He went to thier office ...negotiated a price lower than others and a lady went and got Claire out of the lien-up based on a description!! ha!.....So we jumped the line-up again and went on a first class guided tour...wonderful.....Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and the main Saint Peters Basilica...3 hours......it was great!

Claire had had enough of the sardine atmosphere of the Metro so we decided to walk back and take in the smaller sites on the way.......The fabulous Pantheon....Trevi Fountain (Three coins in a fountain fame), Spanish steps and many more churches on the way home.....Claire was thoroughy exhausted when we got back to the hotel...(wonder why...ha!)...Supper then...LIGHTS OUT.....literally for Claire....great day!!