Rome - Day Three

Another slow start this morning with a bit of a lie in, followed by a late breakfast. After breakfast John ventured out to experience the subway and to walk around a few of the sights we had missed which included St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and the Pantheon.

It was also Republic Day, equivalent to our Australia Day which included a military parade and airforce flyby.

This afternoon we went on an Imperial Rome tour. We approached this with trepidation and not too much in terms of expectations but we were pleasantly surprised. Our guide was a retired archeology professor and his knowledge of the ruins was impressive, particularly the colosseum as he had previously worked on excavations there. The colosseum is an impressive structure even today.

Following out tour we headed back into town for a bit of shopping and for our dinner at Alfredo's, famous for creating Fettuccine Alfredo. The restaurant was marvellous. We decided on the celebration of their century menu. A four course meal of antipasto (meats, fired vegetables and buffalo mozzarella), fettuccine Alfredo, steak with salad and a tiramisu. Dinner was exquisite and very filling.

Following dinner in an attempt to walk it off we headed for the Spanish Steps. Surprisingly there were a lot of people just sitting on the steps enjoying a drink. It was a quite lovely way to end the day. Tomorrow we are up early for stout of Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast.