I had planned to visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum today, so I got up with my guidebook and camera all set. Met my new best friends from the night before downstairs at the bar for our 2 euro cornetto/yoghurt/fruit/hot drink breakfast and off I went. About ¾ of the way to the Colosseum I realised that, wait, I was hungover...got to the Colosseum...looked at it...looked at the line...had to sit down...nope, not today. So I walked around the Colosseum, ...

Well arriving in Rome at 9 am after a transit stop in Zurich was a bit disorienting - naturally I got no sleep on the plane thanks to no seating preferences from the good people in Star Alliance (oh, Qantas, how I miss your knowledge and accommodation of my likes & dislikes). But the good thing is that Italy and South Africa are in the same time zone so, I can say farewell to jet lag for a while at least. The first time I put my backpack on - besides for nove...

Ciao Roma!Executive Summary Backpacking as a 32 year old - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...and don't reveal your age unless asked. Having said that, joining a bunch of 20 year old Americans shouting 'Spring Break!!! Wooooooooo!!!' takes a great deal of alcohol and the acceptance that, a lot of times, you're just not going to have anything in common and, frankly, that's not a bad thing. Walking down the street in Rome is not unlike driving in Sout...