THE FORUM, PALATINE HILL & ST. PETER’S Here I go again....but how to describe The Forum and Palatine Hill? We were there on what was a perfect sunny day, with temperatures in the low 20s, it was a day to remember. By pure dumb luck, we bi-passed the long line-up, where people with a variety of different pre-paid ticket options were shuffling their way in through the main entrance. We had no ticket, so we had to go around the block to a side entrance to ...

SPANISH STEPS, TREVI.....and more Rome Keats, Shelley, Oscar Wilde and Lord Byron are just a few of the literary foreigners who enjoyed the neighbourhood around the Piazza di Spagna.....there is, in fact a house right next to the Spanish steps where Keats lived for a year before his death. Shelly lived nearby, but the house - now a small museum - is named for both of them. The square took its name almost 300 years ago from the Spanish Embassy that overlooked i...

THE VATICAN...and only the Vatican! Our visit to the Vatican started out with a first trip on Rome’s metro - an easy subway to master, with only 2 lines A & B - that intersect at “Termini” - which is also the main train station. A third C line is underway, but with everything that’s constantly being found underground in Rome....don’t hold your breath for this one! Fares are simple - with a single ticket costing €1.50 - that can be used on the M...

ARRIVED IN ROME The journey to Rome was smooth....from the airport hotel shuttle in Madrid, to our arrival at the apartment in Rome, it could not have been better. At the AlItalia check-in, there was no one waiting - and the same when we reached security. We left and arrived on time and received free refreshments on the plane - a real rarity these days...and.... our bags were waiting for us when we reached the carousel. Through our Airbnb host, we’d arrange...