We started in Rome because I found a $400 per person flight during the summer! Our flight arrived at nine in the morning; we didn’t leave the airport until 11. Fortunately our hotel could accommodate us checking in at noon. Since everyone was tired we ate at the hotel, which offered an affordably priced prix-fixe lunch. Many experts say you should stay awake all day, but that doesn’t work for us. We like to take a nap before powering through the first day.
Tip Time: When a flight lands early in the morning, consider booking your room for the night before so that you can check in as soon as you arrive. Some hotels can accommodate an early check in, but it’s based on availability and hotel policy.
Plans for the evening included a visit to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and a night tour of the Colosseum. But first we had hangry people that needed an infusion of carbs. Zack had a melt down immediately prior to this picture but after only a few swirls of spaghetti he was cured.
We chose an evening Colosseum tour as a way for those of us who had previously visited to have a different experience. The tour also included parts of the Colosseum none of us had seen before. We arrived during an extreme heat wave and hoped the evening would be cooler, but it was still about 85 at 9 p.m. With the humidity and still air, it was sweltering. Had we gone during the day it would have been unbearable.
Unfortunately even with the carbohydrate infusion still fresh in his belly, Zack couldn’t handle the tour’s walking. He was perched on Dave’s shoulders for at least half the tour. Dave was left soaked with sweat and exhausted. We exited the Colosseum on the side without many cafe or restaurant options. We had to walk all the way around the outside to get to a cafe that had dessert and a much needed martini for Dave.
After a well earned good night’s rest, we departed for Venice in the morning by high speed train.
Travel by Marisa 