4 days in Rome - day 3

22^nd September

We took the 881 to the river, then caught the 116 to Barberini after a prolonged stop whilst the bus driver had a cigarette and read the paper, and walked to the Spanish Steps.  

We stopped for a coffee in a side street near via Della Croce which was good – bright orange plastic seats, but the coffee was €2.50 for an Americano. 

Next stop was the Trevi Fountain – this is absolutely amazing but very very crowded – no way could you get close enough to throw a coin in it!  

According to my map (and the bus stop) we should have been able to get a bus to the Colosseum from nearby, but after waiting for ages the bus did not arrive, so we decided to walk.  We were actually closer than we thought, but the heat and humidity was high so walking was slow!  We came out on via del fori imperiali which is the main road leading up to the Colosseum – and it was pedestrianised as it was Sunday!  

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant at the start of via cavour – we each had a pizza and I had water whilst Mark had water and 2 cokes – just under €25 Not bad. 

We walked round the outside of the Colosseum, but decided that it was too hot for us to really get the most out of a ticket which would allow us inside the Colosseum and the fort etc.  We were both happy to just see that area which was breathtaking – for a future visit it would probably be better to make an earlier start in the day when it was cooler.  

We decided to head back down to the river – on the way passing some more fantastic sights, including a memorial to the unknown soldier near the Musei Capitoline. 

We crossed the river at Isola Tiberia and had an expensive ice-cream (quoted at €10 each, but only got charged €8 each!) in Piazza in Piscinula.  We then caught the 280 bus which was to take us to where the 881 terminated, but it took a strange route via Piramide and a bus terminus where we had to change buses, but then the new bus had engine problems so we got back on the original bus.  It got us to the 881 eventually and we got back to the hotel for a shower and change of clothes. 

We were then off out again, we hoped to get a bus to the Metro, but ended up getting a 881 to its terminus then caught a 40 to Republica where we got off early as it was so hot and sticky on the crowded bus, then caught Metro A to Termini, then Metro B to Colosseo.  

We waited for Nick and Phil (Mark’s pals) and then walked to a restaurant off via di S Giovani in Laterano where we met Marco, Fabrizio and Vincenzo.  We had missed our table booking as Phil and Nick were late, so we had to wait – but it was well worth the wait.  It turned out that Fabrizio lived in a flat above the restaurant and was very friendly with the staff.  We let Fabrizio order for us all.  3 beers, starter, main, tiramisu and grappa (they just put all the bottles of digestivs on the table for us to help ourselves) for €20 per head!  During the meal the waitresses moved the barriers further out into the road and set up 2 more tables next to us!  After the meal we walked across the road to a café/bar for coffee (and more drink for some).  We decided that we would try and catch a Metro before it shut, so said our goodbyes and made our way back.  Pleased to see that the Metro at Colosseo was still open so we could at least get to Termini where the two lines meet.  At Termini we managed to get another train on line A – phew!  Arrived at Cornelia and realised that it must have been the last train as they were cleaning the escalators, hosing down the floors and they locked the gates after us!  10 minute walk back to the hotel and straight up to bed.