Day 7: 3 July 2010

Decided to skip our planned day trip to Assisi en route to Rome as it would have been too rushed and out of the way.  Had a quick breakfast of bread, cake and croissants at the hotel before leaving for our 3 hr. drive to Rome.  Decided on our connector road to the A1 autostrada that we need to make more time for Toscana on another trip b/c we def. didn’t experience all it has to offer.  The drive to Rome brought us from Toscana to Umbria to Lazio.  Passed by some pretty sunflower fields in Umbria and Lazio, the only real standout part of the drive.  The autostrada is def. faster, but not as scenic as the smaller roads.  It did the trick, though, and got us to Rome by 2pm, in under 3 hrs. and with no traffic.

Checked in at Hotel Emona Aqueductus, met up w/ Lisa & Benson down the hall, then headed walked towards the sites in Rome.  Fortunately our hotel was located inside the walls and near Manzoni metro stop on Linea A.  We decided to walk towards the attractions to get our bearings.  Grabbed lunch lunch outside Santa Maria Maggiore, then headed to the Pantheon to take Rick Steves’ audiotour.  Saw tombs of Raphael and Vittorio Emanuel (Italy’s first king) and his son.  (Interesting side note: According to xRick, Vittorio’s daughter-in-law, Margherita, who is buried here is the woman who this pizza type is named after.)                           

From the Pantheon, we walked to Campo de’ Fiori to start Rick Steves’ night walk…a little early.  The walk took us to Piazza Navona to see Bellini’s famous Four Rivers Fountain, for gelato at Giolitti’s, past the Trevi Fountain and to the Spanish Steps.  Decided to grab quick paninis and call it a night.