Saturday 29 April cloudy / rain, 12-16°C - Dublin to Rome

·        Up @ 8:00, breakfast then left @ 9:00 (after AC bought concert tickets to Pearl Jam in Dublin )

·        Bus to O’Connell St then to Airport, arr 11:00

·        Checked in etc, then through security

·        Had coffee / cake then to gate A4

·        Late boarding (12:30 instead of 12:00) then took off @ 1:00 instead of 12:30

·        OK flight, bit bumpy near Rome

·        Landed @ 5:00, through airport (Ciampino) (we didn’t have checked in luggage)

·        Caught bus to Anagnina metro station (€1 ea, left 5:20, arr 6:00)

·        Caught metro to Termini, arr 6:30

·        Walked out into rain storm, walked to Hotel Dino on via Milazzo, checked in (€84 per night)

·        Basic room, but ok (Old apartment building converted to hotel)

·        Out for a walk, went to Termini, had tea @ self service (Chef Express), pasta dishes €3.60ea!

·        Walked around Termini and around streets, past Opera House and Piazza della Republica, then back to hotel @ 9:00

·        relaxed

Sunday 30 April cloudy / fine, 19°C

·        Up @ 8:30, got ready and left @ 9:00

·        Breakfast @ Termini (expresso and croissant €1.80), drew €150

·        Caught metro to Flaminio @ 9:30 (€1 ea for 75min ticket)

·        Got on tram up line 1 stop

·        Looked around Burato Marina market (€4.50 entry for 2), not a lot there

·        Walked back to Piazza del Popola (setting up for 154^th anniversary of polizia)  then down via del Corso to via Condotti

·        Walked to Piazza dei Spagna (Spanish Steps), then up steps to Trinita dei Monti for view over city

·        Walked back down streets to Trevi Fountain, more photos and people

·        Walked across via del Corso to Pantheon, had coffee / gelati / croissant in sun in Piazza Rotunda (€17)

·        Went into Pantheon (free), very impressive

·        Out and walked to Piazza Navona, then walked through back streets to Tiber , then along and across Ponte Sant’Angelo

·        Sat on river wall next to Castel Sant’Angelo, in sun

·        Walked up via della Concilliazione to St Peters Sq, then through to via delle Furnali, got pizza slices to take away and sat in small park next to Vatican City wall, @ 2:00

·        Back to St Peters then down to Ponte Vittorio Emanuelle II and across

·        Through back streets past Palazzo Farnese to Compo del Fiori

·        Liz bought Prada (?!) handbag  (€29) from street vender, might be real Prada?

·        Walked through to Area Sacra Argentina to look at ruins of 4 temples that were found after demolishing some buildings, area is also cat refuge so cats everywhere

·        Walked back to via del Corso and to Piazza Venezia, then up Monumento Vittorio Emanuelle II (old Italian king), also known as Altare della Patria, which includes the tomb for the unknown soldier

·        Good view all around, back down then up via Nazionale to Piazza della Republica, drinks @ McDonalds then back to hotel @ 5:00

·        Relaxed for a bit then out @ 7:00, tea @ Termini self service (€9.60)

·        Walked down via Cavour, then over hill to Colosseum, walked around then took photos

·        Walked back to hotel up via Cavour, arr 9:15

Monday 1 May fine, 20°C

·        Up @ 8:00, got ready and left hotel @ 8:45

·        Breakfast Termini, then walked down via Cavour to Colosseum

·        Got tour (€10 for Coloseum tour and Forum tour later in the day) @ 9:45

·        Toured around Colosseum, still impressive, out @ 11:00

·        Walked to Circo Massimo (old chariot track which could seat 300,000), now just a park

·        Walked south to Porte Sao Paolo to look at Pyramide (stone pyramid)

·        Walked through to Ponte Sublicio and across Tiber to Porte Portese

·        Walked north through Trastevere, through little streets to Piazza St Maria in Trastevere, market going on

·        Went into St Maria in Trasevere, very ornate

·        Walked to Botanical Gardens but they were closed (closed on Sundays and public holidays!)

·        Walked along Tiber and through to via della Conciliazione, got panini for lunch then gelati and sat in the sun @ 1:30

·        Walked to Castel Sant’Angelo, sat in the park behind the castle, then off again @ 3:00

·        Across Ponte Cavour to via del Corso, stopped for coffee in little alley

·        Walked to Piazza Venezia and then up to Piazza Compidoglio, looked around (museums closed for holiday)

·        Walked through Forum to Colosseum to meet up with tour @ 5:00

·        Walked around Forum with tour guide, then up onto Palatine Hill @ 6:00, walked around then back to Colosseum @ 6:30, caught metro to Termini

·        Tea @ station, drew €150

·        Caught metro to Barbarini @ 7:30, walked sown to Trevi Fountain for photos, walked back to hotel @ 8:30, arrived @ 9:15

·        Relaxed

Tuesday 2 May fine, 22°C – Rome – Naples – Pomeii – Naples - Rome

·        Up @ 7:20, walked to Termini, bought croissants for breakfast and coffee

·        Waited for train to Naples , supposed to b e 8:30

·        Train cancelled so metro to Tubertino station for 8:45 train instead (left @ 9:00)

·        Arrived in Naples @ 11:30, caught 12:08 train for Salerno , got off @ 1:00 in Pompeii

·        Walked up through town (new town) then to east entrance to ruins and went in (€10 ea)

·        Walked through Ampitheatre then through houses, shops, through to Theatres then to the Forum

·        Had lunch (panini and cake)

·        Walked out to Villa Misteri to look @ frescos and mosaic floors then out at main entrance @ 4:30

·        Pompeii ruins are immense and it’s like the town is only a few hundred years old, amazing town planning and structure, corner shops, fountains, raise footpaths etc

·        Walked back to Pompeii Station @ 5:00, waited for train to Naples @ 5:30

·        Arrived in Naples @ 6:00

·        Went out for a walk around the streets, not very nice

·        Back to station for train, left @ 8:00, we were in second class but they were using 1^st class carriages, nice

·        Arrived in Rome Termini @ 10:00, back to hotel

Wednesday 3 May fine / hazy, 20°C - Rome to Dublin

·        Up @ 8:30, checked out of Hotel, left bags at desk

·        Had breakfast then caught metro to Spagna and walked through streets, past Palazzo Margherita (US Embassy), then to Piazza Republica, went into Bascilica della Angelo then to Terme (baths, closed) @ 10:45

·        Got drinks and sat outside

·        Walked around streets near hotel then got bags @ 12:00, caught metro to Anagnino then bus @ 1:20 for Ciampino, arrived @ 1:30

·        Had lunch and checked in for 4:50 flight to Milan , then waited in departure “shed”

·        Flight left on time, arr Milan ( Bergamo ) @ 5:00, very hazy

·        Waited for check in to open for Dublin flight, checked in then had tea

·        Got on flight @ 9:00 and took off

·        Arr Dublin @ 10:00, used alternative runway because of plane which had small fire still on main runway

·        Caught airport express bus (€7 ea), got off in Ballsbridge, did some grocery shopping home @ 11:30

Cost of trip:    flights                                      €310

                        Hotel                                       €340

Spending money                   €420

Train                                       €76

Total                                        €1146