Breakfast on the 7th floor roof top patio was wonderful. I guess that comes with being gold club members of Marriott. We were pleasantly surprised that this breakfast is included with our stay - lots of fruits, hot and cold dishes while enjoying the view of Rome. Leaving the plates of food while going back inside for juice was a mistake as the seagull took off with my bacon and sausage!
We walked to Barberini Plaza to catch a two day "on and off" bus tour. They include 11 major stops that we can hop off, tour, and then hop back on for the next stop. Landon and Owen would love the Cars theme on our buses.
1st Stop - Termini
This stop is where the main train terminal is for Rome and for Italy. We didn't stop to see it (though the square in front and fountain are impressive), we stopped to locate a small church that I remembered from an earlier visit - Basicila Maria Delgi Angeli (Maria of the Angels).
2nd Stop - Santa Maria Maggiore
Santa Maria Maggiore is the most important - and possibly the oldest - of some 80 churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This Basilica was built between 432 AD and 440 AD. The ancient basilica's richly decorated interior is one of the best in Italy. Relics (fragments) of Christ's Holy Crib are enshrined beneath the high altar. The ceiling is gilded with gold. There is a 36-panel sequence of mosaics portraying episodes of the Old Testament.
3rd Stop - Colosseum
We viewed the beautiful Ministry of Cultural and Heritage building, had lunch in the shade overlooking some of the Roman Forum, walked down and partially around the Colosseum, and headed toward the Roman Forum. We decided we needed a guided tour and to do it earlier in the day when it wasn't so hot. So more about these wonderful ancient places on another day.
4th Stop - Isola Tiberina (The Island0
Tiber Island emerges at the center of the Tiber River and is linked by the Roman bridges. We crossed a bridge to the island and another bridge to reach Trastevere - a quaint enclave of the city. The focus of the main square is the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. This church was reputedly founded in 222, which - if true - would make it one of the city's oldest churches. After visiting the church we had freshly squeezed Sicilian orange juice on the plaza.
5th Stop - Barberini (back to the beginning)
Okay, so we only got 5 out of the 11 stops covered today which means we sat through 6 other stops. It is HOT and we are tired of walking. More to come tomorrow. We walked up Via Veneto to our hotel. Yea, air conditioning and a cool shower.
My big purchase of the day was a hat from a street vendor! Walking street vendors were selling hats and umbrellas today to provide shade from the sun. It was well worth the 4 euros ($6.00)
Obika was the restaurant recommended for tonight. We took a taxi and enjoyed a wonderful salad and pasta at this mozarella bar.
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