Rome
...a day early...
Arrival
Arriving a day early we were unable to book a room at our tour hotel, so we decided to go with another Rick recommended hotel, the Albergo Santa Chiara. The Albergo is a lovely hotel located within walking distance to many historical sites. After checking in, we enjoyed local wine and city views from a rooftop restaurant. As the evening approached, we decided to take a short walk to the Piazza della Minerva, where we had the most incredible dinner at Alla'antico Vinaio. From there, we visited the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain. We topped off our first night in Rome, with a scoop of real Italian gelato.
Day 1
After a wonderful breakfast, we transferred to our tour hotel, the Smeraldo. We then took a taxi to Vatican City for a preplanned tour of the Vatican. Long lines were stretched around the block, but we did not have to wait for our 11 am tour, thankfully! We toured through several museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica; absolutely stunning and holy places.
After a quick taxi ride back to the hotel, we had our first meet and greet with our fellow tour goers and wonderful guide Marianna.
After that we took a short walk to dinner where we got acquainted with our new friends and shared a delicious multi-course Italian dinner followed by a sunset walk back to our hotel.
