Throwback Thursday: A Busy Day in Rome

On September 24, 2009, the family and I woke up to our first full day in Rome, Italy. Our dear friend, who was posted at the Canadian embassy and who had generously offered to host us, welcomed us with a tasty breakfast before she headed off to work. Once again, we agreed to meet at the end of the day, for dinner.

Rather than bore you with every detail of our day, I thought I would just highlight the spots that we visited over the course of the day, starting with the gardens of Villa Borghese.

From there, we went to the Trevi Fountain, where we also grabbed lunch at a nearby cantina.

Next stop, the best gelato shop in Rome, Giolitti's.

Around the corner and a couple of short blocks away was the Pantheon, a 1,900-year-old Roman temple. Walking inside and looking up to the hole at the top of the dome, it was easy to get dizzy.

Next up, Piazza Navona, a first-century, oblong plaza, with beautiful fountains at the centre and on either ends. It was a great place to rest, cool off, and people-watch.

To keep the kids interested, we made our way to Torre Argentina, old ruins that are now a cat sanctuary. This site is also close to where Julius Caesar was murdered. Et tu, kitty?

Finally, we wandered over to Altare della Patria (the national monument that was built between 1885 and 1935, in honour of the first king of a unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel II) and Foro Traiano, the remains of a second-century Roman forum.

Back at our friend's place, we were once again exhausted, but found the time to wander over to a nearby bar, after dinner, to enjoy some wine, reflect on the day, and make plans for tomorrow, our last full day in this city.

Stay tuned...