Once we'd checked in to the hotel, our first stop of the day was the Vatican City. Thankfully the queues weren't too long and we started off with the Capula (dome) of the Basilica di San Pietro. After too many stairs, you reach the top of the dome on the inside - wow! I'm not sure if there is any way to describe it, but there is truly and overwhelming sense of scale and decorative splendour! 
We then climbed further up and up, right to the top of the dome, where you are rewarded with a 360 degree view over the city! We spent quite a bit of time here, absorbing as much of the city as we could. Then all the way back down and off to explore the inside of the Basilica. This was truly an awe filled start to our trip, and we kept on saying "oh wow, look at this!". 
This pic looks at the dome from the bottom, and has a corner of Bernini's high altar canopy. For those not in the know - the first St. Peter's was built by Constantie around AD326, but the current Basilica was substantially rebuilt between 1506 and 1626. (Yes yes, I'll be throwing some history in with this blog, but only because it ads to the wow-ness of the city and how ancient it is!). 
Anyway... then it was off to find our first Gelati of the weekend!! Yum - this stuff is simply superb and no-one should go to Italy without having a daily dose! Thinus decided it tastes the best going all out - i.e. with cream, sprinkles, little cone thingies and sauce of some kind! One thing about the weekend is all of the walking. As I'm sure every person that has been to Rome will know - one walks a LOT if you go there. Everything is fairly close (or seems to be!) and it is such a nice thing to walk along the cobbled little streets just going in whichever direction you want to, and it means you find the quaintest of things!
So, on our first evening we walked from the Vatican, past the Castel Sant' Angelo and the Ponte Sant' Angelo (originally built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 130 as a mausoleum for himself; leading to the bridge with angel statues); Piazza Navona (which used to be a racetrack in AD86!, but now has the 'fountain of the four rivers' 1651 in the middle);
the Pantheon (pic above) (this is the greatest surviving complete Roman structure - built by Emperor Hadrian from AD118-28 as a temple for worship); then we found our way past the trevi fountain and the Colonna di Marco Aurelio (Marcus Aurelius column which was built to celebrate his military triumphs); and the Monumento a Vittoria Emanuele II (the hugest white building that didn't particularly have a purpose when first built!).
From here onwards to the Fori Imperiali (pic above) which was built as commercial and political meeting places by successive emperors. 
Walking along the via dei Fori Imperiali, we finally came to the Colosseo (or colosseum in english). By night-time it really is the sight to see! And it seemed bigger than I remembered too! But, by now we were just a litte bit tired and took the metro back to the hotel.
Day 2 of the weekend started us off with a loooong queue to get in to the Vatican Museum. (A note for those still going to Rome - don't go first thing in the morning! When we came out at around 1pm, there was NO queue. Annoyed us slightly, maar nou ja!) Anyways, as I was saying - queue in to the Vatican Museum, but was definitely worth going to see! It is a huge building, and if you want to see everything - you'd walk for 7km!! We didn't get around to seeing all its treasures, but did have a look at the 4 rooms of the Stanze di Raffaello (each of which is decorated with frescos by Raphael), the various rooms showing the Greek and Roman sculptures, the room of the maps and the Sistine Chapel. 
This pic above is of the room of the maps - to be honest, I was more impressed by the ceiling than the actual maps on the walls!! You're allowed to take pictures everywhere except the Sistine Chapel (still not quite sure why?); and they have quite a few guards in this chapel whose sole task it is to shush people and to make sure no-one takes photos. Of course this meant I couldn't resist. For evidence - see below pic... 
As we'd booked a walking tour (yes, more walking!), we had to hurry it up and leave. This pic is of the staircase to leave the museum (nothing ordinarly or small in Rome!). 
On our walking tour, we started off at the Colesseum and the Arco di Constantino (these triumphal arches were usually raised as monuments of military achievement, in this case the victory of Emperor Contstantine; it is 21m high and 26m wide!). Then in to the Foro Romano which was the civic and political heart of the Roman Empire. Our guide deciphered the many stones and rubble, and soon we saw the Temple of Antonius and Faustina (AD141), Colonna di Foca (AD608), Arch of Septimius Severus (AD203), Curia (Senate House 80BC), 12 columns from the Portico of the Dei Consentes (AD367), House of the Vestal Virgins and the 8 columns from the Tempio di Saturno (42BC).
Once through the Roman Forumn we walked to the Piazza del Campidoglio (with the statue of Marcus Aurelius in taking centre stage). This piazza was designed by Michelangelo in 1536.
Onwards past the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuelle II again and to the Fontana di Trevi (trevi fountain) for a few minutes of rest, photos and gelati! By now our feet were starting to really hurt! But, on and on it went - past the Pantheon again, and finally ending at the Piazza Navona. Once we got there, we sat on some steps for a little while, and then figured we'd walk to the river and rest some more there. Ha ha, yeah right. We didn't stop, but walked over the bridge of Ponte Umbertoi, carried on walking alongside the river, then over the bridge of Ponte Cavour, past the Palazzo Borghese and SS Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso on the the Piazza di Spagna (or spanish steps). Collecting some chestnuts along the way and then we finally (!!) sat down for some well earned rest. Just as an idea of scale - this last little bit of walking from the Piazza was around 2.5km! Oh wel!!
After the Spanish Steps, we walked past the SS Trinita dei Monti and the Fontana del Tritone to the Piazza della Repubblica, which is a very large circle near the Opera House. Time for a break again, and we had a bottle of wine and snacks (yes, ANY excuse by this time!). Then it was finally the last stretch and a very comfy bed!
Which brought us (sadly!) to the final morning and a tour of the inside of the Colosseum. This place is amazing and everyone should do an inside tour! The Colosseum was begun by Emperor Vespasian in AD72 and has seen many types of games that went on for some 500 years. Even mock sea battles as the arena could at one stage be flooded via underground pipes! It must have been truly spectacular! Sadly there was much pillaging of stone to build churches and palaces, which means that there isn't much left of this huge 60,000 seater stadium! 
After a long look around, we headed off to find our day's gelati and then to the Palatino area (or Palatine Hill). According to ancient tradition, it was on this hill that the first settlement of Rome was made by Romulus in the middle of the eighth century B.C. Excavations have revealed huts and tombs from the Iron Age and an ancient fortification. Between the second and first centuries B.C. it became a residential quarter for the Roman aristocracy. We then headed off to see the Circo Massimo (which in its time was a large 120,000 seater race track!) and in to the Trastevere area. This area has many little roads and alleys, intermingled with piazzas and quaint little places. Found a place for lunch and some well earned rest!
On our way back, we headed over the Ponte Cestio and Ponte Fabricio bridges (the oldest bridges in Rome!) past the Museo del Palazzo Venezia, Mercati Traianei, Santa Maria Maggiore and to the station. Yup - the time had come to collect our bags and head to the airport. A great weekend and definitely wouldn't mind heading back sometime!
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