The Ventian hoards have shifted south on their stampeding European pilgrimage, and firmly sandwiched in the crowd, we have followed. On to Rome and in one action packed day we get an early Very Fast Train arriving at Rome Termini just after 10am. The Hotel Marghera has a good room with a massive TV for only €100, but still the only English Channel is CNN??? Without wasting a minute we take the Metro 2 stops to Colosseo and join a €30 tour in order to beat the 2 hour queue. The guide takes us into and around the 50,000 seat stadium and on to the Palatino for a detailed history of the City of Rome.

Skulduggery, intrigue, and poor diet resulted in the fall of the Roman Empire… just ask any Italian chef.

The food got a lot better after WWII, and tonight’s meal was no exception. Without any doubt, Italians in Italy do it better than anywhere else.

After lunch the older of the two of us suddenly realised he had left his spectacles in the trattoria after lunch. On arriving back there and explaining to the waitress what had happened and hoping desperately that they had been found, it was pointed out that they were perched ‘en crowne’… getting old!

Tomorrow the Roman escapade continues with the Trevi Fountain and a couple of ruins, then on to the Amalfi coast, Capri, and Pompeii.

We are closing in on our final destination the United Arab Emirates, heading a little further south each week since arriving in Europe.