So excited! Today is our vespa sidecar tour. I booked this the beginning of August before we even arrived in Italy.
Vespa Sidecar Tour. Booked before we arrived in Italy. Cost for the 2 of us 230€/$254.01. I will ride in the sidecar the entire time. There is the option of switching between riding in the sidecar or of sitting behind the driver. There are age and weight limitations. You can also chose between the morning tour which includes a cappuccino/coffee stop or an afternoon tour which includes a gelato stop. We opted for the morning tour. Meeting point is Piazza della Repubblica at 9:00 am. Website lists sights we will see: Quirnale, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, St. Peter's Square, Gianicolo/Janiculum Hill, Trastevere & Jewish ghetto, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, Santa Maria Maggiore, Colosseum.
We take a taxi from our hotel to the meeting point. We're early. It's 8:15 am! No way was I going to miss this. I ask at the tobacco/news stand if we're in the right place as this piazza is huge. I'm told right where we are is where the sidecars will be. We have time to just view the piazza, the other sights. Soon the vespas arrive! All different colors. Red, bronze, white, dark blue..... I think there were 5 of them so 10 of us for the tour. We check in. Fitted for helmets. Given earpiece headset so we can follow along with what we're seeing. We choose the dark blue vespa. We're off! Zipping around the roundabouts, down narrow and wider streets. I'm loving this.
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Taxi from our hotel to Piazza della Repubblica
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Vespa drivers |
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Getting ready to start |
Around the roundabout a few times in the Piazza della Repubblica. Semicircular. Was part of the Baths of Diocletian. Church-Santa Maria degli Angeli. In the middle of this piazza is the Fontana delle Naidi-4 bronze nymphs reclining on sea horse for the oceans, a water snake for rivers, a swan for lakes, and a frilled lizard for subterranean streams. Figure in the middle is of the sea god Glaucus who represents man victorious over the hostile forces of nature. Past the statues of Castor and Pollux. Patrons of horsemanship. Palazzo del Quirinale. Used to be papal summer residence. Now the official residence of the president of Italy.
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Past the Fontana delle Naidi
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Past Santa Maria degli Angeli Church |
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Piazza della Repubblica
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Statue-Castor and Pollux |
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Quirinale area |


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We make a stop. Park the vespas. Short walk. Trevi Fountain! Rome's largest and most famous fountain. Designed by Nicola Salvi. Central figures-Neptune flanked by 2 Tritons. One struggles to control unruly sea-horse and the other leads a gentle animal. This symbolizes the contrasting moods of the sea. Alas men are cleaning out the coins from the fountain so barricades are up. Coin toss. Stand with back to the fountain. Coin in right hand-throw over left shoulder. If your coin goes into the water it's supposed to mean you'll return to Rome. Richard does his coin toss successfully almost hitting the statue! Me-not so much. My coin didn't even make it into the water. I tried a few times but it was not to be. I'm disappointed that my arm didn't have enough strength to get that coin in the water. At least I din't hit any of the workers! I make myself a promise we'll return here before we leave Rome and I'll do my coin toss with no barriers up. Past the Victor Emmanuel Monument in Piazza Venezia.

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Trevi Fountain |
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Victor Emmanuel Monument in Piazza Venezia
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Another stop where we park the vespas and have a short walk to........Pantheon. I'm surprised to find out we will actually enter and have a guided visit by the vespa driver in charge of the tour. Past the line of those waiting to get in/buy tickets. Middle Ages-the Pantheon was the Roman temple of all the gods. Became a church. Awesome domed interior. The oculus/hole at the top of the dome provides the only light. Emperor Hadrian designed it in 118-125 AD. Shrines that line the wall-tomb of Raphael-he requested he be buried here, kings of modern Italy. Our vespa guide even points out one for Queen Margherita ( also there is her husband King Umberto I) and tells us the margherita pizza was named for her. He gives us so much information. He has us stand in a certain spot and takes a picture. We're elongated! Cappuccino stop. Di Rienzo Pasticceria. After exiting the Pantheon we're taken right next door to a patisserie where we have our cappuccinos and choice of croissants. We get one plain and one filled-think it was apple?? Regardless it all hit the spot. Perfect breakfast. Many, including me, have a restroom break.

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Pantheon |
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Can see people's reaction to looking up at the dome |
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We're elongated!
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Raphael's tomb |
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Queen Margherita |
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King Umberto I
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Cappuccino stop-menu |
Back to our vespas and off we go again. Pass the obelisk of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva-Bernini-Egyptian obelisk and marble elephant. We ride behind the Spanish Steps as vehicles not allowed. (I'll see them on a different day) Piazza del Popolo. Churches Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. Side by side. An Egyptian obelisk. Church Santa Maria del Popolo. St. Peter's Square. From a distance as no vehicles allowed in the square itself. Pass the walls of Vatican city.
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Obelisk-Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church |
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Our driver |
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Riding behind the Spanish Steps |
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Churches Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto-Piazza del Popolo |
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Construction |
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St. Peter's Square-vehicles not allowed |
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Approaching a tunnel |
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Coming out of the tunnel |
We need to get to our next stop before 12:00 pm/noon. Gianicolo/Janiculum Hill. Considered by many to be the 8th hill of Rome. Stunning views of the city. Every day a canon firing takes place and in addition to the view we are here to witness this. So far this tour has been amazing!
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Fantastic views
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Quick stop by Fontana dell'Acqua Paola. Heading into the areas of Trastevere and the Jewish ghetto. Across the Tiber. Market. Graffiti. Guide's favorite restaurant-Ai Spaghettari.
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Market
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Crossing the Tiber |
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We're back to V. E. Monument
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Approaching Capitoline Museum
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Colosseum. Here we stop to admire this magnificent treasure of Rome. Amphitheater. Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD. Deadly gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights were staged free of charge by the emperor and wealthy citizens for public viewing. Has 80 arched entrances for easy access to 55,000 spectators. Majestic sight i take plenty of pictures. We are told we can end the tour here or at the meeting point of Piazza della Repubblica. Since our hotel is only a short walk away we opt to say goodbye. I don't know if we ever saw Santa Maria Maggiore but I will visit this church on another day so all is fine. I do give a nice tip as do others on this tour. Great decision to do this. Fun. Informative. Worth it!
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Approaching the Colosseum |
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Most of our vespa drivers-missing one
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Walking back to our hotel |
Pool time. Honestly can't believe I didn't take any pictures of us in the pool or on the loungers! We spend several hours here.
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Looking at the pool from our loungers |
Trattoria Pizzeria Luzzi. Wanted pizza for dinner tonight. Place close. Within walking distance from our hotel. This place was recommended by reception staff. Less than 10 minute walk. Outside seating as well as inside. We sit inside as tables outside are all occupied. Drinks-just water. I notice suppli on the menu so I order one to share-tomato and mozzarella. It's deep fried and the inside is oozing the cheese with a taste of the sauce/tomato. It's yummy and I wish I had ordered 2! We get the margherita pizza. It's fine but nothing like the one we had in Amalfi which has been the best pizza we've had on this trip. It's better than the one in Florence. Wish the bottom had been firmer/crispier like the crust. Tasted more cheese than sauce. But the prices are so reasonable that I can see why it's busy. Cost 11€!!
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Tomato and mozzarella suppli |
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Margherita pizza |
Gelato. On our way back to the hotel we see a gelato place. We stop. There's also pastries for sale here. Everything looks so good! I get the amarena/cherry which as lots of bigger pieces of cherry in it. Delicious. Richard gets nicciola/hazelnut and he likes it. There are chairs right outside by the door so we sit and eat our terrific gelato. Cost??
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Nicciola/hazelnut |
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Amarena/cherry |
Back at the hotel we go up to the roof top to soak in the views. Colors in the sky. Colosseum. The pool is closed. There is no one else up here. Just us and the beauty of the evening.
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Walking back to our hotel |
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Can even see part of the V.E. Monument |
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Pool is closed |
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View from our room |
Tomorrow we have St. Peter's!!!!!!!!!!! I'm really looking forward to this.
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