July 25: Sunday wanders in Rome, Colosseum.

We all slept in today. Some research had taught us not to expect much to be open on Sunday. Still, our apartment host had told us about a market place, so off we went in search of fruit and veg. We could not afford to eat out ALL the time. (Here I am, with a view out of the bathroom window. It was not as rough a night as this looks.)

Alas, the markets were closed. We saw quite a bit of 'old Rome' as we wandered the streets on our prosaic search for food. We knew not what we saw. We did not bring the laptop on this trip, as we had luggage concerns and no internet connection in Rome anyway. So, we bought an old-fashioned guide book, which we hoped would serve us well.

Finally, we came upon a supermarket on our way back home. It yielded the most glorious tomatoes for our 'bruschetta' lunch! We also found a bakery for a huge Italian loaf.

A stinking hot day. We enjoyed a siesta. After 4 p.m., we ventured forth in search of the Colosseum. We went the wrong way around the Piazza Venezia, but got a scenic walk so I wasn't worried. Eleanor and Jack weren't too happy - they much prefer the English climate.

Wayne's note: Classic car spotting #3- A silver Aston Martin V8 Vantage was parked on the road near the Circus Maximus. Nice but I think I prefer the sci-fi shapes of Italian supercars.

Anyway, we got to the Colosseum eventually, and it was terrific. So much casual antiquity! Here it is from a distance, plus arch...

And here it is inside, with the children. You see under the grounds here, where all the captive people and animals would have had to wait. And here are some more photos of us around the arena, and looking at some exhibits in the corridors nearby.

We got Annie a new hat on the way home. Everyone had sore feet. My comfy old sandals were not so comfortable after six months of disuse, and everyone else had new sandshoes that rubbed them in new spots. A shower, and some lovely tomato pasta from Chef Wayne cheered us up.