We arose early to travel from Venice to Rome. It is a long journey of 450kms. With stops it will take about 6 hours. We travelled through the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Rome is the capital of Lazio. The River Tiber flows through the region of Lazio. We crossed the River Tiber several times on our journey to Rome. We were driving through a very lush green agricultural valley with the Apennine hills on each side. There are many villages on the hills, including castles and walled cities. It would be a great area to hire a car and meander through the countryside.

We arrived in Rome and settled into our hotel which was in the suburbs of the city. We then caught a train into Rome via the subway. The subway is limited to only two lines because every time they have tried to dig a new line they have discovered some new archaeological site that has prevented the work.

We arrived at the station near the Spanish Steps. We climbed the steps and had a look a the view. Then we walked to the Trevi Fountain and then to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was just closing when we arrived so we will have to come back here tomorrow. Then we walked to Piazza Navona where there was a film being shot with Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Spacey which meant that the square was taken over and made into a complicated film set. The movie being made was "It's All About the Money". We walked onwards to the Tiber River and across the bridge into the Trastevere region. Travestere means “across the Tiber” and this is where the Jews and other ethnic groups were relegated to in ancient times.

We ate in one of the outdoor restaurants set up on the banks of the Tiber during the summer months. It was a magical evening.