Italy
Who: Barbara Robbins, Thornton, and Carol and Mike
Bergstedt, Golden
Where: On the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. Behind us is the Dome of Michelangelo, which is in the center of the Basilica. We climbed more than 400 steps from the Basilica to the top of the dome for the best possible view of Roma. This was the last stop of our 14-day European cruise that started in Copenhagen.
Best meal: Pizza, salad and vino at one of the many outdoor cafés in the very picturesque Piazza Navona located between the Tiber River and the Pantheon. Excellent people-watching.
Best deal: In Rome you can walk to almost all of the main attractions – for free!
Best time to go: Early fall, because the weather is still sunny and warm, but the crowds of traditional vacation periods are not present.
Don’t leave home without: Comfortable walking shoes for those ubiquitous cobblestone streets, a list of basic Italian phrases (we encountered many people who did not speak much English), a good map of the city (much better than one you might get at a tourist information booth), and an ATM card so you can get lots of euros. Most things are more expensive in Rome than in Denver.
