Adriatic Trip, Day 7: Florence to Rome

Monday, June 16, 2025

This morning we again boarded a train for our final destination of our Italian tour, Rome. The trains again proved to be very popular in Italy.

A bus picked up our tour group at the train station and took us on a driving tour of Rome. At one point, we got off the bus and walked a couple of blocks to a restaurant for a delicious lasagne lunch. Then we got back on the bus and drove to the Coliseum, where we disembarked. Our local guide then led us on a walking tour around the Coliseum. She discussed the structure of the Coliseum, the types of events held there (not just the persecution of Christians), and its underground facilities for quick scene changes. It was a very technologically advanced area for its time.

Following our walking tour, our rooms were ready, so we drove to our hotel, the Palazzo Ripetta. Like the other hotels on this trip, it is a luxury hotel located in a very convenient and safe part of the city. After checking into the hotel and getting settled, we boarded our bus for a private tour of the Galleria Borghese, an art museum renowned for its sculptures by Bernini. Both Kenna and I were amazed by the detail and realism of the sculptures, especially considering that they were carved out of marble.

After the tour, we went to a nearby pizza restaurant recommended by Alexa, met up with another couple from our tour, and had a delightful dinner to close our first day in Rome.

This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Italy, Greece, Albania, and Croatia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.