Rome-Sorrento-Paris, Part 1 (Borghese & Colloseum)

Rome – 3 days: Arrived Rome FCO after very tiring air travel. You may recall from my previous posts that I had 10 hours to kill @ JFK. I opted to spring for a day pass @ Delta's Lounge instead of a trip to Mid-Town Manhattan. At the Rome airport I purchased a Roma Pass & ticket for Leonardo Express @ the TI. Could not have been easier – Leonardo Express direct to Termini was easy & fast. Thank you Ron In Rome for your concise and easy directions. It was a short 2 block walk to my hostel, The Beehive. I rested a bit and then off to the Church of San Clemente: many layers with the bottom access quite damp and musty with a natural spring running all the time; I enjoyed quite an amazing self-guided tour of this fabulous Church. Afterwards, I met up with a friend from RS Helpline, Susanna, for dinner. We had a nice evening, meeting each other in person and to plan our next day. Day 1: Borghese & Colloseum: First full day in Rome found me viewing the fabulous artwork at the Borghese Gallery. Bernini sculptures and Renaissance paintings were so breathtaking. Loved the sculpture of Pauline, sister to Napoleon. The marble is so flawless and fluid, it is as if it was sculpted from wax. I loved walking through the park as well. Enjoyed delicioso pizza at Alice near the Triton statue; businessmen and women in suits lining up out the door gave me the clue it had to be good. In the afternoon I managed to tour the three layers of the Colloseum and had a very knowledgeable guide. If you get an opportunity, I highly recommend doing the Underground tour. The tour included all levels - I stood in the peasant "bleacher" seats up on the top; fabulous views. The evening ended with a misconnect with Susanna; so I had a "not so great light dinner" near the Colloseum and headed back to the hostel for some much needed rest.