Monday 8th October
There were huge queues at the Colosseum so we walked past it to the Circus Maximus which was ancient Rome's largest chariot race track, a 250 thousand seater capable of holding a quarter of the city's population. This is only a small segment of the original stadium which has recently opened after 6 years of restoration.

The main part of the stadium  had been used at the previous weekend for a Roman version of the Yorkshire show.

We walked along the bank of the Tiber to Ponte Sublicio which was a peaceful contrast to the earlier crowds.

The next bridge we reached was Ponte Palatino where we had a good view of Isola Tiberina. This is one of the world's smallest inhabited islands and has a hospital on it today.

We explored some of the smart cafes and shops on Via del Corso, then stopped at Galleria Sciarra with its lovely Art Nouveau painted walls and glass roof

Nearby is the Trevi Fountain which is enormous in quite a small square and the crowds here were overwhelming.

More interesting streets led us to the Spanish Steps which was in large square and was not too crowded.

We were able to relax by the fountain in the shade.

Refreshed by delicious gelatos, we returned to the Colosseum in the late afternoon. It was not too crowded and the sun gave fantastic shadows, adding to the drama of this awesome building.