Saturday in Rome. No particular place to go. Friends who were here a few weeks ago were shocked at how busy Rome was. We were worried. They said all the major sites were packed with tourists, and you needed timed tickets for admission just about everywhere. So we decided we would just wander, going with the flow. More to the point, out of the flow. Our hotel is near the Colosseum so we immediately ran into the crowds we had been warned about.

Our tentative plan was to head west toward the Tiber, but it took us past the Pantheon. It is just as impressive as I remember.

But the crowds are not the same as I remember from twenty years ago.

One of Jan’s objectives for the day was to have a gelato in Rome. Amazingly, we found a lovely gelato place mere steps from the Pantheon, without a lineup. When in Rome, gelato is the perfect lunch, right?

As I said earlier, our main objective was to wander and look for things off the beaten track. We turned down an alley and found ourselves in a large space that looked like it might originally have been a “circus” … an oval race track. At one end was an impressive fountain. It isn’t the Trevi Fountain, but it’s still impressive and you can get close enough to see it. And you don’t have to pay a cent.

We kept heading west, crossed the Tiber, and before long we saw St. Peter’s. We kept going until we crossed the border to enter Vatican City. It’s a separate country, so that made our day an international walking tour.

We crossed the street in Vatican City, then headed back to Italy, walking south along the Tiber. By now, the crowds had thinned right out. But the architecture was still impressive. Jan pointed out one of the street lights along the river. It was far away from any tourist spot, and yet it was very ornate, and rather impressive.

We walked along the Tiber, planning to see the Circus Maximus on our way back to our hotel. One of the bridges had a jazz ensemble playing in the middle of the bridge. It was the perfect soundtrack for the day. You can’t see the musicians in this picture, but trust me, we could hear them for quite a while.

Our next side quest was Isola Tibernia, a small island in the Tiber. On the eastern side of the island is Ponte Fabricio, the oldest bridge in continuous use in Rome. It dates back to 62 B.C. and is still used for pedestrian traffic.

At each end of the bridge is a pillar topped with a four headed statue of the god Janus. One look at the statue makes clear how old the bridge is.

And then we arrived at the Circus Maximus. I’d argue that this should be a major tourist attraction in its own right, given how important it was in Roman history. But unlike the Colosseum or the Pantheon, we nearly had the place to ourselves.

The Circus Maximus runs right beside the Forum, and this gave us views of the ruins in the Forum. We still plan to go inside, but it’s impressive even from the outside.

Our route to the hotel took us past the Colosseum again.

After a rest and water, we decided to return to the same vegan restaurant we enjoyed last night. One of the menu items had caught my eye … “plant-based, 3-D printed steak”. The menu claimed you would be amazed, and I was curious enough to try it tonight.

It was good. Very good. Not the best steak I’ve ever had, but easily in the top five. I may have to return later this week to try their 3-D printed salmon. Stay tuned.