ROMA, FIRENZE, VENEZIA - SPRING 07

This is a quiet hotel on a small pedestrian street that leads directly to the Pantheon (2 blocks away). In terms of location you will not do much better for the price. Piazza di Spagna 6 blocks away, the Pantheon around the corner, and Piazza Navona only a few steps further. The staff is gracious and the small breakfast room is an enjoyable place to get your day started (although the food in mediocre at best). There is internet access but only in at a lobby computer. However, the hotel exterior is still under construction and covered by scaffolding. The bathroom had a leak in the ceiling (thru the drywall) and the shower unit, which is small, allowed the water to freely flow onto the floor. I read reviews that spoke of "huge" rooms which was certainly not the case with our room.

Your first view of the Pantheon as you turn the corner to the piazza is awe inspiring. From the exterior its' scale and detail are an instant time warp; entire thru the doors and the real amazement begins. Although you may have seen the pictures, the actual experience is beyond imagination. The audio tour may be worth getting for some interested in the buildings storied history.

Although the fountain at the center of the square is obscured by plywood panels as it is being restored, Bernini's brilliance is readily viewable thru lexan vision panels. Relax, have a gelato, and enjoy people watching at its' finest.

Maybe a ploy for more coins, but now the first coin in will grant you a wish come true and the second a return trip to Rome. Go here the first day if you can, and you may come back every night. The vendors selling everything from flowers, to rubber ducks are relentless though. Use "sono allergico" to shoo the flower vendors away.

Stop by for gelato and sit for a while with a few hundred of your closet friends.

An entire afternoon can be spent wandering thru the ruins at the Palatine; be sure not to miss Tempo di Romolo and the Tempo di Antonino e Faustina.

On your way over to the Colosseum stop by this trattoria for a quick sandwich and caprese. WARNING: It will be very hard not to shop at the pastry counter!