Tommy Hayes
At daybreak this morning I stepped out into the chilly spring morning to appease my running addiction and was lucky enough to be able to explore the city without the throngs of tourists bustling around. The crisp quietness fortunately let me admire in peace many of the sights we had seen previously, as I soon found myself knowing my way around the streets and alleys of Rome.
After a quick stop at the supermarket we all headed off for a jam-packed morning, visiting no less than 7 churches notably the magnificent St John in Lateran, a major basilica holding the original doors of the Roman Senate-House. We were also able to delve deep into the historical progression of the Roman Catholic Church through the basilica of St Clemens from the earliest days when Christianity was practiced only in the confines of ones house, through two more basilica built on top of each other like a Russian doll which survived invasions and attacks all through the centuries. We saw the huge dome of the Pantheon, a majestic relic from ancient times with all of the trappings of the ancient architectural brilliance of the Roman people.
We stopped for a brief lunch in the lively, grabbing a delicious gelato, then we were off to the Spanish steps where we took some time to sunbathe under the beautiful Italian sun. It was here that our mission began, as we caught the first of two trains out to Hadrian's Villa in the countryside of Tivoli. After a squashed Italian bus ride we arrived at what must be said is the biggest house I have ever seen, the countryside resort of the Emperor Hadrian. This complex, spanning 100 hectares, facilitated a life of utmost luxury, with numerous bathhouses, dining halls for every season and a private island surrounded by a moat. The thousands of slaves that supported this lavish lifestyle we saw lived in an equally impressive underground complex. The extent to which this site has been preserved along with the sheer magnitude of it was absolutely breathtaking as we spent hours walking around and still didn't cover it all.
Throroughly exhausted by the time we got home after a 5 hour, 100km round trip we settled for some quick but much appreciated dinner by the railway station before we returned to recover before our next big day tomorrow to see the much vaunted Vatican City.
