BigTurtle

Please take a look and tell me what you think. I have some sights at the end that I'm not sure can fit or where. For reference, we are staying at Hotel Duca D'Alba near Metro Cavour.

May 5 Friday
Land at 10:30 AM
Check in/or drop bags at hotel
Head to Piazza Navona
Lunch at L’Orso 80
Trevi Fountain
4 Rivers Fountain
Buy Football tickets – AS Roma Store Piazza Navona 360
Pantheon
Dinner
SLEEP!!

May 6 Saturday
Vatican/St. Peters
All day event, includes Swearing in of the Guard Ceremonies
Return to Hotel, rest
Dinner
Opera at All Saint’s Anglican Church?

May 7 Sunday
9AM Capuchin Crypt
Piazza Barberini and Fountain of Triton
Head toward Spanish Steps, Look Around
Go through Borghese Villa to Galleria Borghese
10:30 Arrive at Galleria Borghese (11AM reservation)
1:00 Lunch (Pizza or picnic)
2:00 Taxi? to Stadio Olimpico
3:00 AS Roma vs Treviso
Return to Hotel
Dinner – Possibly Jewish Ghetto
Night Walk

May 8 Monday
Ancient Rome
Lunch
Leave for Florence Between 2/4

Other Sights
- Owl Palace, Villa Torlonia (Possible Sunday?)
- Turtle Fountain (Monday after Ancient Rome?)
- Cat Sanctuary (Torre Argentina) Not near anything else??
- Santa Sabina and Keyhole view of St. Peter’s (Monday after Ancient Rome?)

Vera

Bit Turtle: Your schedule is so similar to ours. Did you see my thread where someone kindly gave me the location of a grocery store to get picnic supplies for the Borghese on Sunday?
Questions: Did you have to make some kind of reservation for the swearing in of the Swiss Guard ceremony? Are you doing the Scave tour that day? How do you plan to do the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel--guided or on your own? Are you concerned that the ceremonies will interfere with touring the Vatican things?
How long do you estimate it will take you to walk from your hotel to L'Orso? WE're at Hotel Sonya, across from the Opera, not far from you, I think.
Vera

Nikki

The turtle fountain can be combined with your tour of the Jewish Ghetto.

Maire

Have a wonderful trip!!!
What is the cat sanctuary, if I may ask?

Steve_James

Maire - If you put 'cat sanctuary' in the search box you'll come up with several threads.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

BigTurtle

Hi Vera - I feel like we're ships passing in the night on our vacations...I did copy down the supermarket suggestion.

Let's see if I can answer all your questions.
-I requested a Scavi tour (only last month) but didn't hear back so I assume I don't have a reservation.
-I haven't decided yet if I'm doing the Vatican alone or with a tour. I might do a tour because the longest one I've seen starts at 9 and is over in 5 hours - before the Swearing in Ceremony.
-The mass at 9 would interfere with seeing St. Peter's first but I'm hoping that later in the day it will be fine and the Museums will be unaffected.
-I think the Swearing in is in the Square so it's open to the public.
- I think we might just take a cab from Hotel to Orso. Depends on what time we actually arrive and if we're already tired/hungry/cranky.

jabez

It looks like you have a good plan.
Have a great trip!

nessundorma

I think you want to do the Pantheon in the afternoon and the trevi fountain at night

jabez

I'd go the Pantheon from your lunch. It's an easy walk.

CRAZY4TRAVEL

Sounds great...mmm...L'Orso 80...I'm jealous...it is a two hour affair with some very tasty delights. You will need some exercise for sure afterwards...we were so full that we couldn't eat dinner that night.

Enjoy your trip...18 more sleeps for me.

SusanP

You do realize that the Four Rivers Fountain is in Piazza Navona? (Just thought I'd mention it, as you listed them as separate items with Trevi Fountain inbetween.)

The Cat Sanctuary is quite near the Turtle Fountain. However, I was just there the last week of March, and the Turtle Fountain was under restoration, completely surrounded by walls, you couldn't even get a glimpse. Maybe someone in Rome will be able to tell you whether they're finished before you waste your time going there.

Since you're leaving for Florence at 2:00, I doubt you will have time to see the Keyhole after Ancient Rome and lunch.
Hope you have a great trip!

BigTurtle

Thanks SusanP. At one point I did know the Four Rivers was in Piazza Navona, but when I wrote the list clearly wasn't thinking that way

I hadn't heard that the Turtle fountain was being renovated - from my screen name you can tell why I was interested.

Looks like I'll plan on leaving at 4 for Florence as my "real name" is Sabina so I would like to see the church and the keyhole is down the street.

SusanP

If you make it to the Keyhole, right around the corner is San Anselmo, worth a quick visit. The church is much plainer than most Italian churches but still beautiful, and it has large, gorgeous grounds. You feel like you're out in the country. I was the only person in the church!

tonianyc

Big Turtle:

The AS Roma store is at Piazza COLONNA 360, not Piazza Navona 360 (unless there is a branch there that I am not familiar with).

Have a GREAT trip!

Vera

Hi Big Turtle:
We may wind up on the same train to Florence, even!
I just noticed on another thread that most grocery stores are not open on Sunday, so we may be out of luck with the purchase/picnic at Borghese.
What time is the swearing in of the Swiss Guards? at or just after the Pope's mass at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday?

Vera