The flight to Rome was without incident. I arrived at 7:35 am. Upon de-boarding the plane, I took a train to baggage/transportation (after passing through immigration). I followed Rick Steves instructions on finding the Leonardo Express which was very helpful. The train ride into the city center took about 30 minutes. Once at Termini Station, I found the Metro and intended to get off at the Colosseo station, but the subway train did not stop there. It finally stopped two stops later. I got off and asked someone at the station (fortunately it was manned) why the train did not stop. They said today was their Independence Day and there was a parade which closed the stops! So, I got back on the train (I had purchased a 48 hour pass) and got off at the Cavour station and walked through the crowds, past the Colosseum, and to our tour hotel, Hotel Lancelot. The crowds were thick at the Colosseum and as I worked my way through, jets did a fly-over with red, green, and white smoke trailing behind. It happened so quickly, I couldn't pull out my camera in time. The staff at Hotel Lancelot were great! I arrived a little after 11 am and they got me right into my room! I rested for about 2 hours, then headed out to explore the city. What a GREAT Day!!

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