Today was team travel’s last full day in Rome.. We started this action packed day with breakfast of course!!! Breakfast was by no means conventional today and was far from nutritious but was quite tasty. You see, there is a small shop that sells roast pork rolls with crackling on a crusty bread roll that is apparently quite popular that one of our team members discovered.  I could not bring myself to eat animal fat so I had a few bites of the fiances (Sean).

Our cardio tour started at the Roman Forum which was the central area of the city around where ancient Rome developed. It is where business and the administration of justice took place and where religious activities were conducted. Let me tell you, the ancient Roman’s must have been a fit bunch of folk as the Roman Forum (like everything else is Rome) is massive and would definitely have assisted the native Romans back in the day to maintain their fitness levels which would have burnt many the calorie.

Next stop was the Colosseum where gladiators fought to their death as entertainment for the Romans!! It is hard to fathom how people could enjoy watching such gruesome acts…

The closest word to describe the aesthetics of the Colosseum would be grandiose, it is absolutely MASSIVE!!! It is unbelievable to think this amphitheatre was built more that 2000 years ago AND without the technology we have today. I can now see how pasta, pizza and bread became traditional Italian cuisine as the Colosseum would have required so much energy to construct.  Even the stairs were enormous, every stair I walked up on our guided Colosseum tour was about one and a half the size of a normal stair, what a great workout I thought, especially as there were so many to walk up.

We had actually booked two Colosseum tours, one of the underground area and another for the upper level but after two hours we were Colosseumed out!! We had decided to skip the second tour and visit the Pantheon instead BUT WAIT…. I didn’t want to waste the six euro’s I had spent on the tickets… Now I don’t know if you recall but I referenced “waste not want not” in a previous post where I gave left over pizza to a homeless guy, SO I thought I would simply give these tickets away for FREE to one of the many tourists around me!!  NOT an easy task as firstly, tourists think you are being dodgy (as there are many people walking around Rome selling expensive tickets to the Colosseum but telling you its a great deal) and secondly, the language barrier proved to be a challenge, therefore my good deed attempt failed and my six euro’s went down the gurgler…

On a positive note, whilst trying to implement my good deed I stumbled upon a water fountain where I saw people filling drink bottles and after further investigation I realised this is actually pure spring water that flows freely in Italy, best of all it is FREE!!! I had seen similar fountains in Venice but I had no idea what they were, damn.. A wasted hydration opportunity!

I jump at any opportunity to eat greens as not only are they low in calories but most importantly they contain many vitamins!!  Leafy greens in particular contain B complex vitamins as well as niacinm riboflavin and folates. Folates are very important as studies have shown that they actually prevent neutral defects in the offspring!!  So when we stumbled upon a gorgeous deli on route to the Pantheon I was excited to see so many nutritious vegetables on offer!!  My big plate of spinach, broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms was enough fuel to get me through to dinner!!

There are many peculiar buskers (street performers) in Rome.. I was quite intrigued by the head-less buskers, well worth my 2 euro donation!!

However, what really caught my eye were the men dressed in holy attire, one appeared to hold a pole which held his holy colleage on top.  What great strength the below chap must have, right? Sean being the strategic thinker he is worked out that the fellow on the bottom is actually sitting on part of their prop which is a stand and that there is an attached connecting pole hidden along his arm which perceives he is holding the man on top.. Again well worth my 2 euro donation.

On our cardio journey back to our apartment I saw a bike hire stand, awesome I thought!!  But alas with only one bike, Sean and I had to continue our calorie journey on foot!

Lucky we did continue on foot as we found the BEST coffee shop EVER called “Lant Eustachio”!! I ordered “monachella” which was equivalent to a macchiato but with cream and OH MY GOODNESS!!! I am not a fan of cream as cream is close to empty calories but this was definitely worth the calorie consumption as the cream was so silky and smooth, delicious!!

I had escaped the croissant in Paris but when I saw this mini chocolate filled croissant, I could not resist buying it and let me tell you I am glad I did!! Sean and I shared it so it was only a mouthful but it had me wanting more.. Lucky dinner was fast approaching or I wouldn’t have been able to resist buying another one ten!!

Nothing was booked in for dinner so it was my job to chose the venue tonight. My decision was made easy when I looked on Trip Advisor at restaurants close by, I simply chose the highest rated restaurant in the area.  Our team ordered some starters to share of which the arancini balls and stuffed zucchini flowers were first to arrive.  I had a nibble of Sean’s but was not a fan because as you will have gathered by now, deep fried food does not appeal to me.

The pepperoni pizza on the other hand was delicious!!  The base was super thin as was the cheese on top.. I could have easily eaten this whole pizza…

Sean and I shared a pasta as our “primi” which is actually a first course that comes after the entree and before the main meal!!  (I had not been ordering first courses on this trip but had nibbled some of Seans).  The gameri fettuccini was DELICIOUS, it tasted so clean and so fresh!!  I absolutely loved it!!

Lastly I ordered the grilled prawns as my main dish, seriously they were to die for!! Clean and simple and when we left the restaurant I was not in a food coma.  I loved this restaurant but sadly my travel buddies did not, I would go back here in a heart beat!!