Rome wasn't built in a day but a bunch of students tore it down in an afternoon

As we were driving into Rome we learned that protests were scheduled in the heart of the city. Although they were to be peaceful ones to protest the government raising university tuition, it was recommended that we avoid certain parts of the city.

Well, the Italians must have a different definition of what a “peaceful protest” is because things turned into a full-fledged riot roaming through Rome. Police were wearing riot gear & were shooting both tear gas & smoke grenades. Stores had broken windows & other damage done to them, cars were set on fire, etc. The riots pretty much shut down the city; making it challenging to get around. We did our best to avoid the major ugliness but did get caught in the immediate aftermath.

While unfortunate, the riot didn’t completely ruin our sightseeing of the ruins and we were able to get out of that area safely…  We saw the Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, a Christmas Market in Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and the Flaming Garbage Truck of The Ancients (ok, this last one might have been due to the riot). 

Click on the picture below to view a slideshow of our Rome adventure!

Rome 2010 Or click here to go directly to the album