Well we did Pompei, in 2020, now for the Big City

Weve both been to Rome before, maybe 40 years ago , one left with happy memories the other didn’t so it was time to expunge those negatives and get some positive vibes.

we arrived late on a Monday night , hotel was near the train station, so easy rail transfer on the Michaelangelo express to our hotel door with convenient pavement bar just outside for dinner and Peronis

First thing next day, having purchased our hop on hop off tickets we proceed to the Borghesi Gallery, to find it full for the day, but never-ending, purchased tickets for the following day.

tickets are required for all of Romes attractions very easy to purchase online and you’re given z time slot which prevents overcrowding, although if some of the non-overcrowded experiences we had were anything to go by I’d hate to have seen it before the system came in

Last time Steve was in Rome in perhaps the early 80s he drove there in his XJ6 4.2 litre Jaguar, when the next biggest car on the Italian road was a Fiat 500. It certainly got loads of Kudos At that time it was a matter of avoiding the millions of scooters and parking up outside the major attractions, walking in, and off to the next one. I’ll have to look up some of the old pictures of that trip when I’m next in the attic. The monuments haven’t changed much.but the environs have – no parking slots outside the Trevi Fountain now

so after the failed Borghesi attemp it was off to find the Trevi fountain, which eventually we did. Rome is a labyrinth of small and large streets, many one way and not laid out in any grid system so navigating around was challenging. Let’s just say the Trevi was busy. Steve inadvertently invested a Euro in Romes welfare system by tossing it over his shoulder, alas the string broke and that was it good bye coin. Apparently it would have taken 3 coins to get to the marriage status, so the other 2 remained firmly in his pocket

enough close misses for one day so it was back to the.pavement cafe next to the last one for more Peroni, forgetting I didn’t like the Red half as much as the Green. Lesson learnt

4 Reds later still not got z tadte for it off to bed.

Borghesi and successfully got in, it is a truly manifest collection of art. Napoleon’s sister was our target main attraction , and after several billion pounds worth of marbles and paintings we admired her in all her majesty.

other highlights were thd rape of someone, David with his slingshot and Perseus and Andromeda captured forever as she turned into a tree Truely.magnificent !

Quick lunch next then hopped on the bus and hopped off at Jewish quarter, where we rushed down to the Tiber and got the last hop on hop boat of the day, not many people do that I’m sure

Following the cruise a traditional Jewish cod meal not sure about the Kosher wine though, and back to yet another adjacent pavement cafe which served Green whist we booked the coliseum for the next day.

I think we.managed to get into the Parthenon that day as well one ancient treasure was starting to merge into another

having been to Pompei and wandered over many ancient ruins in France, Croatia (saluna) Montenegro, Albania , it ix apparently that Rome is the big one, not only by size but the sheer scale of what remains of a once great country before mussolini or bellasconi took charge . Ruins and art are everywhere, too much to ever contemplate restoration or removal to a museum, Rome let’s it stand as a living outdoor museum.

The coliseum is immense, huge, ginormous, and still standing, 2000 years of plundering the marble and stone and it still stands alongside the Septimus Arch and the capitol hill, earthquakes have also taken their toll. It’s capacity was 80, 000 2000 years ago I think there were more in it when we visited.

Hopped back on, hopped off at the Spanish steps, luckily at the top of them, and a descent of 360 steps saw us at the Ship.fountain, for our by now customary get lost tour of the backstreets and eventually bus stop 7 for a quick trip.out past Romes Pyramid, yes they have one, built by a past Roman Emporer as his tomb,.and back to another pavement cafe as sun set.

final day was spent walking up to St Peters Church, photographing the iconic balcony and then a long queue not only to get into the Vatican museum, but to get round as well. We were carried by thd crowd through the Sistine chapel, a magnificent fresco, and outwards onto the street for some personal space.

Spectacular but I do wonder how those billions of billions worth of amassed art could not be put to some better use by the Church. Maybe our 120 Euro entrancec fee helps the needy, but I doubt it

4 full days in Rome a city which just oozes history and tourists just about enough time to take it in, but would 5 days have been too long ? Job done.Blanche got her romantic break at last and Steve got to share it with her x