Italy 2018: Rome

We left Jamie in the van with plenty of water, treats and ventilation (we chose a pitch with plenty of shade) and walked to the local station, stopping off to buy tickets at Reception, an easy enough walk but a bit convoluted due to the road system. Having worked out how to bypass the non-functional barrier we boarded an urban train to Flaminio which spilled us out at Piazza del Popolo. Really having no idea of the best way to do things we decided to use one of the open-top hop on/off buses that circulate around the city and bought tickets at a kiosk.

However the nearest joining point was a little way away so a stroll took us along some of the shopping streets and through piazzas. We found ourselves at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, which like all the attractions in Rome were absolutely packed. From there we threaded our way to the Trevi Fountain where we fought the crowds to get a photo before finally taking seats on a bus.

From then on it was a whirlwind of sights and information from the commentary, as well as trying to take photos from the bus. We got off at the Colosseum but there was no point in even trying to get in so we rejoined the tour as far as the Vatican stop. Being late lunchtime we ducked into a cafe for sustenance before realising that time had flown by and we should be getting back to base for the dog. So a quick change of plans; we would head back to Flaminio and return to the campsite, have a lazy couple of days thus avoiding the weekend rush, then return on Monday to “finish off”. The train fare was only €1.50 but as the barrier did not work at Due Ponti, the campsite station, we ended up with spare tickets we could use then.

Jamie was fine and we relaxed with a cuppa and feet up for an hour then the weekend passed as planned. With fine weather some domestic chores got done, although it was changing and Sunday night saw heavy rain showers which fortunately dried up by morning.

Then a repeat of Friday although we didn't use the tour bus and also went separate ways as we wanted to do different things. Leaving our return until Monday proved to be a good move as the crowds were much thinner and it was much cooler, the rain holding off until the evening. Our objective was the Vatican but wherever you roam in Rome there is always lots to see. To be honest we were somewhat disappointed with Vatican City; apart from it being crowded we were constantly pestered by “guides” touting no-queue tours which were clearly impossible – we had already decided that a three hour wait to see the Sistine Chapel was not on the cards. We enjoyed our wander around thereafter much more, just finding the real Rome. Lunch close by the Pantheon then a slow wander back to base, managing to get off the wrong train before it pulled out of the station!

Rome, like Florence, needs a dedicated trip with pre-planned visits to see inside the various monuments; trying to do it independantly whatever anyone says is not feasible unless you've got oodles of time to spare. We will look into attempting this at some time but for now can say we really liked the city and will certainly return again.

As for photographs, we took dozens and apart from the obvious we've got little idea of what is what. So there follows a gallery of some of the better examples – on a technical point please note that many have had to be cropped and adjusted to avoid pictures of thousands of people so don't expect a professional finish!

Enjoy!

FRIDAY