Walking the streets of Rome

Sunday

4 August

Day 35

61 to go

It was nice to have the chance for a little bit of a lay in this morning. We had a walking tour to catch at 10am from Piazza Navona. After getting up and ready, we were out the door for 9.30am, I stopped for a photo opportunity of Saint Peter’s Basilica reflecting in the Tiber River and then we continued our journey making it to the meeting area with 5min to spare. 

We joined the group of 40 or so and followed the guide to a shady spot to hear about the structures of the Piazza, including; the Saint Agnese Church, the obelisk that was created in Rome, the architects and Pope’s behind the stages of design. The square itself was once a forum that could house 30,000 people. They hosted their own version of the Olympics in the space. 

After learning all this, we moved on to the Pantheon where we were able to check out the structure from outside. If we wanted to go in, we would have to come back with a ticket and join the busy queue. 

It was particularly hot this morning, there was no cloud cover and the sun was beating down, so we were always looking for shady places to stand in. We walked down some very busy streets to reach our next stop, Trevi Fountain. This was a tourist magnet, with plenty of people clambering for the best view. The guide told us that they collect 3000 Euros a day from those who throw coins in the fountain! It apparently all goes to charity. 

From the fountain, we made our way to our last stop, Trajan’s Column. This is decorated to celebrate the deeds of the Emperor Trajan in Dacia. A comic book like strip or pictures rotates around the full length of the column. 

From here we were left to say goodbye, we handed back our listening devices and made our way passed the Monument Victor Emanuele II and tot he tourist office to watch a video about the ancient buildings of Rome. We were glad for the sit down and the little bit of respite from the sun. The movie began at 12noon and was finished by 12.20pm. It was interesting to see how everything may have been, when it was built.

From here I took some photos of the Cordinata Captiolina building and stair case, as well as the Scalinate dell’ara Coeli. It was then time to go and find lunch. Along the way we passed the ruins of the  Largo di Torre Argentina. There only remains parts of two rectangular buildings and one circular. We stopped for water from one of the Manu public fountains, enjoying the coolness it provided. 

We stopped near by for a pizza at a local cafe and drinks to wash it down. It was a great way to watch the crowds and keep cool, as there was a breeze wafting across the street. When we were all done, we followed google in the direction of home, stopping of the obligatory gelato, which had to be eaten quickly so that it didn’t melt all over your hand. 

We returned to the room for just before 2pm, a great start to our final day in Rome. We spent the next few hours relaxing in the room. It was a good opportunity to catch up on the photos and for Paul to catch some extra shut eye. 

At 5pm, we were ready to face the world again. We decided to head to Saint Peter’s Basilica, as we didn’t do this when we visited the Vatican museum on Friday. The forecourt is opulent, with large stone columns surrounding the entrance. We took in the various fountains and obelisk, along with the frontage of the basilica. We also enjoyed checking out the refuge sculpture, which is particularly pertinent given the numbers coming through from Africa and the Middle East. 

From here we followed our noses making our way through to il Piccolo for dinner. This was a fabulous choice and the best place we have eaten so far. We shared in a bruschetta 4 ways and then had pasta. The cannelloni and fettuccine bolognaise were delicious. We were given a limoncello to finish off. Perfecto!

With full bellies, we were happy to keep on wandering. We followed the path through a motorway tunnel and then down to the river. Instead of staying at street level, we ventured to the river path. From here we could see how bad the graffiti was and the amount of floating rubbish accumulating in the river. Paul also spotted a Nutria preening itself.

We continued following the path, drawn by the sound of a band playing music from a bridge above. There were also many marquee tents set up along the path, a very funky place to stop and enjoy a drink and food. We were lost in the spectacle of it all and after reaching the end of tents, realised we had a bit of a hike to get home. I thought following the river would get us closer to home, seems only if you follow in the right direction. 

With google maps set, we made the 45min trek back to our area. Stopped for pastry desserts and were in the room just after 8.30pm and 27 000 steps added.

We packed up our cases ready for our move tomorrow and then it was time for bed.

This was a 9km route!