Saturday
Arrived in Rome without any problems and even found our way to the hotel without any detours. It was a nice feeling to round the corner and see the hotel sign knowing that we were in familiar territory once again. Checked in and then went out for an afternoon stroll down to the Trevi fountain and then to the Pantheon, which was closed to the non-praying public as there was a mass in progress, so we resolved to come back early on Monday. A quick trip to the supermarket to stock up on a few incidentals and then dinner at a small ristorante around the corner from the hotel.
Sunday
Today we set off to see Hadrian's Villa which is an hour or so outside of Rome by Metro and bus. The Metro was a breeze, trains every 10 mins, so no need to rush. The bus however came with the normal Italian problems. A lengthy search to find where to buy the bus tickets, wait for the bus to arrive and although we were the second couple to arrive at the bus stop, we were unable to compete with the locals when the bus finally arrived. It was a crush just getting on, then standing all the way for anther 50 mins, not knowing where to get off. Trusting the majority of other tourists, we clambered off at a bus stop, that according to google maps on my phone, was within walking distance of the Villa.
As we have come to expect, with such a major tourist attraction, there were no signs to indicate how to get there. So with google maps on the iPhone pressed into service once again, we wound our way through back streets, deserted parking areas and sundry suburban areas and finally arrived at the Villa.
The site is enormous, acres and acres of buildings of enormous proportions all set in gardens of trees and olive groves. We spent quite a few hours just taking it all in, before heading back to Rome.
Monday
Up bright and early down to the Trevi, so early in fact that we watched a man vacuuming all the coins that had been thrown in the day before. With no crowds, it was a different place. Then down to the Pantheon where we were two of less than 20 people there, it was certainly the best time to take in this amazing place.
After a spell sitting in the morning sun, we walked down to the Piazza Navona where we thought a coffee would be in order but at €6 for a cappuccino, we opted to find a cafe and have 2 coffees and a pastry for €2.50 instead!!
A sweep through the shops, with a couple of stops as well as picking up some beer, prosciutto, cheese, bread and fruit for lunch, another €10, and we were back in our hotel.
Tuesday, and time to check out of the hotel and head for the airport, but not before a quick trip to a shoe shop for a couple of pairs of shoes.
The trip out to the airport was worthy of mention. We booked a private taxi through the hotel, some relative I think. Anyway, a young guy arrives in a 350 Mercedes with black windows wearing a long coat and black sunglasses, it was like a scene for the Godfather. Anyway, we set off through the Rome traffic, which apparently was not sufficiently bad enough to command the drivers attention as he spent more time playing Tetris on his phone than watching the traffic as he wound his way out of town. He kept this up until he hit the autostrada to the airport, which was just as well as he was travelling at 140kms, weaving in and out of the traffic. I don't know which was worse, his playing games on his phone while driving or the speed!!
Having made the airport, we checked in, and even managed to get our VAT refund back in cash before we left the country.
So as I sit on the flight from Rome to London writing this blog, the holiday is drawing to a close.
We have had some highlights, funny at times and tense at others. Scotland was really enjoyable, something quite unexpected I think. Finding "THE. SPOT" at Loch Katrine was certainly a highlight. The rugged scenery as we went further north certainly explained how hard a life it must have been for so many and why they migrated in such numbers to the new world. Driving through the Lakes District and finding the out of the way country pubs for dinner was great.
Then down to the Italian Lakes, our separate excursion to Switzerland, and just generally relaxing around Desenzano and Stresa set the scene for the following weeks. Train trips without tickets, train trips with the wrong tickets all added to the excitement and the "oh well, it's OK" Italian way of doing things.
Then it was over to Juan les Pins and the French way of doing things. Grasse for perfume, Vence and other hill top towns, cheese and bread under the olive trees for lunch rounded out the days they way they should be lived.
Then on to Lerici where time stood still for us while we were there. Seeing the Cinque Terre from the sea and walking from Vernazza to Monterosso along the cliff and over the ridge was something we just had to do.
Our stay in Siena in the Palazzo Ravizza was another highlight. Waking to uninterrupted views over distant Tuscan hills and being surrounded by the history of centuries past and the generosity of the people was priceless.
And finally, catching up with our friends in a 400 year old Tuscan Villa was the perfect way to erase all of the hiccups of the past 7 1/2 weeks and to the relive the highlights.
So it's homeward bound and as I sit here finishing my last blog listening to my music, how timely it is that Willy Nelson is singing "On the Road Again".
So with that its goodbye from me and goodbye from her. I hope you have enjoyed sharing our travels as much as we have.
Ciao