Last full day in Rome, and in Italy

We had a reasonably busy day which was good, as I still had the vapours and didn’t feel like doing anything! But once up and doing we had a very peasant day - set off on one of our usual walks along Quattro fontane and sistina to the top of the Spanish steps…then aiming to go to the Borghese gardens, we were sidetracked as the Medici villa was open, and we joined a tour of the garden and palace…huge and lovely, but it almost felt as if we walked up as many stairs as the tower (not 498, but many)…those old buildings don’t do lifts.

After that we did sit in the Borghese gardens with kindles for quite a while. Then walked back along the Corso to piazza Venezia where we sat in a favourite bar and watched the chaos of traffic and people all out on a Sunday afternoon. There used to be a policeman standing on a stand in the middle of the piazza, with white gloves and a whistle…but they have obviously abandoned that and the traffic miraculously works itself out!

Back to our room and relaxed till we left for the dinner at the restaurant we couldn’t get into 2 weeks ago, and Amr booked online with great difficulty! It had been recommended I think by a friend of Hartley and it was very good - though I didn’t do justice to it, but Amr did and had a wonderful frittata with chicken livers (I did have some of that) and he had a pasta with pork neck, which I also had tastes, and I had ordered marinated eggplant…all good, and we could easily find it this time, and the walk didn’t seem so long when you know where you are going. On the way we passed a group of dancers doing the tango…

Now back and ready to leave early in the morning to get the flight to Cairo. Peter and Louise already there, and I think all the others will be arriving tomorrow too!!Read more