Singapore UK and Europe 2019

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Singapore UK and Europe 2019 Resenär
Rome Day 2
15 november 2019, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Up really early today (well before 6 am). Thought, why don’t we go out to the international airport for a look around? - airports are such great tourist sites!!!). We found an airport shuttle stop that was only 10 minutes away, though we did get lost walking there.

So, there we were having a look around and as we walked past the arrivals door I had to do a double-take - who’s was that familiar, if a little tired looking, face we spotted? Wow 😮 it’s Carl!!!! Carl has flown over for the last 3 weeks or so of the European leg of our trip. It’s fantastic that he could come over.

Back to the apartment but no rest for the jet-lagged. Carl has a shower then we head out in quite miserable rainy weather. As the saying goes “when in Rome...” so we took the metro to have a look at the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps then off to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. It is a ruin, but it’s a pretty special ruin and even in wet weather we were among the thousands there to have a look around. We really only had time to look at the Colosseum so we’ll back back tomorrow for the rest.

Had the pleasure of again being fleeced (this time €20) for 3 leather bracelets sold to us by a gentleman saving up to visit his newly born daughter in Guyana. He even showed us a phone pic (although I’m pretty sure I saw a “shutter stock” watermark on the photo). The only saving grace was that Carl paid for them!!!!!!!

Someone, anyone, shoot me. On the way back to the apartment we stopped at McDonalds. We’re in one of the food capitals of the world and we go to McDonalds 🙄.

Relatively early night - especially for Carl (a 28 hour flight then 5 hours walking around Rome).Läs mer
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Singapore UK and Europe 2019 Resenär
Rome Day 3
16 november 2019, Italien ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Carl’s up early but those of us who aren’t jet-lagged decide to sleep-in. We finally got up and headed out buying 3 day Rome transport tickets 🎫 . Made our way back into the city/colosseum area. This time we had a look at the Forum, Palatine Hill and the Palace ruins - all pretty fabulous to look at and think about.

We had a late but very nice lunch at an Italian place. I told Carl and Anne that McDonald restaurants were all closed due to a worker’s strike (easy to believe - only the French like to go out on strike more than Italians).

Looks like the rain is returning (and it’s pretty cold) so we decide to head home.

A relatively short but good day.Läs mer
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Singapore UK and Europe 2019 Resenär
Rome Day 4
17 november 2019, Italien ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Another wet day as we headed off at 10.30 - we’re getting later and later. Again into Rome central (we’re staying close to the Vatican so it’s a pretty short trip by metro that is only about a 10/15 minute walk for us). Went to Piazza Navona and down into the museum. We made our way towards the river then onto the Vatican - we’re actually going into the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel tomorrow.

We had a look at a couple of other churches and I warned Carl that going through churches, basilicas and cathedrals, Every Single Day, would become a very common theme for him. I think he finally worked out that this was a cost-effective way of looking at “old” stuff. He will be quite religious by the time he gets home.

Headed home (in the rain) via McDonalds. According to Carl (he apparently heard it on the news - who knew he could speak fluent Italian🤷‍♂️) the strike was over☹️.

I think we have walked well over 650 kms to date and my shoes are falling apart - used one of Anne’s hair-ties to hold the sole on, it’s working but Anne’s hair looks a mess!!!!!

When we got back I went out and got a hair cut and a shave - with a cutthroat razor - smooth😂. The barber told me not to move as the razor is very very sharp - I moved and he was very very right.

The barber also asked if I wanted my ears done? - hmmm, okay. Damn it hurt. You have probably seen women get there eyebrows plucked by threading. Well he did that to my ears and it hurt 😢 a lot. Note to self - next time make sure you understand the question🤓.

Out for an Italian dinner - somehow have to get rid of the McDonalds taste.Läs mer
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Singapore UK and Europe 2019 Resenär
Rome Day 5
18 november 2019, Italien ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Last full day I’m Rome and the sun is trying to come out and say goodbye to us. We have tickets to the Vatican and Sistine Chappel for 1 pm. Anne went out for a bit of shopping while Carl and I had a rest. Had lunch then headed off - the Vatican is only 2 metro stops from us.

The Vatican museum is huge with artefacts from all over the world. There are floors after floors - we had a 3 hours or so but you could easily spend a 3 days or more. It makes you wonder how much of the collection was “appropriated”.

The Sistine Chapel is not huge, but the paintings are just special and the Michelangelo ceiling is in a class of its own. Pity no photography allowed. The Chapel gets 5 million visitors a year - most of them were here today.

The line up to go into the Vatican itself was hundreds of metres long, in the rain. It was getting late afternoon so we decided not to go in. A good excuse for Carl to come back to visit Rome.

Back to the apartment. No McDonald’s for dinner tonight, but the trade-off is Anne is cooking. Beautiful dinner and the best we’ve had in Italy!!!!

I need to be rested for the drive to Florence tomorrow. It’s not to far but it does mean tackling Rome’s traffic again.Läs mer
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Resans slut
15 december 2019

Singapore UK and Europe 2019

Rome Day 2

Rome Day 3

Rome Day 4

Rome Day 5