Rome Day 3

A lazier day, spent being a tourist.

Over breakfast (just us and host), we arranged a taxi for tomorrow, then walked around the Vatican, or the parts we had not already seen. The non-St Peter's side is perhaps 2 or 3 minutes away: it is right where the railway lines enter the Vatican (but closed off with a massive iron door). There was almost no-one except a few families, some nuns and the local police around the back, but then we reached the Vatican Museum and before 10am, there was a dense queue hundreds of metres long.

We walked across the river and up a shopping street, then to the People's Place, the gardens, more rambling streets, Trinita dei Monti at the top of the Spanish Steps and next to the old Medici Palace (a bigger crowd than usual as it is displaying the relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux ("Little Flower", another Doctor of the Church, like Rose's St Catherine)), the Spanish Steps, the Mausoleum of Augustus (being renovated), across the river and through the Vatican crowds, expanded this time by a medieval parade that was part of the Pope's midday Jubilee Year celebration. We missed the appearance, but saw the costumed crowds.

Dinner was a small restaurant not far away. Again, simple and good.

21,207steps, 16.7 km and 17 flights.

An early morning tomorrow as we catch an 8:55 flight to Athens, a train to the port and a ferry at 5pm to Hydra.Read more