4 days in Rome - day 2

21^st September

We found the stairs that went to the restaurant – the hotel is an “L” shape and the restaurant is on the other end of the “L”. 

We just missed a coach party so we had to wait for the tables to be set again.  Also, items like the fresh fruit was almost all gone and the staff were too busy laying tables to re-stock. 

Mark had a meeting today (the reason for our visit), so we walked up to the main road to try and buy bus or travel tickets.  Eventually we found the Metro and after a bit of bother with the ticket machine we managed to buy 3 day tourist passes for €16.50 each which covers all buses, trams, train and the metro – this will save us a lot of bother.  Metro travel was so much more comfortable than the bus, although the signage could be better (or exist!) – We just used instinct!  We got off at Flaminio and then Mark got a train to his meeting.  I walked up to the main road and looked around to get my bearings. 

There was an interesting gateway over the road, so I crossed and found the Piazza del Popolo and the church of Santa Maria del Popolo which was absolutely breathtaking.  According to legend the church occupies the spot where the hated emperor Nero was buried.  In 1099 Pope Paschal II built a chapel to dispel demons still believed to haunt the spot. In 1472 Pope Sixtus IV rebuilt the chapel as a church.  In the apse (designed by Bramante) are Rome’s first stained-glass windows (1509).  I took loads of pictures and then noticed that my battery was flashing red – after a day in the Vatican making the camera work hard compensating for not having flash I should have charged it up overnight. 

I then retraced my steps and saw another grand gateway leading up to the park of Villa Borghese – so off I walked glad to be out of the crowds. 

At the top of the climb up I found a wee boating lake with an island in the middle where there is a temple dedicated to Aesculapius. 

I stopped for a comfort break in probably the worst toilets ever – they were clean but no flush visible!  Weird.  I carried on wandering around taking in the sights of the park and stopped for a coffee at the cinecaffe next to the outdoor cinema.  This park is full of locals and visitors alike – there are bicycles to hire – both two wheeled and four wheeled four seaters with child seats on the front.  Balloon sellers, food vans and merry-go-rounds all adding to the family day out.   I sat with my coffee for at least an hour just watching the world go by.  I decided that I had probably stayed too long, so paid my bill €2.50 and carried on walking. 

I walked up past the Museo e Galleria Borghese and into what seemed to be used as an exercise area. I grabbed a folded pizza from a van outside the zoo, but decided not to go into the zoo as it wouldn’t be as much fun on my own. I took several photos on my mobile phone so that I could capture the essence of the park.  

In the centre of the park is a full-scale reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

I returned back to the boating lake and sat outside another café having yet another coffee and reading my book – this was very pleasant. 

I then found the bus stop for the 116 which would take me down to the Vatican area again so I could catch a bus back to the hotel.  After exiting the park the bus driver pulled over and we had to get onto another 116 – it must have been his break time.  The bus takes a route through really narrow streets (it is a short bus) with tight corners and parked cars!  It was a great way to see some of the historic centre of Rome without pounding the pavements, and I had the bus to myself for most of the journey!  I decided to take the bus to its terminus not realising that it terminated at the top level of a public car park which seemed to be built in a hill.  I walked down the hill and caught the 881 back to the hotel.  What I have noticed about the buses here is that the majority of the seats are in single rows with wide aisles, the seats are mainly plastic rather than fabric covered.  First thing I did was to charge the batteries in my camera and phone – not wanting to get caught out again.  I had a beer in the hotel bar then went back to the room to wait for Mark to return.  We had a two course meal in the hotel restaurant which was very nice, and then went to the bar for a coffee before returning to the room to read.