One leg down but the longer one left to go.
We all got a little sleep to varying degrees on first trip – Dana the most I think and Nerida the least, though look more the other way round.
Waiting to be let onto next plane and then its 14 hours or so to Sydney.
A gentle start to the day – getting out after breakfast in the hotel at 10am and off for the tube. The plan being to catch the Bakerloo line down to Piccadilly Circus and then start wandering. However once through the turnstiles we dicover Bakerloo line has severe delays to point of not running due to someone on the tracks.
So change of plans and onto District and Circle to Glocester Street and change lines heading back to Piccadilly Circus anyway – just a slightly longer route. Up to ground level and work out our directions then start wandering towards Covent Garden.
Stopped along the way to see what shows are on at the moment and apart from Lion King nothing really grabbed us as something we would all want to see, so no show tonight.
Did some shopping then headed for Trafalgar Sqaure to check out the pidgeons, then onto gardens to hunt for squirels (saw only one) and some lunch near Buckingham Palace.
We then walked up through Green Park, past all the high end jewelery and onto Hamblys to check out the various toys and stuff. Then round the back to Carnaby Street and Dr Martin shopping for Dana and Sam.
Back to the tube and returned to the hotel mch poorer than we headed out this morning.
Tomorrow is heading off to Camden Markets, then fill in the rest of the day till we have to head out to Heathrow for our 10pm flight to Dubai, then onto Sydney landing at 6am Monday morning.
Travel day (again), Rome to London this time. We had a mid afternoon flight, so a relaxed morning and late(ish) breakfast before an 11am checkout. Just sat in the hotel lounge reading till the car they booked for us at 12:15 showed up, a realtively swish and powerful Mercedes.
A bit of weaving in and out of traffic getting out of Rome – like every other car, but once we hit the freeway he opened it up and we certainly weren’t doing the posted 100 km/h – glancing sideways I saw 130 on the dial, then we hit “open” speed limit and he sped up further over taking police too.
Once at the airport checkin was pretty quick and passport control almost non-existant. Stopped for a quick lunch, then down to wait near the gates. Our boarding time came and went and they said “soon”, then the captain came down to announce we were delayed with a minor issue – they couldn’t open the wardrobe that the cabin crew store their passports and gear and engineers were currently dismantling the door to get the stuff out and once they had finished their distruction we would be allowed on.
In the end boarded about half an hour late, but made most of it up in flight time. Passport control was once again fast and friendly and our bags came straight out. Grabbed tickets for the Paddington express and went down to the platform for a train to come straight in, and 20 minutes later at our hotel.
Dropped the bags off – then out for dinner, good English food as a break from Italian 😉 . Nerida had a burger, I had cider battered haddock and Dana some really good ribs.
A short walk along the cannal then back. Tomorrow into the heart of London – Covent Garden, etc… and try and book into a show for Friday night.
Well we have baked for three days in Rome at 30 C and up to 60% humidity – with the humidity being the biggest killer.
On Monday we started off by heading down to St John in the Lattern by metro to pick up our Omnia and Roma cards.
Back onto the metro and one change later out at the Colloseum, where the queues to get in were long, but moving – andthis was just for the pre-purchased tickets. The “buy now” line outside was short and moving, but once inside was long and not moving. In the end it took us maybe 15 minutes to get in, then the Roma pass gad it’s own express turnstile which was really short and fast queue 🙂 .
Up the stairs and damn it is a big place. Not as well kept as Nimes, but Nimes in toto would fit in the center, maybe scraping the first rows of seats.
After wandering around for about an hour, keeping to the interior and shade as much as possible, we exited and headed just across the path and into the Palantine Hill and Forum area – which for being beside the Colloseum had no queues and was relatively quiet.
We had a small wander around here, but it was getting seriously hot and sweaty in the humid heat and Nerida and Dana were starting to really flake (I wasn;t far behind) — so we headed back to our hotel and cool showers to refresh, then after a short break and some food, back out to find the hop on / hop off bus we have access to for the net 3 days. Took a little hunting at the nearest stop to us as they are not sign posted, but once on we enjoyed the breeze and did a full lap out to the Vatican, then back to the metro termini and then back to our hotel to realx and dinner round the corner at a recommended resturant.
Tuesday was our “Catholic” day, to be spent at the Vatican. And earlyish start to get there for our 10am booking to go ino the mesuem and the Sistine chapel. Was really worth having the pre-purchased tickets as we walked past the ticket queue that the road side group spruickers were already saying was at least 2-3 hours “long”. We though were inside and had our tickets within 5 minutes, including passing security.
All I can really say about the Vatican museums is that it was a long hour and a walk past many treasures that effectively formed a long queue to get into the Sistine Chapel. I’m sure there weren’t better things the church could have spent that money on over the centuries.
However the end goal of the Sistine Chapel was worth the long wait and is just too hard to describe in words how amazing it is, especially seeing that in both Venice and Florence all we heard was how much Michealangelo hated to paint – he loved to sculpt. For someone who didn’t like doing it he sure was damn good at it.
Once out and wending through yet more corridors of artifacts, found the cafeteria and stopped for lunch and a leg relax. Then back on our feet and the short walk round to Saint Peters and find the Omnia office and check in for our priority access. While entry to St Peters is free, the public queue is again hours long and in the sun. With the booked entry you go straight in no waiting.
Having all been sensible for the day wearing covered shoulders and pants (or skirt) below the knee’s (and I’d already taken my hat off) we were waved straight through security – unlike some of the Omnia group who were told they couldn’t enter with their short shorts, or thin strap tops without further coverings.
Once inside it is a seriously big place, the biggest cathedral in the world – so we have now down all of the top 3, St Pauls in London at number 2 and the Duoma in Florenece and number 3. The sheer opulence and size of it is mind bending. We wandered for about an hour, and then debated (briefly) about paying for the additional tour to walk up the dome, but all having hot and tired feet decided better of it.
Back on the bus and round to termini, then metro back to hotel and showers to cool down. A coffee in the bar and feeling much better, but just relaxed until dinner which was round the corner again – they are really good.
Wednesday was our “walking” day, so no pressure to start too early, but out to find the hop on bus about 10am and round to the Vatican stop as our starting point.
A short walk and across the Tiber at Castle Angelo, and attempt to follow suggested walking guides we had picked out for the day.
Made it too the Piazza Navone about midday and stopped for a light lunch looking at the 3 fountains in the square. Then back on our feet and off to find the Pantheon. So yes there was another church today but no where near as impressive as St Peters. Then attempting to get back onto our walking route, got stopped by police blockades near some government buildings due to a protest that as far as I coud tell was dairy farmers trying to stop “foreign” yogurt coming into Italy – though I may be wrong as my Itallian is very sketchy.
Some back streets later and back onto the route which is now through the main shopping centre of Rome. Thence a short walk to the Spanish Steps – and gee a staircase can be really exciting….
So back down the road to find the Trevi Fountain, Which we have decided is the highlight of our Rome stay (not). It was in amazing condition – empty and covered in scaffolding and tarpolines with workers cleaning / restoring it. Such great timing. The sounds of disappointment from people walking around the corners to find it in such a state almost made it worth it, was quite commical. Some nice gelato later and onto the Piazza Venezia and on to the bus for once again Termini and back to the hotel.
Will try a different resturant down the road for dinner tonight, and maybe a wander to the Colloseum to see it light up at night.
Flight to London tomorrow afternoon – which could be a fun day, with Rome airport still in chaos from the fire back in May, and the London tube being shut down on strike for the first time in 13 years. At least the Heathrow express to Paddington we want to use is not (directly) affected, though it may have more use as the regular Heathrow trains are out, we will wait and see. At least the tube is meant to be back working for Friday and the weekend when we want it.
So “checkout” of the apartment was easy, they checked the electricity meter and we had used €5 of power, and wondering just what you had to do to chew through enough for them to have brought in paying, as Simona said at the start they had been stung by someone using excessive power – maybe run the 3 A/C heads at lowest temp 24/7 ?
Taxi appeared almost immediately it was called, and quick trip across town to the station. Waiting for our train and it ends up being 15 minutes late in the end too, but once on it in premium economy it was cool, comfy and fast to Rome, topping out at about 250 km/h.
Once at Rome we tried for a taxi at the station, but long queue and no taxi’s, so decided to walk the sub 1km to our hotel, though cobbles are a bitch with bag wheels 🙁 .
Checked straight in and once cooled down, Nerida and I headed out to check out where we can pick up our Omnia cards tomorrow morning, they are not open on weekends in town – only out at the Vatican, grrrr. Anyway was a “short” 15 minute walk, and we caught the metro back two stops for €1,50 each as that is what we will do tomorrow morning.
Back and a cool drink later, we head out once more for a bit of a walk to check out the area, and after a short stroll we ended up at the Coliseum – we are only a 5 minute direct walk from it.
Grabbed some very tasty gelato on the way back, and now resting before dinner.
