Day 34: Shopping Frenzy

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Sunday, July 24, 2011



I had museum reservations for the Borghese Gallery this afternoon, but I chose to enjoy Georgie's company on her last day in Rome. It's the Eternal City, and no doubt the gallery will still be there when I return one day.

Georgie and I set out on foot south of the hostel to the main street that runs past the Colosseum. To our amazement, the typically busy road was completely void of traffic. We walked right down the middle of the street to the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. It was free to visit the museum within, but it was pretty dry. And hot - no air conditioning. Georgie and I paid the fee for the elevator to the top, which provided a great panorama of the surroundign city and Roman ruins.

We then took off for the main shopping district. The thrill of shopping actually made me forget how sore my feet were (oh yes, all the daily walking comes with a price). Georgie found the prices much cheaper in Rome than Australia, while I found the rates equal or above those on the west coast if the US. Still, it didn't slow me down much.

For supper, we treated ourselves to a nice sit-down meal. Our table was on the sidewalk, providing fantastic people watching. The servers were every bit the Italian stereotype, with their "smooth talking," which was also amusing. We strolled back to the Colosseum after dark and enjoyed some gelato.

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