A little slow off the mark this morning...but so was the rest of Rome. It is so warm here we have a developed a constant shine...no wonder they have lovely skin. Some pretty looking storm clouds but no storm arrived. Out at 9am & the streets are quiet. Using the new Metro is so easy. It does not appear to have affected the other modes of transport as the buses & trams are still constant & full. We enjoy people watching on the Metro, you name the nationality they are there. We changed route at san Giovanni onto the red line to Spagna. Quite a crowd at the 'Spagna Steps' already & so I didn't climb them this time. So we HAD to walk past all those amazing shops on the 'expensive street' with all the ... read more

A great sleep in a Hotel 2 blocks over from Termini Stazione so then we were able to shoot out & grab some city transport tickets & some train tickets we will need while in Sicily. Also easy for us to catch the tram out to Mirti where we now stop for 4 nights. Met our lovely host Joseph who lives right next door & then we shot out to the Simply supermarket arriving back armed with the Italian essentials: mozarella, tortillas, tomatoes, capsicum, lettuce, salami, lasagna, fresh beans, grapes & of course some bottled grapes... We are on the top floor & the bed has a memory mattress....i've got a thing about beds at the moment.. The weather is warm enough to constantly seek the shade. Of course NZ has verandas outside all shopping areas ... read more

Well we did the longhaul with Qatar Airlines and they were great all the way. We managed to obtain 2 seats on our own. I decided there isn't alot of difference between the 12 & 17 hour longhaul.....only slept a pinch! I say we've broken the back of it & now we're enjoying some airconditioning space and an enormous comfy bed in Doha. We are just a 20 minute shuttle drive from the Airport. Can't hear the traffic outside due to double glazing. Doha is preparing for the 2022 world cup (football) & so we see the new Metro being established. The Airport itself is big & i'm fairly sure it is not long new either. We probably won't get time to head out & venture & i'm sure the day will be in the late ... read more

The hotel type accommodation in central Rome two blocks over from the Termini was perfect for our last night in Europe. 6th floor, clean and quiet. We were up at 4am and walked to the Terravision bus stop at Termini by 4.30. It takes an hour to the airport but we were a bit earlier as it wasn"t too hectic on the roads this time of morning. Driving through the old city Roman walls in their partially ruined state, all lit up. Easy checking-in, via London (transit) to LA. Booked all the way so didn't have to worry about our checked 'hold luggage'. Just as well..I'm pleased security is real tight but in that effort to get here I don't know how many times we had to disassemble our 'carryon' packing to put through scanners... All ... read more

The change over from the new C Line metro is not quite finished yet so there is a 1km walk to the A Line at St Giovanni. It was sunny today with a high of 17degrees so we took the C Metro from Mirti to St Giovanni. The St Giovanni Basilica is fabulous especially when your'e not expecting it. It is the most ancient early Christain Basilica and was built by Constantine in 313AD. The skulls of St Peter & St Paul are kept as relics here. It was a seat of the papacy before it was relocated to the Vatican. Inside the basilica are buried 22 Popes. It is just as grand as St Peters Basilica. We continued on to walk around the Coloseum and Circus Maximus (600m long). Still hoards of people sightseeing...... read more