Rome

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Our son Gavin and wife Bronagh gave us a surprise booking to Rome for our 40th Wedding Anniversary, including return flight from Glasgow Prestiwick Airport and four nights at the River Palace Hotel in via Flaminia.

Although we’d had a very early start, we were quickly and comfortably transported from Ciampino Airport to our hotel by luxury taxi leaving us plenty of time to plod the streets and soak up the history. Fortunately, the hotel was just a few yards from the Piazza del Popolo, a historic and interesting place to start our jaunt.

We were pleasantly surprised by central Rome, compact, plenty of hustle and bustle but not at all oppressive. For us it was nice and warm in the October sunshine, something we rarely get in Edinburgh.

Considering we’d be up since about 3.30, we managed to see and learn a lot by early afternoon, when we traipsed back to our hotel for a good nap before our evening meal. We managed to visit the Spanish Steps area, Villa Borghese and a number of other places shown in the photos.

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Photos

Obelisk, Piazza del Popolo
Stolen from Egypt by Emperor Augustus. It was originally used at Circus Maximus as a turning point for chariot races!

Piazza del Popolo
It's straight forward from here. Head for Spanish Steps on the left, Ill Vittoriano in the centre and River Tiber on the right.

Spanish Steps
It's mobbed most of the time but strangely relaxing as long as you ignore the street multitude sellers.

Spanish Steps
You can drink the water

Spanish Steps
It's quite relaxing really.
Keats-Shelly House is on the left out of view.

Spanish Steps
Just climb a little further and the crowd disappears

Trinita die Monti
Above the Spanish Steps