Well, it has been a while since I posted. Not by choice or lack of time. The purchased "high speed" internet on the Celebrity Reflection was not fast enough even to open Wix to do some writing so any photos would have been a no-go. So it is time to catch up.
The last day in Rome, Thursday, October 6, 2022, was a quiet one for me. The day before, I overdid things a bit. I think I had mild heat stroke from the 30 degrees Celsius plus high humidity weather and the 29 175 steps we did that day, resulting in a night full of terrible leg cramps. I spent the day re-hydrating, relaxing, and going to a lovely lunch and dinner with Greg.
After breakfast, Greg took his new love, his camera, out for a walk while I rested. His route took him along the Tiber River to Aventine Hill, southwest of the Colosseum. Here he visited the lovely small park Giardino degli Aranci with its beautiful trees and great viewpoint (Terrazza Belvedere Aventino) looking over the city toward the Vatican.
On the hill, there is also a very nice residential area and two magnificent basilicas. It is a quiet and peaceful place only a few hundred metres from the noise and congestion below. Walking north toward the city centre, Greg climbed several long stairways, the first leading to the Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, the second to the adjacent basilica, and the third almost to the top of the massive and extravagant “modern” monument, Altare della Patria. This was opened in 1911 but not completed until 1935. Here there is a great view over and beyond the nearby bustling Piazza Venezia, at the heart of Rome. The way down from the monument is a route through it’s cavernous interior, past many beautiful statues. It’s really impressive.
Pictures by Greg:
For dinner, we decided to go back to the restaurant called Aqualunae that we visited the first night we were in Rome. It was such a lovely restaurant with quiet music, exceptional food, and service that we had to go back. It did not disappoint.
Phew! COVID tests are negative. Mediterranean cruise, here we come!
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