Another Day in Rome

September 28, 2015

Our last day in Italy . . . and in Rome. We spent it wandering quarters we had not been to before. So from our hotel, we headed east and across the Ponte Pietro Nenni towards the Piazza del Popolo and the Villa Borghese.

We actually didn't make it to the Villa Borghese or the parklands surrounding it (although we passed through on a bus later that day). Instead, we continued down the Via del Corso, a street I have never walked. We went as far as the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II.

Marcus Aurelius Column in the Piazza Colonna.

Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II . . . which, if you've been to Rome, you know already, as it is the most massive edifice around and can be seen from most vantage points!

At this point we veered to the left and followed our original bike route out of town down the Via dei Fori Imperiali. This was a leisurely stroll, but we soon arrived at the Colosseum (after taking in all the ruins to either side) and grabbed lunch at Angelino ai Fori. Next stop: ice cream.

Well, that was a bit of a harder chore than expected, but we eventually found some after wandering in the direction of the train station. And having arrived there, I convinced Mark (dragging and kicking) that we should take the subway back to the hotel. Mark is not much of a transit guy, but I love it. Our last ride in Rome, however, was a bit of a chore for him as it was very crowded. This is partly because new construction is constantly hitting old ruins, slowing progress. As a result, they only have two lines (maybe 2-1/2, as a third is being attempted)!

But it didn't matter. The subway was closed for some undetermined reason, and we were directed to the buses. Wow, I get to ride a bus in Rome. I'm all for it! Mark just grins and bears it. If you think getting a ferry to Capri is interesting, try catching a shuttle bus put in service to replace a subway line! Well, after only (ONLY) two buses . . . we were on our way. Our crowded way!

The crowded shuttle bus that replaced our subway ride. A ride with a view!

Later, we met Amanda and Tano for drinks in Campo di Fiori, followed by dinner in the Trastevere. We then made our goodbyes as we had a 7:00 AM flight the next day! Our cab was arriving at 4:30!

The ride to the airport was a breeze. The food on British Airways was not!

We're not in Italy anymore! A British Airways breakfast sandwich. I did not eat it!

But in spite of all that great food in Italy, I gained next to nothing . . . my low point before I left for Italy was 158.5!

And amazingly, I gained no weight on this trip, in spite of all the great food. On the East Coast trip, I lost 15 lbs.!

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