Last day in Rome

The next day was my last day in Rome, and it was my birthday. On my 35th birthday I had decided that I was going to turn 40 in Italy. I pictured myself sitting at a cafe with a red and white check tablecloth drinking a glass of red wine and eating a slice of pizza. I didn't make it for my 40th, but I was there for my 41st.

I started the day feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything that I still hadn't seen and done here. And with this being my last day I wasn't going to fit it all in. But then it occurred to me that Rome isn't going anywhere and I can come back one day. So then I just relaxed and enjoyed the day.

First I went to Campo dei Fiori, a square not far south of where stay, and I was lucky enough to be there on a market day so the place was buzzing with people and noise. I sat in a little cafe on the edge of the square and had a coffee and watched everything going on. It's very lucky that I have luggage restrictions on my flights! There was so much I could have bought...

Campo dei Fiori

After a coffee and a wander around the markets I headed back to the Pantheon to see if it was open. Third time lucky! I finally got to see the inside! And it is stunning... If you click on the pictures you'll get a better view.

Massive facade of the Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

Next stop was the Capitoline Museum. While I was having a wander around the outside before going in I stumbled across a fabulous Franciscan church. I could have sat in there for ages and just soaked it up. Why is it that all the beautiful places like this are churches? I would love to have a beautiful place for us agnostics to hang out and reflect in!

Franciscan church

Then I raced through the Capitoline Museum in just over an hour because I had a tour booked somewhere else at 2pm. The museum was interesting, but didn't absorb me as much as other places have... probably because I was in a hurry.

After the museum I did a fantastic tour of an archeological site underneath the Piazza Venezia. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos, but if you go to 'Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini' and look at the images you might get an idea of it. Basically, they have excavated down under the Piazza and found the remains of an some ancient Roman houses and also the medieval buildings that were built over top of them. You walk through many rooms on a perspex floor looking at the remains of the buildings below you, and through the use of lighting and projection they bring it to life and show you what it might have been like when the buildings and the society  were at their peak. It was excellent!

This is Piazza Venezia.
The underground excavations are to the right of the picture, behind the horse statue. 

After another busy day I took myself out for a birthday dinner. I didn't stray far from my hotel as I had to pack and get an early night before traveling south to Sorrento the following day.

Thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying this. I love reading the comments, even though I haven't managed to reply to each individually. The purpose of this was for me to have something to look back on, but I'm glad that others can travel vicariously with me!