Rhonda Bracey: At Random

I can’t remember much about this morning, except we walked a lot and it was HOT. My photos show we went to the Piazza Navona, Campo Di Fiore, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, etc. and we ate gelato. I do know we knocked out another 16,000 steps and sweltered in the hot sun. There are very few street trees in Rome (unlike Barcelona), so add extra degrees to the forecast temperature to account for the heat reflecting off the concrete and other hard surfaces that are everywhere. We found a nice quiet little place to have lunch in a side street, and our feet enjoyed the break, while our bodies loved the ice-cold water and fresh salad and fruit.

Then it was off to the two planned things for today—firstly, the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Even though we had timed entry tickets for 2:45pm and they kept the crowds moving well, there was NO shade and it was unbelievably hot standing in the sun for nearly an hour. Once inside, it was cooler, but there was an awful lot of walking to do to get through it. And it was like IKEA in that everyone moved in one direction past all sorts of religious art, sculptures and artefacts on walls and ceilings and in cabinets, until finally we reached the Sistine Chapel, where you can’t take ANY photos. On a cooler day and with fresh feet and fewer people, I might have stopped to take in the artwork, but to be honest, we just wanted to get through it and out. Yes, it was magnificent, yes it was overwhelming, but with the heat and the crowds I just couldn’t appreciate it as it should be appreciated. Also, I’m not a fan of religious institutions holding so much wealth and paying no taxes! So, tick it off the bucket list…

The next planned thing was the Fiats at 6:30pm! We were really looking forward to this, and we weren’t disappointed. I’d discovered and booked this 2-hour tour some months earlier (https://www.romaroundtours.com/explore-rome), and today was the day we got to ride in some 1970s Fiat 500 Cabriolets. What an experience! Our drivers were great, and the cars were amazing. They’ve been converted to electric, but that didn’t diminish the experience at all—in fact it probably enhanced it because there was no engine noise. And the 6:30pm timeslot I’d chosen was perfect for that time of the year—the worst of the harsh heat was gone from the day and the air was balmy as we meandered around Rome’s streets as the sun was starting to set. We went to places and saw things we wouldn’t have seen in any other tour, and even stopped at a fountain high on a hill to sample some limoncello the drivers had brought with them. Because there were 4 of us, we had 2 cars with English-speaking drivers. It wasn’t cheap, but it was one of those experiences we won’t forget for  a long time and will talk about in family gatherings for many years. A true family bonding experience. One of the best things was seeing the ear-to-ear grin on my nephew’s face for the entire time!! He’s a bit of a car fan, but I don’t think he’d ever experienced being driven around in an old Fiat before.

The drivers dropped us at a place where we’d booked a table at a rooftop bar to see the sunset, and see the sunset over Rome we did—along with their exorbitant prices for drinks and nibbles! Oh well, we’d only do this once.

I wonder how many people took pictures of the aubergines/eggplants before they added this sign! (Campo Di Fiore)

Look at the size of that mortadella, and it was about a metre long too (Campo Di Fiore)

One of the many painted ceilings in the Vatican Museum

Our Fiats! My nephew and I were in the yellow one—he was in the front next to the driver and I was squashed into the back (there’s not a lot of room!). My sister and niece travelled in the back of the white one.

Our cute little Fiat!

Standing in the back of the Fiat

Rome at night from the rooftop bar