3 DAY WHISTLE STOP TRIP

We love a stopover on long flights, breaks the journey and gives the holiday another perspective.  This time we chose Rome – which also turned out to be cheaper than flying straight back from the UK – bonus.

A LOT of walking was done from here to there and everywhere.  We were staying in Trastevere – cute old part of town but noisy.

Plenty of great buildings – but too many people and long queues for us to venture inside, hard to get good photos too but we tried. Must be a statue for nearly every roman that lived.

Parking can be interesting – not sure I would have been happy coming back to this car.

Equally not sure I would be happy as a restaurateur – the sparrows eat their display dishes.

Had some excellent food, Spag Bog and Pizza.

The gardens in Rome are surprising, mostly part of old Villa’s but lovely grounds and surprising numbers of birds, very peaceful spots.

Fountains and statues are another highlight in Rome, there are so many, some more quirky than others.

Buildings are very ornate, inside and out – the money  that must have been spent is incredible.  The little Chuch of Santa Maria in Trastevere looks nothing much from the outside but the ceiling is amazing.

I also loved the shops in Trastevere, more old world and different.  My favourite was a chocolate shop where you could buy chocolate made into almost anything.

Our last day was spent at Ostia Antica which I think is better than Rome Central, less people, better ruins.  Really enjoyed the 6 hours wandering around here with ornate building remains, mosaics and interesting birdlife.