Galleria Borghese and more

Tuesday evening I had dinner at La Scala. It was very nice. I heard a New Zealand accent behind me and, as usual, started chatting. He is a catholic priest whose diocese is the cathedral of Auckland. He has been travelling with a Franciscan and they spent time in Assisi. My meal was excellent. I had maccheroni alla matriciana and finished with panna cotta, not quite what I expected. The wine was also very nice.

Wednesday 26 September: I slept badly last night because someone set off the fire alarm and it rang on and off for more than an hour. In the end, I came downstairs to find out what was happening. This morning a quick caffè doppia then off to find a taxi to take me to Galleria Borghese. Well, what a palaver...even though you have booked and paid online, you queue to get your ticket, queue to check all your bags, queue for the audio guide. Finally, in the marvellous museum. You are allowed 2 hours but I was done after one hour. It is enormous and so much to see. I concentrated on the good paintings - Raffaello, Perugini and Caravaggio - superb, and then spent a lot of time with the Bernini scuptures: Daphne and Apollo, David with his slingshot, the rape of Proserpine and Aeneas's flight from Troy, saving his father and son. The sculptures are simply divine, you cannot believe that they are of marble so fine is the work. After staggering out of the museo I walked a bit in the gardens. So huge and quite beautiful.

Eventually, I took the little treno and got off at Pincio for the view and my long way home.

So down to Piazza del Popolo, down to Piazza di Spagna -

The boat-shaped fountain in the piazza.

Then up the million steps at Trinità to via Sistina then finally home to tidy up and shoot out again. I walked up the via Veneto and stopped at Cafè de Paris for a spritz aperol.

Back to the hotel via the bottom of via della Purificazione and popped into a little erboristica and bought some soaps. My positively last purchase, no room in my luggage, will have to squeeze them in somehow. Then back to the hotel and booked a hair appointment for down the street for tomorrow about 4 to prepare myself for home.

I think I have to go back to The Knights of Malta to try once more for the photo. Will do that tomorrow.This afternoon I head down via Sistina to Santa Maria Maggiore and a look around the Termini area. Have I said that Rome is defeating me 'cos it is - it is truly exhausting. Thank God it rained last night so it is marginally cooler. PS even though I was disappointed with my room allocation, the staff at the hotel are charming and helpful.

Posted with Blogsy