And so it begins, Italy!

Bags are packed, tickets are ready. Now just the long wait until our 2:00am flight
Wow such long flights with very little sleep. If anyone says to me It's a small world I will say try sitting on 3 planes for 8 hours each at 800 kph, it's a huge world

Finally arrived in Rome and the rental car company couldn't find
out booking, I nearly passed out. My well planned travel diary with all booking numbers etc. was

sitting on the coffee table at home!! Anyway it was all sorted once we got an internet connection to show our booking confirmation.
Our little Alfa as waiting for us. Now just to find our way in the dark in the wrong side of the road!!. Gary found it easily enough and our lovely host as waiting for us. Now just to hit the bed.

4th Oct 2017. OSTIA ANTICA
This was the trading centre for the port of Rome. Our unit is part of the castle at the entry to the ancient trading centre. This was to collect taxes from all the traders. It was owned by the Pope and was fortified because some of the traders didn't like the idea of paying the church.

It is amazing to walk through the ruins of the city and trading centre, so many beautiful mosaic floors still visible as well as old shop fronts and homes it is easy to picture what a bustling multi cultural area this would have been.

The weather was perfect quite warm and sunny. We didn't realise he sunset was still late at night his time of year, sunset is 7:15pm, perfect for quick drink before dinner at the tiny bar across the road from us. I tried their home made lemoncello, wow that cleared my head. After dinner we took a stroll in the old square behind our unit and I forgot just how many cats there are in Italy! I stopped to pat one and her name tag said Kim, lol. Not very Italian.

5th Oct 2017. ROME.
They say all roads lead to Rome but I think all trains do too. It was like being in a sardine tin, no personal space and quite warm too.
Getting off the train we picked up our scooter to head into the centre of Rome. I swear Gary thinks he's Italian the way he drives sometimes, he says you have to go with the flow but I'm sure he has claw marks in his side from zipping up the side of cars.
First stop was the Castle de Angelo which we missed last time. Very interesting ,so many little corridors and pathways. Great views of Rome and the Vatican. Nice little cafe under the vines to rest our legs after all the stairs and we just had to try the Lemoncello cake Yum.
Now for a walk along the river passed the typical tourist markets stands with the Pope's face on everything from magnets to tea-towels to visit Piazza del Popolo, quite busy and very warm as no real shade anywhere so we walked up the hill to the gardens of Villa Borghese for a nice picnic lunch on the grass.
After we had a nice long rest it's off to the Spanish steps which again we didn't see last time, now I know why. So many tourists and really nothing to see, very unimpressed. Went for a stroll through the nearby streets with all the designer shops we can't afford to buy in and decided it was time to head back to the sardine tin for our trip home.

LIDO de OSTIA
We took a short drive to the beach area, popular with tourists and locals from Rome. Typical European beachside with many resorts having private beaches and restaurants and bars having their own areas where you pay for sun loungers. Enjoyed a gelato in the town square and a walk up the pier to see a lovely old Italian man playing his guitar.
We had lunch in small restaurant overlooking the beach, wood fired pizza so nice and so cheap then a short drive back to the apartment for some rest before dinner. We are already used to later dinners as the sunset is late it feels to early to eat at our normal 6pm time and nothing is usually open to dinner that early anyway. After dinner we went for a walk behind the unit see the castle lit up at night and discover even more cats out and about. There were lots of people at the tiny church attending a wedding and we later saw the bride and groom getting their photos taken in the courtyard. A bit unusual on a Thursday night I thought.