I am up early to walk down to the Trevi Fountain before the Madding Crowd arrives and what a delight it is to enjoy this great monument in peace and quiet.
Breakfast, a quick phone call to Craig, check out from the hotel and then set off on the long walk, past the magnificent Vittorio Emanuele 11 monument, to the statue of Garibaldi, high above the city in Il Gianicolo garden. A very strenuous climb was rewarded by a panoramic view of Rome and from this vantage point it comes as a surprise to see that The Vittorio Emanuele Monument is in fact higher than virtually all other buildings in the city, with the exception of St Peter's.
Easier walk back down to St Peter's square but time constraints mean that we have no hope of getting into the cathedral itself. Noticeable how many large-scale posters/photographs there are of the late Pope John Paul all around Rome and elsewhere in Italy and how they appear to represent the huge affection and devotion felt for this man compared to the current pontiff.
Back to the hotel for transport to the airport. Flight delayed due to bad weather in Frankfurt but one hour later we are off on a very bumpy flight.
Our 2 month stay in various parts of Europe has been truly memorable so it's now time to start planning our next adventure. G has already guaranteed that it will NOT include a 310 kms bike ride!
The Obese Ferret signing off until he can next bore you all to tears.
To those people who have followed the blog- a big 'thank you'. To everybody else- I can't help it if you don't appreciate literary genius when you see it!
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