8th November 2015.

Dear All,

We have just returned from a few days in sunny Rome. It was 20°C plus every day and shirt sleeves all the way – no wonder Italians are laid back and don’t take work too seriously! We flew out of Stanstead on Tuesday afternoon and arrived at the Hotel Priscilla at 9 pm. The hotel was well situated near the Metro and bus routes not far from the Borghese Gardens, but it was not in its first flush of youth with intermittent water supply and breakfasts of limited scope and imagination. However it was reasonably priced and we did not spend long there. We were very expertly led by Alan Winfield who took the “Italian Cities” course I attended at U3A earlier this year.

On Wednesday we explored Ancient Rome: the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Capital Hill, Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Jewish Quarter and the River Tiber. We had been before when Esther was 3 and Kate was expecting Mary-Ann. Things had not changed a great deal but prices had increased: 12 euros for the Colosseum and no reductions for the elderly!

Colosseum

Roman Forum

Arch of Septimus Severus

On Thursday it was St Peter’s and the Vatican Museums. The queues for St Peter’s were predictably long and we did not greatly enjoy the visit and took a walk back to the River Tiber. The Museums were much better with some incredible exhibits especially the Egyptian section and the Map corridor culminating in the Sistine Chapel which was, as usual, rather crowded. We travelled to and fro on the Metro this day returning at rush hour which was just like the Tokyo underground and a challenge for 25 aging participants!

St Peter’s Basilica

Roof of Map Corridor

Museum Spiral Staircase

On Friday we took in the Chiesa Nuova to see the Rubens paintings, the Piazza Navona with its iconic fountains and collection of artists and living statues desperate to make a buck or two, then a French church to see three Caravagio’s followed by the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Evidently it is always pot luck as to which is being restored and this week it was the Spanish Steps that were covered with scaffold and out of bounds. We finished up with afternoon tea in the Borghese Gardens.

The Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

Having a “clued up” guide was a huge advantage and even though the party would probably qualify for U4A and contained an eccentric or two it worked well and we met some interesting people.

Love

Mike & Kate