Friday: We knew we would be having (for us) a late night, so we had a very slow morning, cooked ourselves some eggs for brekky to have with some of the bread & cheese we had left in the fridge.
Out of our apartment and we made our way to check out the train station we need to leave from on Monday. Our route took us through the edge of St Peters Square. It was quite a hike so we'Ve decided it was too far and uneven to try walking the 1.7k dragging suitcases and we'll be calling a cab. From here we knew that we needed to cross the river which meant we needed to go up and over or around a hill (one of the 7). Going around won, back passed St Peters, through a tunnel dodge some traffic and we found a bridge to get us across the Tiber.
Taking advantage of our hop on/off bus tickets we hopped on at our usual stop and off at the next stop, near Piazza Bambini, found a sunny spot at the edge of the piazza for a coffee and a bite to eat, and watched the world buzz by. Once refuelled, and with no real destination in mind, we wandered upwards. Our stroll randomly took us passed the top of the Spanish Steps and along to the very edge of the gardens surrounding the Villa Borghese. At this high point we were able to look out over the city and directly below to Piazza del Poppolo. Spectacular views. As we were leaving a local busker played Dad's favourite song "Over the Rainbow" - a special moment. After some hours of walking we took ourselves back by the bottom of the Spanish Steps and on to the Trevi Fountain. Much busier through these areas, it seems, later in the week. It was very crowded.
We found a little ristorante that we'd had coffee in earlier in the week and decided to try it for an early dinner before catching up with Jodi & Stefano. With time still to fill before our catchup we jumped on the bus again for a complete circuit. Great to see the city as it dipped in to darkness and lights came on around us.
Drinks and our meet up were at a pub nearby the Trevi Fountain. We had some fun and met some new people from all over. When it was time to leave we found a cab a couple of streets away. He took us the wrong way (didn't understand our Italian) but we made it safely back.
Saturday: Definitely needed a sleep in this morning, but once we got moving, found a coffee and some breakfast, and explore our local neighbourhood a title further. The streets around us are less "touristy" than many areas, and are lined with typical local shops. We walked through the "wet" market & fresh fruit & vegs. Found a barber for Chris...a number 3 he asked for...hmmm...it's a bit shorter than that. A lot of the shops have their end of winter sales on at the moment. Bargains to be had everywhere. After a late lunch (yes we had walked and shopped for quite a while) we grabbed a few supplies from the supermarket and headed back to cosy and warm. The weather has turned a little damp and cool so it was good to settle inside a bit earlier than usual.
