Day 1: The Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Colosseum, and Capitoline Museums.
This was so much bigger than I had anticipated. We spent the entire afternoon and evening here wandering the ruins. We have an ongoing problem of forgetting to pack snacks (and water) and then finding ourselves 4 hours since our last meal break, cranky and without a grocery store, kiosk or restaurant in sight. I remember buying sandwiches across the street from the Capitoline Museums and sitting on the curb to to eat them before crossing a very busy road (with no pedestrian crossing lights) and heading in to see the art. We always tell ourselves that we'll plan better the next day but... we don't.
This was hands down one of my favourite gallery experiences. The Galleria Borghese only allows a limited number of guests into the gallery at one time so you need to prebook a two-hour time slot in advance. Like the Mauritshuis in Den Haug, the Borghese is a house (albeit a large one) which has been converted into a gallery, and therefore provides a very intimate experience with some breathtaking sculpture. We spent the rest of the morning wandering the Villa Borghese gardens, the largest public park in Rome. Afterwards we headed back to Trastevere (a short walk from our hotel) and had a picnic lunch and wandered around. We got lucky and managed to grab a table Da Enzo Al 29 which we shared with an American art history student, and enjoyed pasta and deep fried artichokes and cheap but very good house wine. We also revisited a number of bars for some excellent Craft Beer.
Day 3: Vatican City
Our final day in Italy. At this point we were both exhausted but I'm glad we decided to wait in line for entry into Saint Peter's Basilica. The Vatican Museum did not disappoint, though it felt a bit like being on a conveyor belt. Far too much to see in too short a time, so you just allow yourself to be ushered along with the crowds.
Last stops included the Pantheon and one last drink at Open Baladin, home of delicious beers and perhaps the best burger I've ever had. Rome you are lovely, see you again soon.
