There was still a lot to see in Rome, so we started the day walking to a local market (with a coffee stop!!), in a different section of Trastervere, then crossed the bridge and ventured into an area near the Jewish Ghetto for a spot of shopping. After procuring scarves, linen “boys and girls” shirts, and lots of ogling of designer goods later, we deposited the loot at the apartment and set off in earnest.
The Pantheon was the best preserved building of the trip, and was a very popular spot. The Inside was a large circular space with marble slab floors, with painting’s and statues around the interior, and ornate walls up to the central hole in the domed ceiling (The oculus). The floor get’s wet when it rains, but drains off thanks to a slightly convex floor design and an efficient drainage system.
The next architectural masterpiece was Piazza Venezia, then down one side of the Forum to the Coliseum, and back up the other side of the forum, wending our way back to Trastevere for a much deserved spritz. We were able to find an excellent place for “Aperitivo” which included a large spread of tasty local foods. We had a 1.30 pm flight back to Catania Sicily the next day, and a 45 minute walk to the train station where we would take a direct train to the airport..it started raining as we departed the next day and that was it for nice weather for a while!
