Rome, Friday 30 May, Day 37

Today we wanted to slow the pace down a bit, as we were both noting a decrease in our genial spirits yesterday. It gets a bit tiring to have people trying to sell you things all the time, and it feels like the whole place has got busier in the time we've been here. Anyway, we slept in a whole 15 minutes and had luke warm showers as a result.

We planned an outing to mix culture with practicality, and caught a bus over to the area near the Piazza Della Republican, dropped our washing off at a sort of laundry service, then after an invigorating espresso - we've become hooked on them - walked to the church of St Maria del Vittoria, which is home to Bernini's famous sculpture, the Ecstasy_of_Saint_Teresa.  Appreciating the sculpture was made difficult by the crass commentary which a tour guide was delivering sotto voce to his client. I guess people have to make a living, but especially in a church where there is little other sound, it really detracts from the experience of other people.

We collected our washing then went to wait at the bus stop, which we shared with an older Italian gentleman with a shopping jeep, who had both no English and something amiss with his voice box, so we communicated with elaborate mime. After an interminable wait, our bus came along packed solid. It drove off leaving us all still waiting, to be followed by an empty bus with a sign saying the equivalent of 'not in service'. Our Italian friend taught us some new and very expressive gestures as the bus sailed past. After another interminable wait he gave up and trudged off into the crowd, so we decided to walk it as well.

It was actually an interesting walk though, over the Quirinal Hill of ancient Rome, past Trajan's_Column and the ruins of the Basilica_Ulpia.

Back at the hotel, Anne wanted to finish a book she borrowed from the hotel's collection. I walked through lots of little winding streets over to Castel_Sant'Angelo over the little bridge that has been carrying people since 134 AD, and was for centuries the only bridge across the river in Rome.

There's an internet meme put-bird-on-it which has come to cover 'any design trend which as reached its peak, and is bordering on saturation'. Today as I walked through the Castel, having crossed the Pont's Angel lined balustrades, past the space which was once called the "Courtyard of Executions" for obvious reasons but which now has a statue of an angel and so is called "Courtyard of the Angel", to the very Castle itself, with its massive statue of the Archangel Michael, I wondered if "put an angel on it" might not be equally appropriate.

There was however a very interesting exhibition which documented the Catholic Church's interest around the 16th century in the early Christian period and the surge of archaeological activity that went with it, in an attempt to demonstrate to erring Protestants that there was indeed continuity between the first Christians and the church of the day. Also had a 16th century guide book to the major sites of Rome, open at the page showing a plate of Trahan's Column.

For dinner we headed back to the little restaurant in the square near Santa Barbara di Librari, and, supporting my theory that the invasion has really begun, where last time we ate there we seemed to be the only non Romans, tonight the tourists were around 80% of the clientele.

We've really enjoyed our time in Rome, and right up to our last walk round tonight we are still discovering new areas we'd like to explore further. Next time, I think come earlier or later in the year though.

Tomorrow were are off to Salerno and the Amalfi Coast for a spot of R and R.