Destination: Rome
I woke quite a bit later than I’d expected as in the previous nights hilarity I’d not set my alarm. I was saddened to see that my new found friends were almost ready to leave by the time I’d got myself up and about. Mary very kindly gave me a lovely charm and a card from them both. And then, before I knew it they were gone. Such is life on the road, happy travels my friends!
I’ve added in the screenshot of my itinerary for Day 10 but as it turned out, I went completely off piste. All I really knew of what I wanted to do today was see as much as I could of Rome on my final day in the city. So I got the shuttle bus to Prima Porta and caught the train into Roma for the last time.
Stop 1: The Spanish Steps
When I got off the train, I decided to head up towards a viewpoint at the Terazza del Pincio I’d walked past on my first day. This gives a great view of the Piazza del Popolo, and out over the city. It was also on the way to a landmark I’d not yet visted, the Spanish Steps.
There is a really lovely walkway from here along the Terrazza Viale del Belvedere which gives yet more great views across Rome. And I was particularly lucky with the timing of my stroll, as it was hosting the World Skate Games 2024!
There are some lovely museums and gardens along this route as well if you have time on your hands. But I had a lot still to see so I continued my stroll along to my next stop at the Spanish Steps. This was another place I’d originally heard about from the film ‘Roman Holiday’ and I was determined not to miss this one!
As with the Trevi Fountain, the area was super busy, I’ve since discovered that the best time to visit is mid-April to mid-May and ideally early in the morning. Not only are there fewer tourists, but the steps are covered in flowers.
Luckily I was approaching the 135 steps from the top. But if you are ascending from the Piazza di Spagna, the view is definitely worth the climb.
Stop 2: Hop on, Hop off!
Having walked a fair distance by now, I decided to use the ‘Hop on Hop off’ pass that I’d bought the previous day. This would allow me to revisit a few of the locations from the previous day, this time actually getting off the bus to have a closer look. These included
I was absolutely loving my bus rides around the city, the Hop On Hop Off is definitely a really good way to get your bearings and cover a lot of ground. But there were a few places left that I had wanted to see that were not accessible by any bus route. So it was time to say ‘arrividerci’ to my friends on the bus.
Stop 3: Piazza Navona
My penultimate stop in Rome was to be to the Piazza Navona. Unfortunately this was to be another of the locations that were being renovated for the forthcoming jubilee. So I was not going to be able to see the square in all it’s glory, as the monuments and fountains had been blocked off and covered in scaffold. However the square itself was quite impressive and there was a fabulous street performance which was pretty cool.
Stop 4: The Pantheon
It was just a short walk to my next and final stop in Roma, The Pantheon. I’d heard a lot about it, as it had been mentioned several times during the other dome climbs i’d done during my trip. This is because the Pantheon dome is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, and having stood for over 2000 years is a marvel of Roman architecture and engineering.
Tucked away in a maze of narrow streets, once you find it, the Pantheon is situated in a relatively large open piazza. Upon entering the piazza from any angle, the sheer scale of the Pantheon is quite breathtaking. I had to stand right at the back of the square just to fit it all into a picture!
It was getting late in the day, so I wasn’t able to get inside the Pantheon. Yet another item for my ‘revisit’ list, and I’ve actually picked out the the tour I am going to take with Get Your Guide!
Overnight: Happy Valley Camping
Feeling quite emotional after my last days adventuring in Roma, I made my way back to Flamionio for the train to Prima Porta. By now I was really familiar with this route and I was going to miss it. I was even beginning to recognise some of the faces on the train and I fell to wondering how many of them would be fleeting visitors like me.
As always the shuttle bus was busy, and I was kind of sad that I wouldn’t be part of that happy little band of enthusiastic chatter again. My last night at Happy Valley was quiet, especially compared to the previous evening spent with Mary and Vincent but it was lovely to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and reflect. I’d had such an incredible time in Roma, it was everything I had dreamed it would be and more.
But there was still so much more to see and do.
My next day would see me heading for the number one destination in my trip … join me for day 11 where I head to Pompei to savour the delights of the magical Amalfi coast!
