travelswithalice

Wednesday 

We arrive in Rome on a cloudy afternoon; big change from sunny Amsterdam.

Stuart has thoughtfully arranged for Annette and me to be in a hotel as close to St Peter’s as possible. We didn’t have high expectations; the main thing was to be near St Peter’s.

Hotel della Conciliazione is on Borgo Pio, right next to the arches of the Vatican walls. We’re thrilled to find that our room has a big terrace from which we see Rome’s umbrella pines and the yellow and white Vatican flag fluttering over the rooftops of neighbouring grubby old buildings. As church bells start to peal, we realize we also have a distant view of St Peter’s, its cupola peeking out from above a terrace next door. Perfect!

It soon rains, but no matter. Armed with raincoats and umbrellas, we set off to find a restaurant recommended by Jhislaine at the front desk.

As promised, dinner at Arlú is wonderful! A half bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, saltimbocca for Annette, and grilled swordfish for me

At the table next to ours is a chatty Irish couple celebrating their 25th anniversary. The wife, a pretty Elizabeth Taylor look-alike works in the Customs Office of Ireland, so talk inevitably drifts to Brexit and the looming problem with borders.  

It’s a cheerful celebratory evening. The rain has stopped and as we stroll back to our hotel,  we stop to buy fruits for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Thursday 

In the morning, the sky has cleared and after a quick breakfast of fruits and coffee, we head off to the Vatican Museums for a guided tour Stuart has pre-booked for us.

Our excellent guide, Art Historian Francesca D’Orazio:

francesca.dorazio5@gmail.com 

The Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour takes up most of the day, starting with queueing at the gate for security checks, then the waiting inside for the tour to begin, and the eventual recuperating from being on our feet for hours on end. Even at lunch in the museum cafe, we were standing at a cocktail table.We’re glad to have our hotel close by. 

In the evening, Maurizio joins us for dinner, again at Arlú. The restaurant is full. I’m glad I booked before we left last night. Maurizio spots local football star Marco Delvecchio who has just walked in to the restaurant. They  briefly exchange pleasantries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Delvecchio