3 months in Spain and a few other places: Rome 19-25 January 2016

Loved Rome. Particularly the small cars, the crazy traffic, overly confident drivers, the old section on the southern side of the river, the pasta, the buskers. We stayed near the main train station for the first 3 nights on northern side of city at Gemme Di Roma in the Castro Pretorio area. It was great to get off the bus (from the airport) and walk a few hundred metres to the hotel, but it was a little too far from a lot of the attractions. For the second 3 nights we stayed over the other side of town in the older section on the same side of the river as the Vatican. Lots of nice old restaurant, eateries and winding roads with fairy lights over there. Unfortunately we were a million miles from the train station in this second address, which is where we would eventually have to leave from, whether or not we were catching a bus or a train out of there. We were lucky enough to score a cheap house for the last 3 days so we used the opportunity to sleep in and not go out until lunch time each day. There's always the feeling that the hotel staff think you're peculiar if you stay in all day. Some days you just need a frigging rest.

Sent a few Pope postcards to friends. Ate a few beautiful meals. Bought a cute little coffee pot which makes 2 espressos at once. Can't say the pizza is the best I've ever tasted though which is strange.

The small cars: