Day 4.
At the Vatican Museums for my first full day in Rome. The statue of '
Laocoön and His Sons'.
The 120 metre long Galleria delle carte geografiche, or
Gallery of Maps.
One of the
Raphael Rooms.
Three Nuns.
The Sistine Chapel.
Michelangelo's '
The Creation of Adam' (by God), one of the most famous works of art in the western world.
The view from the top of dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Well worth the arduous climb
.
And inside St. Peters Basilica itself.
After my visit to the Vatican, I headed east over the Tiber River to Piazza Navona.
Adagiarsi.
Cannoli & espresso to 'recharge'
.
At the Panthenon.
The oculus at top inside the Panthenon to let in the sunlight.
Ristorante.
Piazza della Repubblica.
Frutteria.
Spaghetti & meatballs for dinner.
At the Fontana di Trevi again, at dusk.
And enjoying some delicious gelato
.
Day 5.
The guards at Altare della Patria.
And the panorama view from the top of the Altare della Patria.
At the Colosseum. If you squint your eye's you might be able to see Russell Crowe battling it out with Commodus
.
The
Arch of Titus at the Roman Forum.
Another mid-afternoon recharge
.
At Fondazione Roma Museo Palazzo Cipolla, an Andy Warhol exhibition. This is one of the four '
Shot Marilyns'. In 1964, Dorothy Podber turned up at Andy Warhol's studio and put a bullet through a stack (apparently when she asked if she could shoot them, he thought she meant to photograph them
) of his silk-screen paintings of Marilyn Monroe. The faint patch between the eyes shows where the painting was repaired.
There was also an exhibition of photographs from the British photographer Terry O'Neill. Some great photographs of famous people from yesteryear.
Piazza del Popolo.
The 'Pied Piper'
.
Distinguished.
Four Seasons Pizza for dinner
.
Day 6.
I had a bit of time before my flight to Tunis, so went for a bit of a walkabout in Rome. Quirinal Palace, the official residence of the President of Italy.
Palazzo delle Esposizioni.
Mercato di Campo de Fiori.
My 'biglietto' to catch the metro to Rome Central Station.
Arriving at FCO on the airport train.
About to board an Alitalia A321 for the flight to Tunis.
On the approach to Tunis Airport. The white specs in the water below are hundreds of flamingoes
.
Catching a taxi into central Tunis during rush hour.
After checking into my hotel, I went for a walk into the city and got a chicken pita bread & fries for dinner a very reasonable $2
.
