Easter 2005, we visit Rome and the Pope dies after 27 year in office! To be honest, we don't think it was anything to do with us. In fact, although we were literally only just around the corner we had to turn on the television to find out what was going on. From the the Friday evening the media circus had gatherered and streets were being cordoned off, so it was pretty obvious that something was happening, but when you don't speak the language it is surprisingly difficult to pinpoint exactly what. Even with the television on the only words we understood were "Il Papa Giovanni Paolo Secunda". I suppose the flags flying at half-mast on the Sunday morning were also a bit of a giveaway.

Footnotes to history aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the eternal city. Whoever decreed that no building could be taller than the dome of St Peters deserves a heartfelt vote of thanks. You are so constantly bombarded with stunning examples of two thousand years of architecture that you start shrugging your shoulders and thinking "yeah, another Renaissance masterpiece, where's the really good stuff?"

Highlights for us were the Basilica of St Peters, the Foro Romano, the Palatino, and St Maria Maggiore. The Sistine Chapel was stunning, but the experience of seeing it with thousands of others was pretty dreadful. We saw the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain (enough said really) and appreciated the Pantheon and Castel S. Angelo. Most of all we enjoyed the walking, the friendly ambience, the food and the glorious Spring sunshine that accompanied our stay.

By the way, if you fly EasyJet to Ciampino be warned - they don't let you use credit cards to buy cigarettes and they weren't too keen to let you use them in the Duty Free shop either.

PHOTO ALBUM