It’s been an epic 10 days of site seeing and poolside relaxing. We have ticked off a lot of sites for our first trip to Rome including; Vatican City, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Roman Museum, Roman Baths, Pantheon, Novona Square and a very sweaty open top tourist bus. Rome is a pretty bonkers city – I have never been amongst so much tourism. Everywhere you go there are swarms of people following people with coloured sticks and umbrellas poking up in the air. Even when you think you are off the beaten track and discovering your own quiet and beautiful area you turn the corner and wham a trillion Americans set upon you. But, we realised quickly, we would just have to get on with it after all were one of the 20,000, yes 20,000 people who visit the colosseum everyday. The sites are incredible and Dave was in his element being an enormous fan of all things Roman. For me though wondering around the old town without a map and finding little shady spot covered in flowers to have a salad and a little cold wine for lunch was one of the best bits. I feel I know/have seen a city once you get a little bit lost and discover something great unintentionally. We also, on recommendation from my dad, went to this brilliant coffee bar where there are no seats a just a lot of locals who who come in, order coffee, drink it at the bar and then move on….and amazing coffee (and not many tourists!)

Speaking of tourists….surely when you go to a foreign country you learn four basic words in their language; hello, goodbye, please and thank you. Apparently 98% of the visitors to Rome disagree. Dave tells me I am being a bit of a snob but even having ordered everything in English and asked stupid questions in English they cant even muster a ‘Grazie’ when they get their order. Even the people from non-English speaking countries are speaking English – Germans, French, Spanish, Dutch – hello, goodbye, please and thank you all in English! Although of course they are rewarded and subsequently deemed better than Americans, Australians and English for actually speaking more than one language! Although according to one American we had the pleasure of sitting next to – ‘the problem with all these European countries is they don’t have a congress’ – so maybe its me who hasn’t go it right?!? Snob…me?

Site seeing in 36 degree heat has been hard work (cue boo’s from England – sorry) and we have often just done a early start and back to the campsite pool by lunch. This place is just brilliant and we have even now been joined by a family of kittens which might mean we never want to leave! We have made friends with the family that run the poolside bar/restaurant – they bring us a cold beer to our sun loungers as the sun goes down- but I think they only like us because we entertain them with our attempts at Italian. As great as they are they do make everyone wear swimming hats in the pool (or is this the whole of Italy?) so we are all splashing about like incompetent synchronised swimmers – very strange at first but now we tut at those who don’t have their hats. This and other things that perhaps it is time to move on – we are comfortable here and while that is lovely we also have a sense that is is time to get back on the road (FYI engine still starting fine). Dave’s parents have very kindly send us some documents we need and so we are just waiting for them to arrive and then we will make our move – so we could leave tomorrow or it might not be till monday.

Tonight we are making our plan for the next stage – so look forward to a new route plan – then we hope those we love will come and join us for a bit (if they can) to be a part of the adventure. We wish we had some people around for the football on Sunday – each match we have been the only English and the rest of the crown (no matter what nationality) is always cheering for the opposition. So Sunday it will be even crazier – us and hundreds of local Italians – should be brilliant!

Over 3000Eur per day is dropped into the Trevi Fountain – legend says that if you drop in a coin your return to Rome is guaranteed..wonder who fishes them out every night.