The Adventures of Steve and Allie: Friday in Rome

Well, it is our last full day in Rome and we made the best of it.

We decided to see the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, which has both his chains and a statue that Michaelangelo did of Moses for a Pope's sarcophagus (and wasn't used as the fellow was buried in the Vatican crypts). What was more fascinating was the use of a simple mirror the basilica set up for people to see the painted ceiling.

Then we wandered through the Esquiline Hill gardens and eventually made our way to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the five "big" ones in Rome. It was quite grand and ornate and crowded.

Afterwards we serpentined our way to the Piazza della Repubblica, which was quite disquieting for me as I recognized that this place was where Il Duce, Benito Mussolini, held his Fascist rallies and the piazza still had all the flag poles with the fascist eagles and wolves. Creepy.

However, there is a fascinating church of Santa Maria deli Angeli, which was one the Diocletian Baths. There is an elaborate inlaid sun-transept which was until 1846 the regulator of time for the Romans.

By this time, weariness had set in and we hit the wall. Five steady days full of walking has worn us out so it was a simple lunch and then back to the apartment. We will go out for dinner later, but it will be local and light.

Tomorrow the train and Florence for a few days before we return to Rome to fly home.