Day 16 – Friday 17th May 2013
After another leisurely start and breakfast, we got the 11am hotel shuttle bus into Rome, again being dropped off close to the Vatican. We then walked to the nearest pick-up point for the open top city tour bus ride and got tickets for this which was quite amusing as rival bus companies were heckling people stood in their rival’s queues telling them how they were being wripped off, they were cheaper, they didn’t lie about their tours, etc, etc. We travelled around on the bus seeing various places and then got off close to the Colosseum where we walked around for a while, then we continued on foot past some other nearby places of interest, street traders and the most amazingly talented street artist painting brilliant pictures using only aerosol paint tins, ending up in a local market where we stopped for a drink after having a look around the market. We continued and got to the pick-up place for the hotel shuttle bus, and returned to the hotel to start our packing for leaving tomorrow morning for the start of our journey north to return home. Ian gave the Mini a much-needed and much-deserved wash, we then ate quite early in the hotel restaurant, and then got a taxi from the hotel back into Rome centre where we found the cars gathered that were taking part in the Mille Miglia event and, boy, what posh cars they were. Firstly there was the modern Ferraris, etc, very posh, very impressive and very noisy! After a bit of a wait, there were the classic old cars and again, very impressive and well worth the wait, the atmosphere is Rome was incredible and it was a lovely evening, the city looks so different in the dark, awesome! We eventually managed to hail a cab and returned to the hotel for a nightcap and then a welcome bed once again.
