Walking and Shopping in Rome

After the Vatican we moved to the Altare della Patria (Alter of the Fatherland). 

 

The two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on roman chariots stand out all around the main tourist area of Rome.

There is controversy about this building - too Greek or something but it's quite beautiful nonetheless. 

Our guide informed us that we would not be visiting the steps but we should just follow the shopping street across from us and we would find them on the right hand side.  My interpretation of this was that it wasn't that far down.  Wrong - I'd left our map back at the hotel and discovered that it was actually quite a hike.  I figured we would shop after getting pictures.  Well after a long, hot, exhausting (and sometimes uphill) climb we finally found the Spanish Steps.  We were much closer when we were boarding the bus to the Vatican, but who knew.  At any rate... I was disappointed to discover that the Trinità dei Monti church at the top was once again under construction. 

 

Very disappointing after all that walking but the steps were pretty.  I discovered the hard way that walking on marble steps isn't as simple as you think - they can be quite slippery. 

 

 

The home of John Keats (English poet).

 

 

The Spanish steps loaded with tourists.

 

At the bottom is the famous shopping district of Rome where all of the high fashion houses are represented.  Exhausted but ready to begin some serious shopping I headed into the first shop I found that sold beautiful leather gloves.  Unfortunately, I discovered that my hands were still too puffy from the flight to properly try on gloves.  Then there was the buzz kill - my son.   Shopping is not his thing and the thought of his mother loose in designer stores was causing him great concern and he kept edging me towards the doors of every shop we were in - very annoying.  One look in a mirror though was all the discouragement I needed.  I looked terrible - the heat and humidity had caused my hair to look like a frizzy mess and my swollen feet were aching from all the walking and the left over jet lag finally did me in.  We would take a taxi back to our hotel. 

 

For those planning on visiting Rome in the future - the average price for a cab within the inner walls of Rome is about $12.00.  Worth every penny to me.  Sadly this was our last day in Rome and it took me this long to figure it out.  I would have cabbed it much sooner and enjoyed Rome so much more if I'd know the price of a cab.  Jet Lag is much harder on you the older you get.

 

Up Next... Florence...