Rome: Bipedal part two

Another day in the Eternal City. Everyone else is gone and, for the moment so has Mick. He wanted to go ride the bike path along the Tiber. Apparently it's known locally as the white river because of the colour of clay found underneath it. Definitely does not reflect the colour of the water! While he was gone I thought I would go exploring by public transport.

First stop was San Pietro where, being a Sunday morning, the Romans were en masse for mass. Not sure if it was the Pontiff himself doing the business but he was definitely more popular than Brian of Nazareth. Still, not everybody was totally absorbed in the main event. The selfie-stick brigade was out in force and there were quite a few who just thought it would be a great place to sit down for a quiet drink and a bite to eat.

Three suspicious looking characters leave "The Penitentiary" wine bar, conveniently located next door to the Vatican

Selfie-stick Sally

This spot'll do for a picnic eh love?

Part of the crowd at Sunday Mass

A big crowd in fact.

In case you just can't get enough of the Basilica. By the way it was closed today

A large Police presence at the Sunday Mass. Ever get the feeling you're being watched?

These guys (The Swiss Guards) are especially trained not to laugh and definitely not to look in the mirror

From there I found the metro over to the Piazza del Pololo, quite a cool place for everybody not straining an ear to the Pope. In the square was the Leonardo da Vinci museum. Now that's worth a visit I thought. What a genius was Leo. All kinds of machines for: making screws, ball bearings, war machines including tanks and machine guns, walking on water, breathing underwater, flying, drilling, hammering and even cycling! Of course he also painted the Mona Lisa and drew the Vitruvian Man, based on his study of the relationship between nature, aesthetics and mathematics. I was soon mentally exhausted!

Over at the Piazza del Popolo entrance

Rome is for lovers

The Piazza del Popolo is the meeting points of the major roads of Rome

and is a great spot for a stroll, a coffee and a spot of people watching

Apparently, Leonardo da Vinci invented the bicycle

or pehaps not, if you read the last sentence.

On to the Spanish Steps at the Piazza di Spagna for a spot of people (and horse) watching, then finally back to base for a snooze and to see if Mick had returned. After an interminable wait the correct bus eventually arrived to bring me back the Trastevere.

This map is a horse's...

These two must have consulted their map for at least 10 minutes, totally oblivious to everything. Well, for a start, you're at the Spanish Steps

More to come later...