Rome: It's not about the bike

The Hannibal Epic tour officially came to a close after breakfast this morning. Lots of goodbyes, and keep in touches. Now, how to get about when you've done nothing but ride for 28 days? Legs don't feel all that co-operative really. Perhaps the hop on / hop off bus tomorrow. Our AirBnB host knew we were staying at a hotel near his apartment and kindly came to pick us up. Can you imagine 2 bike boxes in a Smart car? So he took the hand luggage and showed me the apartment before dropping me back at the hotel to collect the bikes. Harold came up as well and we did his washing -  the first of several loads - and while that was on we went for a walk up the Via Garibaldi to Gianicolo Hill from where there are expansive views across the city. Not surprisingly the Garibaldi monument and mausoleum are both at the top of the hill and you can also catch a glimpse of the dome of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. Giuseppe Garibaldi, by the way was a military general, politician and serial husband who, with his military hat on, fought the French during a battle where they, the French, has come over to sort out a couple of papal misdemeanours. He is considered to be one of the fathers of the fatherland as well as an impressive brood of progeny.

The Giuseppe Garibaldi monument

St Peter's Basilica

The Garibaldi mausoleum

By now we were getting pretty hungry and one gelato was not enough, so down the hill to catch up with Richard and head the the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, where there are lots of little alleyways with eateries off the sides of the Piazza. In the middle of the piazza is a 15th century fountain, popular with people watchers and at one end the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. This is one of the more appealing churches in Rome for a couple of reasons: its history as the first official place of Christian worship to be built in Rome (around the third century when Christians were a minority cult) and its mosaic facade.

Fountain in the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere with the church and its mosaic facade in the background

A few of the many interesting engraved flagstones in the walls of the church

The interior is ornate without being as overstated as many other places of worship.

After dinner and another gelato (I've discovered they have liquorice flavour) I headed back up to Gianicolo for a night shot of the big fountain. The marble Fontana dell'Acqua Paola was commissioned in 1600 by Pope Paul V as a monumental display, in the baroque style, of the aqueduct which brought water to the Gianicolo region. As was the practice as the time, materials were appropriated from other sites, the columns in this case from St Peter's Basilica. Fair enough! Amazingly, nobody there when I arrived on foot, unlike last night when it was packed with people. Got a couple of shots before someone came and parked right in front.

Fontana dell'Acqua Paola in Gianicolo