Rome

What can one say about Rome that has not been said before. We moored Malua in the mouth of the Tiber at Fiumicino expecting to see the twins float by but all we saw was garbage. The river was so polluted you would have to get a shot if you fell in. The tap water stained the decks and turned a t shirt yellow.

The bus service into Rome rivalled the worst in the world except nobody paid which could be the problem. The Metro on the other hand was a pleasure to ride. We spent 14 days travelling into Rome every day concentrating on one section of the city. I loved the place but found the Romans approach to the tourist the worst we had encountered. My first and last transactions in Rome they attempted to rip me off by short-changing me, only to be settled in my best Ozzie Italian.

I would not return and would definitely not spend a lifetime understanding the place however there are some magical moments like looking at St Peters through a key hole and looking down onto the alter from the top of the dome in St Peters. The steps designed by M. Angelo in front of the chaotic museum Capitolino with the big foot and the horseman in bronze plus the Villa Borgese are also stand out places. Ostica Antica as a Roman ruin is the most extensive and best preserved and well worth the half day in the sun.

The traffic has to be seen to be believed but I must say they are the most courteous drivers I have ever seen.