What is Rome like?

It depends where you are coming from , and when. Last time we were here, we came in on the airport train around dusk, and everything looked tired and dirty.

 The hotel last time was a large distance from the centre, and the area it was in was not very tidy.

This time seems much better, with the Colloseum only 15 minutes walk away.

The when: not a clever plan to come in mid August, as the temperature yesterday was 35 degrees. Which is enough to turn you around and head for home. Then jet lag takes over, and you sleep all afternoon, and wake up at 3am.

Food: a meal is a bit of chicken cooked in tomato sauce?  Fairly tasty, but maybe the idea is you have to have at least two courses?  Clever Romans?

Ancient stuff: to get to these, you must walk down streets that are bounded with buildings around six stories high, good because it shades you from the sun.

A sample of what you walk past:

This is the Venetian Palace:

 

Walked to the Pantheon in the morning when it was cooler. The outside is ordinary, but the inside is beautiful.
Here it is:

 Five minutes walk from there to the Piazza Navona which is mostly empty space, with a beautiful fountain in the middle.

Here it is:

It feels like nobody lives in the buildings, but my brother says in the hot season all smart romans leave the city.

This is a typical Rome street near the Pantheon.