There's no place like Rome.

It is, if possible, even hotter in Rome than in Florence. 

I will admit that yesterday morning I was a wee bit testy (but just a wee bit, right Owen?) after two days of endless walking and not quite enough sleep to really feel revitalized. So, we took it easy for our last morning in Florence, spending the bulk of our time in a museum devoted to Galileo and the history of science. 

Owen's favorite thing about the museum was that someone had kept a couple of Galileo's fingers and one of his teeth, which were on display in a special case. I know his face doesn't say that he liked it. Trust me. He did.

Afterwards we slowly wandered our way back toward the hotel, collected our luggage, and set off for Rome.

The train journey did little to refresh me, despite the super plush seats and blasting air con. Even so, after checking into our hotel, and suppressing the overwhelming urge to just lie down and never get back up, we managed a good six-and-a-half hours of sight-seeing.

We just managed to catch an evening free walking tour that started at the Spanish Steps and took us along much of centro storico (the historical centre) and new Rome - including the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. It was a great way to fit some of it in so quickly, though there are some things that I would like to revisit in the light of day. As always, it was nice to hear some interesting facts and we were even lucky enough to be some of the last people shooed out of the Pantheon, as they were closing the doors - allowing us a rare glimpse of the Roman temple without the usual throng of tourists.

We have been here for less than 36 hours and yet we have DONE SO MUCH! This morning we were at the Vatican. More on that later.

Love.