Rome - palaces and oval balls!

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj

Sadly our friend "6's" stay with us was coming to an end. She was flying out of Rome so the girls decided to make a day and night of it. We set off early on the train and checked in to a lovely boutique hotel not far from the Pantheon. Having had our fill of Roman antiquities it was time for something different. "6" chose to spend the afternoon in the wonderful Palazzo Doria Pamphilj.

                                             The ballroom, Palazzo Doria Pamphilj

Floor to ceiling paintings, Palazzo Doria Pamphilj

The colossal thousand room Palazzo Doria Pamphilj dates back to 1505 and is one of the largest private residences in Italy. It is also one of the most treasure filled palaces in Europe and houses one of Rome's richest private art collections with 650 works including masterpieces by Raphael, Velazquez, Titian and Caravaggio. The opulent picture galleries, decorated with frescoed ceilings and gilded mirrors, are hung with floor to ceiling paintings. We had the palace almost to ourselves and the place was brought alive by the audioguide full of background information and family anecdotes narrated by one of the current owners, Jonathan Pamphilj.

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj

In need of refreshment we sat down for a welcome cup of tea in Giolitti, a well known café and one of the oldest ice cream parlours in Rome, before popping in to the Pantheon on our way back to our hotel. The following morning on our way back to the station we passed by the Palazzo Montecitorio and the gleaming Trevi Fountain which until recently had been boarded up for cleaning. Sadly it was time to finally part company with "6" and head back to our respective homes.

Squeaky clean Trevi Fountain, Rome

Palazzo Montecitorio, Rome

The Stadio Olimpico

A couple of weeks later we were back in Rome for something completely different. We checked into our hotel just north of the Vatican and joined the crowds heading north by foot to the Stadio Olimpico. Round 2 of the 2016 rugby 6 nations tournament was kicking off with Italy v England. The bars were spilling out on the pavements and the roads were a mass of red and white clad English supporters and Italians sporting green, white and red. The atmosphere and costumes were brilliant. The result even better!

                                         Fun and games at the Stadio Olimpico

The final score!