Rome Day 6: Leaving at a beautiful day

Just to end it correctly visiting the St. Pietro square at the vatican again, especially while it is a perfect day, 8 degrees and very sunny. I did not some fast shopping close to the Vatican and had a last Espresso Doppio (actually a bit more ..). Checking out at the hotel paying way too much for the drinks from the minibar and getting my private driver to bring me to the Fiomucino Airport. Checking in was very fast and even through customs was fast, so I was rather early near the gates. First people I saw were the other family from Gaia (Portugal) and I had a last Cappuccino (my first in Italy) and joined them to their gate. 

My verdict

Overall I think Rome is one of the most interesting and hectic cities I have ever seen. Being here six days and trying to do and see as much as possible also is wearing you out, walking all day, only going in the hotel to sleep, it is a tiring experience but also a very rewarding one.

I also think some things are less nice. Most Italians we met, in the tourist spots, but also in the hotel and at the restaurants were not very nice. If compared e.g. to Portugal, or the USA, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and the Scandinavian countries (just to mention a few countries I recently visited) they are rude, non inviting and bad mannered. This seriously lowers the overall score.

There are so many interesting spots, it is difficult to mention the best. I think the Church St. Maria in Trastevere was my favorite. Doing the Vatican Museum with only a few people in was the second best. The rest was also very interesting, like the Trevi Fountain at night. 

The food I had was less than expected. I have had much better food in the north of Italy, in Tuscany and near Genoa it is much better.

One other serious issue, there are way to many tourists .. and yeah I know I am one of them :-).

Overall I would give Rome eight out of ten, when considering the behavior of the Italians … the score is going down …

Will I come back? I think I will as so many things I did not see, or I did not see in-depth. 

OK, now it is almost over again, back to Amsterdam, back to work.