On entering Rome we found our accomodation (an apartment block in a suburb called Trastevere, on the other side of the Tiber River). It was not as close to the centre of Rome as we had hoped, but it was within the budget and had a kitchen and a funny Sardinian host who liked to talk. All day, if we let him. We dropped off our car with a little sadness. We had come to depend on the luxury of extra storage space and the freedom that it provided (not having to rely on public transport). Although, on seeing the traffic conditions in Rome, we realised it was probably not a city we would want to drive in anyway!

I came down with a bug and spent the first 2 days in bed, but luckily we had a week, so could spare the time...although it was very frustrating! Mal played nurse and used the time to do some life admin (very hard in a foreign city) and get us organised for Africa.

As the days passed we found ourselves doing as the Romans do - early starts, long lunches, afternoon sietas and late nights. Its amazing that even in a city this sizemany people still take the time to rest in the middle of the day. It was a great way to escape the sweltering heat.

Rome is a beautiful city. Walking through the streets is like going back and forth in time. It seems that around every corner is another Roman ruin, more than 2000 years old. While the major sites like the forum, colosseum and palatine hill are in well defined areas of the city, there are many other ruins sitting quietly between modern buildings, as if accepting that their time passed long ago.

There is so much to see and do in Rome that we had trouble deciding how to spend our time. We went to see an opera concerto in a beautiful old church (which just happenned to be the first Church of England church built in Rome, in the 19th century). We thought it was a very Italian thing to do and despite neither of us having been to the opera before, we really enjoyed it!! There were 4 singers performing to an orchestra, and all the ladies were dressed in 18th century Venetian costume.

We loved the Roman ruins the best, especially the Pantheon and Palatine Hill. All those ancient history lessons finally came to life! It's not hard to imagine just a little of what life must have been like back then. It is hard to imagine how an empire so powerful is reduced to this. Vatican City was also incredible. We arrived there at dawn to beat the crowds and so were able to experience the majestic St Peter's Square without the throngs of people. There was barely anyone around, it was so peaceful as the sun rose over the giant columns. The basillica was amazing, so huge. And the Vatican museums just so ornate. Every room was more breathtaking than the last - both the decoration of the room itself, and the art on display. Last stop was the beautiful Sistine Chapel with its truths of Jesus and the bible told so well in pictures.

I went to see the "Valentino: 45 years of style" exhibition in a modern, airy space on the banks of the Tiber River. With over 350 pieces on displayed on bronzed mannequins it was a great tribute to a legendary designer. Equally as facinating was the way the mannequins were displayed and I was able to gain a greater appreciation of the difference this makes to an exhibiton.

Over the past month we have developed a love/hate relationship with Italy. We love it for all there is to see and experience, for the history and the culture described above, and for the friendliness and hospitality of the people. However, we have found the unreliability of the services and difficulty in being a tourist just so incredibly frustrating. Places don't open when the say the will and services don't seem to run to timetables at all. Also, Italians don't appear to have any regard for the environment. The streets are littered with garbage, and no-one seems to care. This is the biggest difference we experienced between France and Italy (and yes I know these are huge generalisations) - The French seem to focus their attention on their environment whereas the Italians are more concerned with the people around them.

We are now off to Greece, where we are looking forward to exploring the islands and meeting up with Mal's sisters (and having someone else to talk to!!).