Have continued to really enjoy Rome. Only one more thunderstorm but plenty more rain mixed in with lots of lovely sunny days as well. The temperature has been mostly pleasant around 20 degrees. We’ve been using the public transport a bit more to get further out of the centre and then walk back in. The Metro station is right next door to our local station from the caravan site so it is really easy. The trains are quite basic with lots of graffiti on the outside but there are lots of them – we’ve never had to wait more than seven or eight minutes for a train, and it’s so cheap – 1€ ticket lasts 75 mins on any train / bus / tram. Don’t know why the UK can’t manage it.

We had seen a stage being built in Piazza Del Popolo ready for a two night Military concert to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the end of the war. We got off the train one morning to see a big crowd in the square and hung about as well (as you do). The orchestra was tuning up and suddenly the crowd started applauding as a blind man was led on to the stage – yes, it was Andrea Bocelli arriving to do his sound check for the evening concert. He sang about five classical numbers, including a duet with a Soprano – marvellous.

The next night was the Military Brass Band Concert which we saw some of on our way home – lots of uniforms, plenty of scrambled egg and about three different bands, a very impressive sight – and sound.

Managed to fit in another trip to The Vatican. St Peter’s was fully open this time. Beneath the main altar is the tomb said to contain the body of St Peter which you can also see from down in the Grottoes. We went there first this time to see the tombs of the previous Popes. It is a very calm place (when the group visits have finished!) with tombs in the walls or in separate niches. The Tomb of John Paul II is in a niche, all very plain, with one candle burning and a few flower displays. Then back up into the main Basilica – it really is enormous and was the biggest in the world until the new Basilica of Our Lady Of Peace, in Yamoussoukro on the Ivory Coast, was finished in 1989.

(MORE INFO - The world's largest Christian church is in the Ivory Coast capital of Yamoussoukro. The multimillion-dollar basilica rises out of the slums of the city and was supposed to provide social services for the poor in the developing African country. But the social projects never materialized, and the church sits mostly empty during mass. The basilica has aroused much international controversy, for the lavish building glittering with Italian marble sits in the middle of an impoverished African city where only a minority of homes have running water and adequate sanitation, and the cost of the basilica doubled the national debt of The Ivory Coast).

As amazing as St Peter’s Basilica is, we much preferred other Basilicas we had visited in the City – particularly St Paul’s Outside The Walls which was absolutely stunning in every respect.

Managed to visit most of the places on our list – Coliseum, Pantheon, the remains of the Ancient Palaces on Palatine Hill to name a few – too numerous for individual comment, but have a look at the photographs on Picasa. We even managed to see the New James Bond Film (in English obviously!)

Leaving here tomorrow to begin our journey back to the UK . Can’t believe that our trip is coming to an end - first stop is La Spieza for a couple of days, then we’ll re-trace our steps a bit to get back up to Calais.

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