Days like this

It's usually only when on vacation that all of the things that happen on that day are filled with anticipation from waking to sleeping, many hours later, and when everything imagined goes smoothly and one pleasure follows another without a lapse. Today was such a day.

We woke after a great night's deep sleep in Rome, exactly where we wanted to be. We had a nice breakfast followed by great coffee at our favorite cafe in the whole world. Now, we could spend a few minutes in one of the world's most remarkable buildings-the Pantheon!

It opens at 9 a.m and that's a time when there aren't many visitors.

There's a circular grid on the floor to catch the rain when it pours through the Oculus above

Go early!

Back onto the square and into the morning sun again

There is always a Police car in the square, except at 5 a.m as you may have seen during my walk in the dark.

 The next event to look forward to will happen in less than an hour when Rome in Limo comes to pick us up for the drive to the port to join our ship. As we are all packed and have drank enough coffee I have time to wander the streets nearby to soak up the atmosphere of early morning Rome on a sunny Saturday in late September. No crowds! Here's a little mobile  tourist gift shop which hasn't opened for business yet.

 Minerva Square

and back in Pantheon Square where the restaurants are preparing to open for another busy day

Yesterday's trash is being collected

A payphone!

An ATM if you need money

Our hotel which we will soon say "arrividerci" to

Tiny cars for narrow streets

 The Romulus and Remus logo

 Just a few minutes before our 10 a.m pick-up

and our car is here, 15 minutes early. We say goodbye to Mauro on the front desk and our driver loads our luggage...

and off we go!