Original thread is archived so I can't post on it.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=663406
I just wanted to thank those of you who contributed ideas and suggestions.
In the end I did go for the "madcap" itinerary and happily it worked just as I wanted it to. For sure, had to make some harsh "executive decisions" (mainly pragmatic ones avoiding "big ticket" attractions in high season)
Here is a transcript of my nightly Facebook updates for anyone that can be bothered
Day 1 18:24 Wednesday 7 June
7 hours since landing in Rome
So far I have:
Meandered my way out of the airport
Got on a not-quite-right-but-not-disastrous train
Got on the Metro
Checked in at hotel
Dealt with some work emails on my day off
Ate a lovely and bargainous panino
Looked at the Colosseum
Looked at the Forum through the railings
Wasted 15 minutes walking toward dead ends around the Forum
Walked to the Pantheon, managing to lose my bearings
Enjoyed sitting in the Pantheon and seeing the light come through the top of the dome
Enjoyed funky fountain sculptures in several places notably Piazza Narone.
Barely broke pace walking past the Trevi fountain which seemed to be similar to lots of less celebrated fountains
Walked up to Chiesa di Santa Vittoria which is ace
Going to feed 50c to the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa
Then after writing “seven hours since…”:
Back to hotel for a shower and a 40 minute lie-down, then back out into town to find some dinner and then just stroll around for an hour, back down to Piazza Foro Traiano which looks nice lit up at night, then back up to hotel via the Colosseum.
Day 2 written at 21:32 Thursday 8 June
Ok, day 2 in Italy.
It's a Thursday but weirdly felt like a Sunday, especially weird given that yesterday was annual leave and today was a work day (my day of "travelling from UK to Florence" cough cough)
There was a plan to go Galeria Borghese and Maxxi, in the Villa Borghese park. Got up at a decent enough hour, packed up, checked out, left bag at hotel, got Metro 5 stops to Piazza Popolo which is the entrance to the park although maybe not the best entrance to use for Galeria Borghese. 25 minute foot slog in the heat and, no great surprise as I had been forewarned and was taking a chance....all tickets sold out until 13 June. And the cafe wasn't yet open. No problem,says I, I'll walk on to Maxxi which is also in the park. Except it's 35 minutes on foot. No problem, I'll walk 20 minutes and stop for a coffee and maybe breakfast. Except the first coffee stop was the Museum of Modern Art and it looks so nice and grand and lovely, I decided to "do" that instead. Also, i feared that the exhibits in Maxxi might be a bit TOO modern-clever-abstract-highbrow for me. Really enjoyed the more "classical" modern art museum especially the installation video of Michael Winslow (off Police Academy) doing typewriter noises ????
Thought about walking up to Maxxi just to see the building and get lunch but it was not practical in terms of time so I sacked it off and just ambled back through Rome stopping somewhere random for lunch
Train to Florence, had a nice chat all the way with an Australian artist who is about to stay 3 months in Florence to learn Italian in order to get onto an art restoration course here. Checked in at nice hotel, wandered into the city , took silly selfies, had an ice cream, had dinner, now back in hotel doing some homework.
Tomorrow after work maybe I'll go to the Bill Viola new exhibition/installation, happily it is open till 8pm (actually open till 11pm tonight !)
Florence is a lot less hectic than Rome despite being more compact and full of nice things to behold from outside.
Day 3 written at 22:26 Friday 9 June
Italy, day 3, and I actually had to go to work having almost forgotten why I was here. Sore head in the morning of a hot day having stayed up till 2.30am drinking beer and following the election. Brief rejoicing before I heard about the DUP nonsense. Total faff as the taxi booked for me by hotel reception still had not turned up after 30 minutes because of "a problem in the street" which did not seem to be stopping any other traffic. Walked 4 minutes to station and queued a whole 3 minutes at taxi rank (hotel receptionist had warned me against doing this as there would be a really long wait....sigh).
Presentations done, I don't care if the class took any of it in, frankly they don't need to. Met a nice Dutch colleague who, like me, is likely to make this trip twice a year so we'll arrange some social evening next time.
Could have nicked off at 2 but I had not bothered to book the Uffizi and frankly it was too hot for yet more wandering so I stick around for some lab demonstrations, learned a few things and in fairness this IS a full work day.
Finally back to hotel, changed trousers for shorts and made a bee-line for city centre.
Having ignored the Vatican etc in Rome in favour of a modern art gallery, I today eschewed the Accademia and Uffizi in favour of a temporary exhibition of video installation legend Bill Viola which was dead good for the most part even if the pamphlet descriptions are a bit Pseuds' Corner. Mind you his early works from the mid 1970s were crap so I don't know how he made a name for himself in the first place. But it was nice shelter from the sun and given that some of the pieces were well over ten minutes long, it gave time to reflect on things etc. Things such as no longer having nightmares about UPS having lost £30k of laser alignment equipment (that's another story)
Then just wandered around town again, hoped to get a cold beer and a snack at the San Spirito square which seems to be the cool hangout, but the bars etc looked tawdry and overcrowded , it's more a place to hang out on the steps with mates and a couple of your own beers. So went to try to take pretty sunset pictures
Finally a nice seafood linguini. Back in hotel to pack up and get an early night
Still have not had red wine
three more days to add but I am not allowed to, I don't know if someone else has to reply first or if we have to wait an hour before I can reply to my own OP....
Post edited at 23:05