La bella città - Part 3

Day 4 - Friday - Open top bus, Villa Borghese Gardens, Piazzale Napoleone and Piazza del Popolo.

Getting on the tour bus near the Vatican was perhaps not the best move, and for the first part of the ride we were squashed into the downstairs section. A couple of stops later we were able to clamber upstairs and breathe.

Hats for sale!

Orange trees

We went round one and a bit times, and got off at Barberini to walk up to the Villa Borghese Park, a wonderful public park with trees, water , a replica of the Globe Theatre, bikes of various kinds for hire, more trees, statues, places to sit.

 Fontana dei cavalli marini

We hired a couple of mountain bikes for an hour - there were also the four-wheeled multi person pedal-powered vehicles and Segways too.

Byron - all the way from Notts!

Goethe was torn between north and south

 Going towards the Pincio (Pincian Hill) we came across the Water Clock - Orologio ad Acqua.

This section of the park looks (to me) more like 'Italian style' with more formal avenues.  As we walked towards the Piazzale Napoleone, we caught sight of the silhouetted skyline, as though someone had drawn it on the sky.

There's a terrific view over the city, and down into the Piazza del Popolo.

More giant bubbles

 I had to snap this poster by the metro station, advertising learning language that is really useful!  Alas poor cat!