Rome certainly not built in a day

Arrived here in Rome on Tuesday following a slightly rough sea voyage from Positano via Capri to Naples, and then on a super high speed (234km per hour, no less) train to Termini in Rome. The Air BnB apartment I'm staying in is perfect as it's just 5 mins walk from the station near Piazza Independenzione so Nellie is easy to manage.

I realise I'm a bit slow in getting to visit Rome this late in life - so I reckon that many of you reading this (if there are many of you) will already have been, so I'm not going to insult you by telling you what a great place it is because you already know. Nor will I go into lots of detail about the best places to visit as chances are you were there way before me.

I've been on two free walking tours which covered some of the major sights and as usual helped orientate me, though still didn't prevent me from getting lost a couple of times - so many tiny streets, and the large glass of red I posted on Facebook certainly didn't help me on the first night. I came uncomfortably near panicking because I seemed to be going around in circles - and with all the noise and the traffic, I was close to tears with frustration at my inability to follow a map. However, as usual I slapped myself about a bit (not literally of course) and in the end found my footsore way back before bedtime.

The walking tours here are quite earnest, taken by art historians and archaeology experts who spend time qualifying as guides and who aren't interested in giving you amusing anecdotes - just facts. They were good though, and I learned a lot - for example, how because Rome has been built up over the centuries (and over the centurions ha ha), about 80% of antiquities are still buried deep below the surface, and it's why they can't have a comprehensive metro system, as there's just too much archaeological heritage in the way of deep excavations . They've started building a line C, but already are having to find a way around a newly-discovered and important site.

So the poor old metro is packed to the gunnels and the buses and trams are too - most times I've used them (it's a very cheap 7 euros for a 24-hour pass) it's been standing room only. I've been walking miles every day too, but when the heavens opened yesterday (short-lived, but torrential) I caved in and got the metro. I had to come back to the apartment in the middle of the day as although I keep a close eye on the weather forecasts and had my trusty cagoule with me, my feet got really wet and you can't go all day in soggy socks and Converse.

So, places I have been and seen, and some things I have learned about being in Rome

Spanish steps: I skipped gaily down these to join the walking tour on day 1, only to discover on day 2 that they were closed for maintenance. As is the Trevi fountain (though you can still see it, it's hard to get a decent photo, so I didn't). As is the fountain in Piazza del Popolo. As are all the churches where I have gone in search of Caravaggio, who I still know very little about but appears to be a bit good at painting people and I really want to see more. Closed monuments and places of interest in Italy appear to be a continuing theme in this blog - even though I am assured that low season has not yet arrived, it doesn't seem to concern the powers that be who are sanctioning simultaneous renovations, a bit like when they dig up all the roads at once in London.

Yes, a hoarding advertising the 4 attractions currently being renovated all at the same time

The Colosseum - it was free to enter in its prime (certainly not now) and you had a whole day of entertainment, with the animals being killed in the morning so there was something to eat at lunchtime while you watched the Christians copping it. It used to be marble but it all got nicked once Nero was toppled and Constantine decided it was a bit mean to feed Christians to the lions. Then there was an earthquake that knocked half of it down too. I haven't actually gone inside as there's plenty of free stuff to see, but it's still very impressive. Really interesting to have seen the Olympic stadium when I was in Berlin as you can see where Hitler got the idea from....

The Pantheon is quite simply stunning. It took quite a while for me to close my mouth. The dull exterior just doesn't prepare you for the marvels inside.

A hidden gem is the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj just off Via del Corso. It's a palace that belongs to the descendants of Pope Innocent X, and the current prince of whatever kind of noble he is does the audioguide commentary.

The portrait of his ancestor by Velasquez is just breathtaking (sorry, it's a really bad pic cos I couldn't get close enough). In the Vatican museum hangs Francis Bacon's version of it - apparently he considered it one of the greatest portraits ever painted - have to say I quite agree. There are a couple of Caravaggios there too, but I couldn't take pics as they were very dimly lit.

The Vatican museum: the entrance fee isn't cheap, but you do get to see a lot of art for your money. It was inevitably busy, with a lot of really irritating people just taking snaps and not really looking at anything. The upside of the march of the penguins progress was that I had to slow my normal pace and take things a bit more slowly. I especially liked the round gallery with the massive statues of the gods, the Gallery of Maps and the modern art collection - it included Matisse, Sutherland, Chigall and even Dali as well as Bacon.

And of course there's the Sistine chapel. And for this I am still kicking myself as whilst I stared and stared up at the ceiling until the crick in my neck could bear it no more, I missed seeing the creation of Adam and left the chapel, having forgotten all about it. Talk about would you Adam and Eve it. So I bought an expensive (almost 4 euros) fridge magnet to compensate for my ridiculous error, and there's also this modern version of it that I quite like.

The museum is, however, one of the most difficult places to exit that I have every visited, (you're forced through a book/gift shop at every turn too), plus it takes a cut lunch to then walk around to St Peter's Square as there's no direct route through. The square is of course quite special. When I did the walking tour on Wednesday morning, we had to detour a bit as they were just letting out all the people who'd been to listen to the weekly papal address. It was like the aftermath of a football match but tidier and with prettier scarves - oh and brides and grooms who go along for a blessing.

Via Governor Viacci is a semi-pedestrianised street just off Via Emmanuel II with has lots of nice not very expensive shops, sandwich bars and small restaurants, and it's very friendly. I have to say that as a solo diner I'm getting used to indifferent service, but today was a notable exception and I was made to feel as important as everyone else.

Urban myths and observations - there is no such thing as bad coffee, wine and ice cream here. My favourite flavour in my daily tasting of the latter is Pirandello, which is almond with lemon. You could probably eat gelato from a different shop every day for a year, which would be very bad news for me. I'm also getting hooked on granita, the posh slush puppy.

I can't work out how everyone makes a living when there is so much competition for the tourist dollar. Every street corner, you're being offered a selfie stick, an umbrella or a rose, and many of the restaurants do have someone outside approaching you. It can be very irritating.

Just as Neil promised me, there is a wow around every corner, though I'm a little disappointed that many of the wows are closed, with no information. Using the metro and most public transport is very easy (though on trams and buses I'm sure people don't bother getting tickets!), and on the metro the signposting is great. Sadly, signposting on foot can be a bit rubbish with little continuity.

Speaking of on foot, Italy is a lousy place to be a pedestrian and most of Rome is no exception. Crossing the road can be a nightmare as there are few signal-controlled crossings, and even then because cars are allowed to turn right on red lights they will quite often intimidate pedestrians. I really wouldn't want to be elderly or disabled in this city, or wheeling a buggy. If you think you sometimes need to be Linford Christie to make a crossing on wider roads in time in London, you have to be Usain Bolt here and I think even he might struggle.

Just two other gripes - grumpy shop assistants who don't look you in the eye or even say thank you when you spend a small amount of money (though I had great service in a clothes shop yesterday and when she picked out the most perfect leather jacket for me I nearly weakened) - and of course ones who even tell you to v'a fangulo because they don't like you. Finally, removal of toilet seats in even decent restaurants so you have to sit on the pan or squat - why?? Oh, and lack of public conveniences - I haven't found any in Rome so far.

Tomorrow I'm planning to go to Villa Borghese in the hope that I can blag my way in to see some Caravaggio as no tickets are available online. And then if the forecast is right and it rains, I'm headed for MAXXI, a modern art museum designed by Zaha Hadid. So much art, so little time....