Possibly. Possibly not. The hotel wifi isn’t working this morning so down to using the phone so this might be pictureless or picture mininalist. So may have to do picture rich edition when home.

Yesterday, let’s see……….it was cold! So didn’t race out. My target was St John Lateran which is the seat of the Bishop of Rome (aka the Pope). Only one of the four papal bascilicas  in Rome that I’ve not seen. So headed off just before midday suitably rugged up. Went past the Quirinale Palace – where the Predident lives. There were icicles hanging underneath a large dish of a fountain and the pond water underneath was frozen.

On my way saw an old looking church set below the road. Turns out it was St Perdenziata’s which is the oldest site of Christian worship in Rome. The Pope last bed in part of the building until 313AD when he was given the Lateran Palace by the Emperor. Unfortunately it was closed so couldn’t see inside. So onwards.

As mentioned, St John Lateran, it has a much longer official title, is the seat of the Bishop of Rome. So it’s the Cathedral, #1 church, of Rome. Fact checker tells me construction began in the 4th century AD and finished in 1735. Most of the current form dates from the 16th -17th centuries. 140 m long. 140 m at widest point. Has beautiful cloisters and attached at accessed out the back an amazing octagonal chapel.

From here it was a walk into the wind back past the Colosseum, forum and Trajan market. So cool (literally and figuratively) to be able to wander past these places on your way to somewhere else. Which was the hotel. Picked up late lunch (salad, melon, yoghurt and orange cake) from our local takeaway and “dined” in our room. Then popped to the shoe shop next door and bought a couple of pairs of shoes for the total of 74 euros.

Final dinner was a return visit to a great restaurant in a square just by the Pantheon. Paul Martin joined us which was great.

Now about to go have breakfast. Check out of hotel 11:00 but don’t have to leave for airport until 4:00. Just had last shower until Tuesday………