A busy three days!!

Greetings all!Your text to link here...We're back again after wearing ourselves out exploring near and far!
Some of the highlights .. in no particular order..
We decided to walk across the Tiber to explore the Trastevere area - supposedly less touristy..we wandered down narrow steets and past large school and a hospital.. both in very old buildings.. followed the via Garibaldi and some steps up to the church at the top.. San Pietro nel Montorio.. it's in a Spanish area with spanish ofices and a museum.. the church was shut but we chatted with an Irishman who was there to try to photograph the gravestones of his family ancestors - Hugh O'Neill.. we sat around till the church opened at 4.00 pm, then aqssisted him to persuade the curator to roll back a blue carpet (laid in preparation for a later wedding).. and there was the beatifully engraved large tombstome..dating back 300 years or so.. He was very pleased.. and we were happy to have assisted in his search in just a small way.. even above the church door was the O'Neill family crest with the red bloodied hand..

another day..
We headed to the Spanish steps and walked on to discover the Pincio gardens-

lots of noisy students having water fights, but the main gardens were lovely.. statues, tall trees, large lake with row boats.. and an interesting water clock..

We got to the Tiber and walked along.. found a couple of Churches to visit..

Later we went out again in the late afternoon and just explored nearby streets.. came across the Church where they have the reliquary (head so it says on the www) of saint Peter Julian Eymard.. rather unusual.. there he is in a glass case fully dressed in priestly robes.. even black socks and shoes.. the head and face are painted silver .. so I presumed (err.. hoped!!) that the actual head was well hidden below in a special casket! (did not photo this one!)
We strolled on..

Suddenly music.. there was the police brass band seatedin the middle of a piazza in full regaliar .. quite spectacular.. so we stayed till they finished..

Today we used the bus and went to see what's left of the old Circus Maximus..

(very little really.. it's an open space with some grass and a sandy track.. cyclists were riding the sloping banks.. a VERY loud pop band were preparing for a "big day out" concert at one end..
We again caught the bus to see where it would take us.. along beautiful tree lined streets then into an area of high "low cost" housing..ended in a large piazza and sat on the bus till it brought us back..
We again went to see the Trevi ..exploring back streets.. came across an archeological exhibition which went underground near the
Trevi.. rather damp with water trickling below.. probably not good for the health to stay long!!

Late afternoon we went back to the Trevi:


Tonight we've packed and are ready to farewell Rome . lucky there is a special 40 euro taxi rate to Fuimicino airport so we'll hail a cab!

Will blog on from KL .. hopefully!!