Day 93

Day 93, Thursday 1st July.
Terrorism at the Galleria Borghese

The timeslot for our visit to the Galleria Borghese was 11am to 1pm, dire consequences awaited those who did not collect their tickets in the half hour before the visit. No refunds, no re allocation. So we arrived in plenty of time.
If the staff at the ticket collection desk were condesending and curt, the ones at the audio guide desk were positively rude, in the café they were vile and even the lady in the loos terrorised one old couple to tears, she (the lavatory attendant)wouldn’t let them in (to the TOILET)unless they produced a ticket, which as they were part of a group they didn’t have.
This severe attitude problem must come from the top, unless they only recruit staff from the people-hating workforce of Rome, It may even be a requirement.
Such a shame, it’s a knockout gallery, stunning rooms with some of the finest collections of paintings and sculpture we have seen. I have never been in an institution so hell bent on making our visit as unpleasant as possible. A measure of their success is we quickly became cultured out and found the place a great indigestible slab of excess.
Cleared our heads with a walk through the park to the Spanish Steps. Historically a poser’s paradise where all the bight young things wait to be discovered. It must have been their day off as all the people there looked like they were waiting for cryogenic re animation.
Lunch in our favourite Rome restaurant, Ostella alla Concordia. An old hangout of the Italian film director Fellini.
Great food, great service, great atmosphere and cheap as chips. Gallery Garden(only place you can take a picture)

A poser at the Spanish steps

Me getting all Fellini.