After the Vatican we headed back to the hotel and did some shopping in the neighborhood. The area is very upscale, handsome Renaissance buildings lining surprisingly quiet cobblestone streets, with the ground floors occupied by tony antique shops and upscale boutiques. We did the usual credit card damage, but I would say that the shopping here is overrated. They've got all the usual names, but the shops are smallish and quite plain. I think these shops have been here for decades, and were some of the first outposts of Gucci, Louis Vuitton etc. But now these stores blanket the earth, and the newer ones are much larger and outlandishly designed, leaving these small basic shops in the shade. We then headed back to the hotel for our usual early evening routine, champagne in the courtyard, watching the pigeons diving for leftover olives and nuts.