We had a great breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, which is a handsome room opening onto the terrace, then, notwithstanding we hadn't slept for a couple of days, set off on a full day's sightseeing. Rome is conveniently divided into a series of pretty discrete neighborhoods, largely defined by the famous seven hills of ancient Rome. Quirinale was the highest of these hills, but after the fall of the Roman empire, the area was abandoned. The popes decided to build a palace on the top of the hill in the sixteenth century, which later became the home of the shortlived Italian royal family in 1870, and is now the home of Italy's president. It is enormous and not particularly beautiful from the outside, although the interiors are suitably grand and full of great artworks. It's only open once a month, which is the main reason we embarked on a sightseeing
visit on our first morning rather than just crashing at the hotel.