Come si dice "it's hot" in italiano?

An early start to the day with breakfast in the hotel garden.  A gorgeous array of food:  I help myself to a hard boiled egg, bocconcini cheese and tiny, sweet tomatoes; Brent is eggs and bacon; both followed by fruit and pastries.  Brent whispers, "You've got to love a country that serves nutella donuts for breakfast".  It's gorgeous in the garden...we're the only ones there and we feel very virtuous being up so early (7am! - remember, we were asleep by about 9.00 last night).

In an effort to beat the heat we're committed to our early start.  First stop is close to the hotel...the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta.  The piazza is a square outside the grand green doors to the priory of the Knights of Malta.  When you peer through the keyhole, you see a perfectly framed view of the distant dome of Saint Peter's basilica.  The path on the hidden side of the doors is lined with dense pine trees and the illusion is that the dome, which we know to be so far away, is at the end of the path.  It seems a glimpse into another world and I would love to be walking that hidden path.

We take the metro to Stazione Termini...we will be leaving from here when we take the train to Lake Como, so it's good to know where we'll be heading...and we walk.  Giardini del Quirinale, where I get to say buon giorno to an gorgeous old dog out in the park with his owner; Fontana di Trevi, although the fountain is empty; Piazza di Spagna, where the kids are soaking up the heat on the marble of the Spanish steps; Piazza del Popolo, centred around an obelisk delivered from Heliopolis, in ancient Greece, in the 16th century; the gardens on Pincio hill for a great view of the city; and the fountain-filled gardens of Villa Borghese.

Now, I don't want to harp on the heat, but it's 35 degrees again and, mi scusa, but it's shockingly hot - dripping sweat hot!  We almost didn't want to leave the shade of the gardens.  The sun is so strong, I can't take any photos, and it's uncomfortable to stop and explore anywhere.  We walk on...back to Stazione Termini, find our way to a couple of record stores (no treasures), a break for lunch and then back to the hotel...to revive in the shower!  It's 4.30 and still 32 degrees...