The Canonisation ceremony in Rome taking place the day after our visit to Civitavecchia, has deterred us from braving the crowds and braving the traffic; so, instead, we opted for a lazy day at the port. To be honest, there isn't much to Civitavecchia, but it's a pleasant enough place that combines a working class atmosphere with that of a faded seaside resort.
On a day of low expectations, we actually had a pretty nice time, visiting the market, having a pizza (decent, but not as good as yesterday's), taking a walk along the seafront promenade, and having a drink at a cafe. Seeing as I gave the last of my 52 lectures yesterday, it was nice to relax, chill out, and feel like I was really on holiday.
PS. Apparently Rome wasn't that bad if you stayed away from the most touristy sights, and everyone that made the effort to go there said that they were glad they had.