We got up early May 2 to catch a water bus to the Venice train station for our trip to Rome. It was a beautiful morning, and we enjoyed the ride.
Goodbye Venice - we had good times here! The ride to Rome was pleasant and relaxing, which was nice because Rome was hustling and bustling when we arrived. The beautification of Pope John Paul was May 1, so the city was more full than usual. We also noticed extra excitement on the lobby tv of our hotel as we checked in, and the clerk said "bin Laden" and then drew a finger across his neck and added "dead." Regardless of all the tizzy, we dumped our bags and went walking in Rome.
 |
| One of Rome's many fountains |
Our first stop was Santa Maria delgi Angeli.
 |
| This was some sort of timeline in the floor |
 |
| Floor tiles |
 |
| The church was "attached" to the Baths of Diocletian - this was out in the courtyard. |
A stop for lunch was next, followed by visits to two other churches - Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Such vast beauty and dedication...in SO many different churches!
Next we wandered around a few more streets, then headed to the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi is always surrounded by huge crowds, and today was no different. It was kind of fun to be part of so many people enjoying something though - just sitting around, tossing coins or soaking it all in...
 |
| This was a carving on a corner of a busy intersection...something to look at while you wait, I guess... |
 |
| The whole Trevi Fountain structure is really quite large |
Since we were close (relatively speaking), we headed toward the Spanish Steps next.
 |
| Now that is a big door |
 |
The Spanish Steps are also always busy...people like to sit on them and play music, talk, or people watch like we did
! |
Next up was the Pantheon. I'm not sure what is so neat about a dome with a little hole in the top, but the building is really neat. I also like the huge pillars in the front - maybe that has something to do with it too.
 |
| Inside looking up at the sky |
After the Pantheon we stopped in at San Luigi del Francesi for a bit more grandeur.
As we walked toward Piazza Navano for dinner, we snapped a shot of this "ruin." I absolutely love that about Rome - the "new" buildings are all older than those in the U.S., and then mixed in as you walk down the street are even way older ones like this. So much history here!
Dinner was nice - it had raining lightly on and off late afternoon and evening, so we found a covered outdoor cafe facing the fountain and ordered up.
 |
| I think Bryan is hoping my dinner doesn't swim away... |
Feeling full, we decided to take a night walk back to our hotel. That's another thing I love about Rome - lights give the attractions a whole different look/feel at night!
 |
| The Victor Emmanuel Monument - so regal looking! |
 |
| Hello Colosseum |
The route we took from the Colosseum back to our hotel ended up being a bit longer than we anticipated, so we were thoroughly exhausted by the time we crashed into bed...but what a great day and a good start to Rome!
No comments:
Post a Comment