Rome,
Italy
12/28/02 - 1/1/03
These first photos
are shots taken around the city.
(# 11-12) views of St. Peter's across the Tiber.
(# 14-15) Castel Sant' Angelo.
(# 17-18) Vittorio Emanuele II Monument--built in honor of
the king that unified Italy. He was laid to rest in the Pantheon.
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The
Pantheon, a temple to "all the gods" is now a Christian
church. This was an amazing space to finally be able to experience firsthand
after seeing so many images. It was surprisingly bright inside. ( of
course, the electric lighting doesn't help the situation) The first
time we visited the Pantheon we ate a quick meal at the McDonalds (yes,
McDonalds is everywhere) directly across the square from the Pantheon.
We also ended up back at the Pantheon on New Year's Eve while in search
of a nice meal. We found that meal indeed--we enjoyed a lovely candlelit
dinner in front of the Pantheon. That is an experience we never thought
we'd be having. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
Happy New Year!
(# 19-20) Piazza della Minerva with Bernini's elephant supporting
an Egyptian obelisk.
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The Piazza di Spagna and the famous Spanish Steps are a magnet for tourists. The steps were crawling with people, but the weather that day was exquisite. We spent some time sitting on the steps people-watching and soaking up the sun that can't seem to find Paris!
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The Trevi Fountain, the largest and most famous Roman fountain, was incredible. A ton of people there, but we managed to find some space to sit on at the edge of the fountain. And yes, we both tossed coins, so hopefully we'll be back someday!
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As we wandered around Rome, we stumbled upon the Villa Borghese, a large park with a variety of museums and pieces of architecture and a small zoo. We had a lovely picnic lunch at the Giardino del Lago with the Temple of Aesculapius, a fake Ionic temple to the Greek god of health (# 2 & 3). We fed our stale bread to the willing birds and ducks nearby. Nick was feeding the sparrows out of his hand and we even got the ducks to jump up off of their feet for the bread!
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The Piazza Navona was a great place to be on this lovely day.
We made our way through the shops that were set up there and even
spotted Santa! This is also home to Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro
Fiumi (# 5-6).
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This building needs no introduction. Nick really, really, really enjoyed
our visit to the Colosseum. We toured the ruins with the aid
of an audioguide and a little rain.
"It
was my favorite thing in Rome."
--Nick
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The old Roman ruins...
(# 1-4) Trajan's Forum and Markets--consisted of a large statue of Trajan, two libraries, and a huge basilica.
(# 5-14) Roman Forum--ceremonial center of Rome under the Empire. It consisted originally of food stalls, brothels, and temples and later business centers and law courts.
(# 6) Arch of Titus.
(# 8) Arch of Septimius Severus.
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