You’ll definitely have to open this on the website to see it all as there are far too many photos to fit in the email!
We have had a wonderful 4 days exploring Rome and just wandering the streets, seeing news sights, and revisiting places previously explored. There’s the usual favourites, like the Pantheon, Colosseum and Trevi fountain. There are so many layers of history here that it is sometimes hard to comprehend just how long people have been living here, and how many lives have been touched by this city.
It’s also a bit of a stark contrast to the laid back lifestyle of Greece. Greece is a shorts and t-shirt/bikini and summer dress kind of place. Here in Rome people are very fashion conscious and dress up in all sorts of designer clothing just to go for a walk around town.
It’s been a wonderful visit, and we are now about to board a 5 hour flight to Dubai, followed by a 18.5 hours flight to Auckland 🥺. We are looking forward to catching up with friends and family. Until then, enjoy these photos from Roma!
The Renault Twizy looks positively tiny next to the Smart Four Two next to it.
Trajan’s column and the Vittorio Emanuelle II Monument (colloquially known as the typewriter)
Trajan’s column in the ruins of part of the Forum.
Trajan’s column with its continuous story telling in a spiral up the column.
QWERTY
A shop where you can buy all your ecclesiastical supplies.
Marcus Agrippa built this …. That’s what the lettering says anyway. The Pantheon ….. one of the most amazing ancient buildings in Europe.
An Abarth Bambina in front of the Pantheon.
Colloquially known as “La Rotonda” because of the circular shape of the interior, the Pantheon started out as a temple to all the pagan gods and was eventually converted into a Christian church. It houses the tomb of Vittorio Emanuelle II and the Renaissance painter Raphael (not the teenage mutant ninja turtle).
The impressive unreinforced concrete dome - 142 feet in diameter and 142 feet from top to floor.
The 9m diameter oculus in the centre of the dome.
The tomb of Vittorio Emanuelle II - once the monarch of Italy.
Hey! Eyes front grandad!
The outside is a little run down, but not bad for 2000 years old!
The stark contrast of 2000 year old building compared to the modern urban buildings surrounding it.
The Trevi Fountain - Neptune and his Triton mates splashing about.
The Trevi fountain is always pretty popular with tourists.
Cute little street while wandering through Trastevere.
We came across a demonstration and got chatting to a local about it. They were calling out a few truths about the conflict in Ukraine. They said it wasn’t as simple as Ukraine = good and Putin = bad, and there are a lot of crimes committed against locals by the nazi regime in Kiev (yes apparently the descendants of the nazis fled there and are alive and well - who knew! 🥺).
The roads in Rome are made from these cobblestones - they look great, and make a small fortune for manufacturers of shock absorbers 😅🥺
Cops on horseback!
Layer upon layer upon layer of history, with quite a lot of it below street level.
The Forum.
Having an earnest conversation with a feathered local.
I didn’t realise that nuns habits are available in models other than the standard black. Maybe it’s like a karate belt where the different colours indicate different levels of nun-ness?
Giardino Bruno …. A man who spoke the truth against the narrative and suffered for it.
Fountain of the four continents and their 4 rivers in Piazza Navona.
Another fountain in Piazza Navona.
Piazza Navona - quiet during the day, but very busy in the evenings.
Gotta love this place.
“If you look to your right … “
The Tiber river and Isola Tiberina (the island).
Oldest bridge in Rome - built in 62BC.
Trastevere is quite touristy nowadays.
Lots of places to eat at in Trastevere.
St Peter’s square.
St Peter’s Basilica.
Love those columns!
The fours rows of columns that disappear into one when you stand on the right spot (see video).
Castle Sant’Angelo.
Love the trees here too.
Hmm, calendar of gladiators? Or priests? 🤪
The Spanish Steps
More Egyptian influence.
Piazza del Popolo looking towards the Vatican.
Top of the Spanish steps.
Pizza and beer - when in Rome, do as the Romans do!
A cinquecento (Italian for 500) - or Fiat Bambina.
Last meal in Rome … at an Argentinian restaurant. 🤤
Rome