Wake to bright sunlight and we spill out onto the street looking for provisions and transportation to the site outlined in a walking tour.
Around the corner is an entomology building covered with a spray paint mural of insects.
(Zoology Institute of La Sapienza University)
Piazzale Valerio Massimo, 6, 00162 Roma RM, Italy (Map)
The artist is on the ladder at work at the far end of the wall..
The artist is on the ladder at work at the other end of the wall.
At a corner shop we are recognized as Americans and promptly offered hamburgers and Coca-Cola. We requested espressos and paninis (sandwiches, like bocadillos in Spain) instead. We load up with water and head down into the underground to the metro.
First stop is Trevi Fountain, completed in the mid-1700's:
Extremely hot with no shade available, the building-size fountain swarms with tourists.
A contemporary Centurion soldier makes a mobile phone call.
Too hot to continue with such a terrible map, we purchase a new one and sit for a cold Moretti. A plan made, when the bill arrives, we see that at 8€ (over $10!) apiece, we should stick to cheap corner markets.
Uptight business men in sharp dark suits cut lines through traffic of people and cars.
A classically-styled
sidewalk chalk drawing.
Column of Marcus Aurelius erected to commemorate his action in the Danubian Wars that began in 166 AD. The continuous frieze that wraps over 100 feet high around the column depicts events of the battles.
Sweating and dazed, we round another corner to yet another piece of history meet our eyes-
Originally a pagan temple when constructed in 80AD, it was later converted to a Catholic church in the 7th Century.
The eclectic collection mobbed by crowds is lit by the only source in the building: the oculus.
Our guidebook suggests Sant Eustachio il Caffe for The Grancaffe. Smooth and slightly sweet, it was a quick caffeine hit before continuing on to Vatican City.
The end of our walking tour, Saint Peter's is in sight.
Crossing the River Tiber on the Ponte Sant'Angelo to Castel San't Angelo. The bridge is lined with sculptures of angels by Bernini.
To the left of the castle is Saint Peter's Basilica (San Pietro) in Vatican City shrouded in atmosphere.
The street opens to Piazza San Pietro, lined with elegant colonnades that frame the Basilica.
The Vatican is closed to visitors at this time of the day.
The Egyptian obelisk of the 13th century BC, was taken to Rome in AD 37 by Emperor Caligula. It was moved and re-erected in 1586.
The eclectic collection mobbed by crowds is lit by the only source in the building: the oculus.
Around the decrepit side of the Pantheon
Bernini's elephant in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is the only Gothic church in Rome. We duck inside to get out of the summer sun to find a hidden treasure of private chapels, and Michelangelo's Christ the Redeemer.
Photos weren't allowed, but culture in a comfortable temperature allowed us to remain a few hours.
Our guidebook suggests Sant Eustachio il Caffe for The Grancaffe. Smooth and slightly sweet, it was a quick caffeine hit before continuing on to Vatican City.
The end of our walking tour, Saint Peter's is in sight.
Crossing the River Tiber on the Ponte Sant'Angelo to Castel San't Angelo. The bridge is lined with sculptures of angels by Bernini. To the left of the castle is Saint Peter's Basilica (San Pietro) in Vatican City shrouded in atmosphere.
The short walk is lined with embassies and the occasional stencil.
Hellraiser in Vatican City...
Hellraiser in Vatican City...
The street opens to Piazza San Pietro, lined with elegant colonnades that frame the Basilica.
The Vatican is closed to visitors at this time of the day.The Egyptian obelisk of the 13th century BC, was taken to Rome in AD 37 by Emperor Caligula. It was moved and re-erected in 1586.
With no place open to purchase tickets, we return on the train for free. Feeling faint and looking pale, Jude retires to the room while we revisit the Chinese restaurant around the block for a dinner together at a shared table.
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