Note: This photo story was originally published on June 6th, 2015.
More to come, but for now, enjoy the splash of photos from our first whole day in Rome! Scattered throughout, you will find our Vatican city tour, wanderings to a church and palace Barberino in the city, charming fountains and temples that reverberate the history behind this place. All I can say is, “When in Rome, live like the Romans do!” Enjoy! 🙂
The infamous Trevi fountain. It is currently under construction and being spruced up – as of 2015 – (hence the unsightly walls of plastic surrounding the periphery). Even still, I couldn’t help but throw a penny into the fountain. Legend has it that if one throws in a single coin into the fountain while standing backwards away from the walls, s(he) will return to Italy. A second coin into the fountain alludes to a person falling in love with an Italian and a third in the fountain means s(he) will marry an Italian!
The Pantheum! Initially a temple built in c. 170 AD, it was later turned into a church paying homage to the Madonna. Since it closed its gates around 9 PM, we decided to return the following day to see the figure of the Madonna.
And now for the Vatican City Tour…
Fountain near the entrance of the Vatican city museum with water from an aqueduct used for more than a thousand years!! Super sweet water.
The Vatican Museum is pictured above. The large pinecone in this image holds several meanings in different cultures and religions. For instance, within the Hindu philosophy, it signifies chakras.
Pictured above are the ancient stone tile designs appearing on the Vatican Museum floor.
Photography was, unfortunately, restricted in the Sistene Chapel, where Michelangelo’s famous paintings are displayed (the Ceiling of the Sistene Chapel and the Last Judgment).
That afternoon, we escaped to the less crowded steps across from the Vatican and ate tasty ciabatta rolls with pesto sauce while perched across the fountain (pictured below).
Roadside fountains are a common sighting along streets in Rome! They are characterized by sculptures of Roman or Greek leaders spewing water shoots. The fountain across from the “Spanish Steps”, a gathering spot for artists, painters, sculptors and writers during the Renaissance, is an exception to this rule, having a boat shape.
Dinner tonight was pizza cabrera, a thin crust palatable dish topped with olive, basil, lettuce bits, mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. Aai (mom) ordered eggplant parmesan while my dad ordered penne pasta spiced to perfection . My brother tried another kind of pizza topped with salami, egg and mushrooms, apparently a favorite in Italy!
Our evening stroll included a casual and leisurely trip to the Spanish Steps, and a whirl of Pistachio and Dark Chocolate gelato . It was irresistible…
And that concludes Rome in a day! Of course, even this short snippet seems insufficient as this city has so much more to offer! Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed joining me on this short city tour.
