it’s been almost 16 years since i was last in Rome; my parents took my brother and i here (part of a tour through central Europe) to celebrate my college and his high school graduations. while i’ve been several times since to Italy, i’ve been really looking forward to returning to The Eternal City to see how eternal it really is.
What a difference it makes between high and low seasons. Low season at the Trevi Fountain is still busy but at least it’s manageable! I remember what the city was like during the summer and I don’t think I could handle that!
and boy, is it eternal. i completely forgot how intertwined and monumental the history is here. everywhere you turn, it’s something ancient or a masterwork, or an ancient masterwork. i have a tendency to spatially distort places in my memory, remembering them as larger or smaller, but so many places were exactly as what i’ve been picturing in my mind’s eye during the runup to my return.
something i didn’t remember today, though, was my camera :\ and what a day to forget! also, i pretty much became my parents and followed a Rick Steves walk from his guidebook. sometimes i’m quick to eschew him but really, it’s some good stuff! he makes things really easy and provides quick and conveniently digestible (without being dumbed-down, i hope) context.
The morning market at Campo de’ Fiori
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at Piazza Navona
Sant’Agnese in Agone
Pantheon Oculus
Pantheon Altar
Chiesa del Gesù — I’m so glad I decided to take a little detour from the walk and come here. What an amazing interior!
A Roman street
Galleria Alberto Sordi. It’s no Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, but I’ll take it!
Trevi Fountain
The Spanish Steps. I had to act quick to get in a shot devoid of people, which was difficult given the number of visitors and the demonstrators that were starting to arrive. (Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever been to Italy and not passed by a demonstration of some sort.)
By the end of the morning my slight cold (thanks, Sochi) was starting to catch up with me and I needed a little break. You could do worse than to pop into a church in Rome. (The Most Holy Trinita Degli Spagnoli)
sidebar: protip i’ve discovered that in most bar service places, you need to pay first and present your receipt to get your food/drink. this was the case at both the cafe i went to this morning (Tazza d’Oro) as well as the gelato place (Giolitti). p.s. this is three scoops, and no, there is nothing wrong with gelato at 9:50 AM!
