Photo Diary: Rome
/Rome, the Eternal City. It's unbelievable how photogenic this city is. It's practically a museum with statues, fountains, and art work by the masters nearly everywhere. Combine that with hidden alcoves, winding streets, and vine-covered walls and it's hard to keep the camera shutter quiet. We hope that these images convince you to visit Rome !
When in Rome, be sure to hit up the toursits sites, if only to check them out. I thought they would be unimpressive, but I'm glad that I was sorely mistaken. If you want to see Trevi Fountain with fewer people, head there in the morning when the sun is coming up. I'm sure it gorgeous at night when it's all lit up too.
The Spanish Steps were undergoing some construction and restoration work while we were there. Bright side is that we got to see them without anyone on them!
That water flowing from the dead eyes is drinkable so fill up a water bottle!
I was seriously impressed with the Pantheon. It's WAY bigger in person than I thought it would be. I also thought it would more like other Roman ruins that I've seen, but it's still a functioning building.
Those columns are massive!
The inside of the dome in the Pantheon - amazing!
We didn't go inside the Castel Sant'Angelo, but we did get a pretty view of it from one of the bridges crossing the Tiber River. The bridge in this photo was built by the Roman emperor Hadrian in 134 AD - that's nearly 2000 years ago!
You also have to make sure to check out the Colosseum, even if you don't go inside.
Here you can see where parts of the colosseum have been reconstructed for added stability
But if you do decide to go inside the Colosseum, you won't be disappointed!
Evelyn is thrilled with ROman ruins
Around the Colosseum are a number of other ruins you can check out too, like the
The ancient gate at the Colosseum
Roman Forum with Palatine hill in the background
Make sure you visit some of the piazzas while you're in Rome too. You can opt for the more famous one like Piazza Navona, or there are hundreds of smaller, less crowded, ones to explore. One tip, you'll pay a lot more for a meal, coffee, or gelato on one of the main piazzas, so try to find a place a couple of blocks away for a better deal.
Central fountain at Piazza Navona
The Papal seal signifies that the Church helped to finance the construction of, or now owns, whatever it is on. This one was found in Piazza Navona
And make sure you stop into the small, unassuming churches. You'll find some real treasures, like this relic of St. John the Baptist, or beautifully painted icons.
One of my favorite neighborhoods in Rome was Trastevere. Located on the west side of the Tiber river, this area is full of winding streets, small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants with amazing pasta and wine, and buildings hundreds of years old with vines climbing up their walls. It's so incredibly picturesque. This is a popular area for tourists and locals alike to partake in after work Apertifs
Vin Allegro is a great place to stop for an Apertif!
Make sure you look around you too as you're exploring the city. There are hundreds of interesting sculptures and sights to see.
So have we convinced you to visit this beautiful city yet? If you've already been to Rome, what were some of your favorite sights? Evelyn didn't seem all that impressed with it.
