Roaming Rome!

What do you do when you have worked (relatively) hard all year towards completing a Masters?? Go on vacation (again) of course!

My sister Laura and I headed to Rome on May 22nd to eat pizza and pasta, drink wine, soak up some rays and do a lot of walking. In the end we did all these things especially eat pizza, but upon our arrival we were a bit doubtful about the rays. Seems that the Irish weather followed us and there was a thunderstorm our first afternoon. The weather was only slightly warmer temperature-wise than Ireland, but the difference was made up in humidity. I was brave enough to wear shorts for a couple days and I really sunburnt my nose!

We covered a lot of miles in Rome. The old, Mediterranean style of architecture makes the city centre fabulous to explore by foot if you are keen like us. The city is very touristy and has tonnes to offer so we were never short of things to do. After the rain cleared on our first day we set out to see sights. Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain, the most well-known fountain in Rome. The massive Baroque fountain was originally designed by Bernini, but was not built until 1732 when the project was taken over by Nicola Salvi. At the center of the fountain stands the marble statue of mythological Oceanus, commander of the sea. Interestingly the fountain is still fed by an underground aqueduct which dates back as far as 19 BC. It is estimated that tourists throw in 3000€ worth of coins into the fountain each day!

Not far away from Trevi fountain rise the Spanish Steps which ironically lead to the French church
Trinita dei Monti. The name however is derived from the Spanish Embassy that shares the adjoining Piazza. The steps were built in the 1720s, consist of 135 steps and are still the widest in Europe. At the base of the steps rests Fontana della Barcaccia or "Fountain of the Old Boat" which was built in the late 1620s by Pietro Bernini, father of the famous Lorenzo Bernini.

The Spanish Steps is obviously a busy place and therefore draws many street performers and artists. I was very impressed with this pair... not so much that one seems to be supporting the other, but the fact that they can sit still all day long with their legs folded. I can't imagine I would even last five minutes.

If you continue north from the Steps you reach the large Piazza del Popolo. This square borders an ancient set of gates to the city and a couple churches. The center sports a tall Egyptian Obelisk which was originally brought to the city in 10 BC by Augustus. I had not expected to see Egyptian relics, but there were several obelisks around Rome which showcase the wealth of the ancient Empire.

At one end of Piazza Popolo, you can climb the Pincian Hill to get fabulous views of the surrounding area. The top of the hill hosts lovely gardens, but unfortunately we did not spend much time at the top due to an incoming thunderstorm. I did not like the idea of standing upon one of Rome's highest landmarks, underneath trees and holding an umbrella. We snapped a few pictures and moved on.

 In the picture on the right you can see St Peter's Basilica rising above the horizon.

 

We celebrated our first evening with a meal of traditional Italian pizza. The toppings included eggplant, artichoke and egg. The pizzas are the size of a large plate and have a thin crust, not like our thick North American version. No Euro was ever wasted as I never left a pizza unfinished!

Either than the rain, we were off to a fantastic start in Rome.
Till next time, Ciao!
Shannon