Friday 28 August 2009

ROME (sorry, I detoured to Darlo again)

ROME! Well, what can I say?!

It`s difficult to pick out just a few photos because we managed to do such a lot in such a short time, thanks to our two personal guides, Roberto for the city and Nuamie for the Vatican. They made our day, both being passionate and enthusiastic, and good fun too.We didn`t have to look at a map ALL DAY!

Roberto picked us up in his rather nice Merc and our first stop was the Colosseum, the 55,000 seater ampitheatre used for deadly gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights.... very impressive!




whoop whoop! Rome`s chariot racecourse is like The Roodee in Chester!



The forum ruins...


The Pantheon is lovely.Known as "The Temple of All the Gods", designed by Emperor Hadrian and built around AD118, it really is a beautiful building and it now houses the tomb of Raphael.





Piazza Navona is where Bernini`s fountain stands representing the four rivers Ganges, Plate, Danube and Nile...we had some fun there, especially when I nearly fell off the wall trying to take a photo of Husb.




We both made a wish in the Trevi fountain, my wish had a lot of effort in it!




...and then it was lunch. Spanish Steps, Gateways into the city, buildings used in the film "Angels and Demons", a Rome traffic jam... we had done plenty more before this point of the tour...

THE VATICAN

...was fab, we both love maps (despite not needing one today!) and we loved the map room on the walk down to the Sistine Chapel. We were to assume we were walking down the backbone of Italy with the relevant areas on either side as we walked down.But I also loved the Giotto`s, the frescoes, the Caravaggio and of course Michelangelo. Art, Art and more Art. FAB.




St Peter`s Basilica is enormous and well worth me buying a dress from Matalan to cover my shoulders. 537 steps to the summit of the dome, 186m long and with 11 chapels and 45 altars, what a magnificent building.




A truly memorable day.

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