DAY 77 ROME

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A forecast temperature in the mid to high 30’s resulted in us beginning our sightseeing much earlier than yesterday. A coffee to begin with and then we hit the hard paths. What follows are summaries of researched background information.

First stop the Trevi Fountain which we first visited in 1984. The fountain was completed in 1762. It was constructed at the intersection of Rome’s then 3 most important thoroughfares. Standing 26.3m high and 49.15m wide, it is the largest baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. In January 2013, it was announced that the Italian fashion company Fendi would sponsor a 20-month, 2.2-million-euro restoration of the fountain. Restoration work began in June 2014 and was completed in November 2015.

Second stop the Victor Emmanuel monument, also first visited by us in 1984, was designed to pay homage to one of the leading figures in the unification of Italy: Victor Emmanuel II. An equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel takes pride of place whilst two imposing chariots guided by the goddess Victoria dominate the portico from on high. The structure is 135m wide, 130m deep, and 70m high. We could not approach it closely as restoration work was in progress.

Third stop Tiberina Island which is the only river island in the part of the Tiber which runs through Rome and is located on the southern bend of the Tiber. We could not remember if we had visited it or not. The island is boat-shaped, approximately 270m long and 67m wide with bridges connecting it to both sides of the river since antiquity.

We continued around the Roman Forum past the Colosseum to our accommodation. The Roman Forum was the scene of public meetings, law courts, and gladiatorial combats in republican times and was lined with shops and open-air markets.

The hard paths and heat plus the fact that we are fast approaching the end of our trip that our excitement and motivation has waned significantly. Hence, we were pleased to reach “Just Chillin” and chilled-out for the remainder of the day.

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