Veni, Vidi, Roma

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Geo: 41.8947, 12.4839

We were able to catch an earlier train than we had planned on so we arrived in Rome by 8:45 a.m. That enabled us to have a full day of sightseeing. There is so much to see here. With the assistance of tourist information we were able to locate our Bed and Breakfast in less than 20 minutes. It's a quick, easy walk from the train station.

After checking in and getting advice from the manager we set out to see what we could on day one in Rome. The temperature is again very hot today. The normal range is mid seventies but today it's in the upper nineties.

Santa Maria Maggiore was our first destination. It is possibly the oldest of 80 churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was probably founded in the middle of the fifth century. It has a rich mosaic depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. It also has a kneeling statue of Pope Pius IX and Mass has been celebrated here for more than 1,500 years.

Piazza di Spagna was next on the list. It's a beautiful square that dominates the city's most elegant shopping district. Also in this location are the Spanish Steps and the Church of Trinita dei Monti. The steps were built between 1723 and 1726. There is also a fountain at the bottom of the steps which is called " Fountain of the Rotten(or Worthless) boat. Not much water flows here because of low water pressure from the aqueduct. In this area we passed several designer shops such as Gucci, Prada, Dolce e Gabbana, and Valentino and that's only a few. Along with the shops come the shoppers. The sidewalks are very narrow and often you have to step into the street to get around people but remember to look out for buses, taxis, cars and motorcycles.

We made our way to the Trevi Fountain. It is the most beautiful of Italy's many fountains and is famous for it's tradition of throwing a coin in the waters to assure you will return to Rome. Before we could even see the fountain you could hear it. The flowing waters are quite loud, even over the large crowds of people who gathered to throw coins, take pictures and just rest by the water. It is really spectaculor!

Other places we viewed were Piazza delia Repubblica, the Teateo deli'Opera, and Piazza S. Bernardo where we visited the Church.

All this was covered by foot and the streets are hilly at times. Needless to say we are pretty tired after the long walk in the intense heat. We feel like we have accomplished quite a bit on our first day in Rome.

Arrivederci

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Comments

[Kathy Nichols]

Thanks for the "just us" photo, about time. As far as the interior of the churches and the Trevi Fountain, I am speechless just looking at the pictures; can't imagine what it's like to actually be there! Enjoy every moment!!!