It’s been 4 very busy, wonderful days in the Eternal City. The highlights from today were the Campo de’ Fiore and the Quartiere Coppede. This quirky, secret neighborhood is the reason we choose to stay in this area. It was the brainchild of architect Gino Coppede and was built between 1913 – 1927.
Tomorrow morning we hop on a train to our beloved Orvieto (in Umbria) for 7 nights.
Let’s start by saying, matching our previous days total of 24,000+ FitBit steps was just too much to duplicate. We had a slow start to the day and our website was having issues that needed immediate attention. Without the fix, there would be no new Posts. All good now!
As it was, our early morning start turned into an early afternoon getaway. Oh well, stuff happens and we didn’t let it hold us back from having another memorable day in Rome.
There’s nothing like jumping on a tram, steps from your apartment, then jumping off some 30 minutes later at the foot of the Colosseo. It really is an awesome experience standing in front of this iconic Italian monument.
I say this even after multiple trips to the Colosseum. Sharing the moment with scads of people can be overwhelming, but who am I to begrudge them of their own special moment?
While strolling around the Colosseum and Forum, you can’t help but be drawn to the huge white stone monument erected to honor King Vittorio Emanuele II.
Normally, we walk around the perimeter, getting sore necks from looking up at this imposing structure. Not this time. We made the walk up to the second level and got great views of the surrounding area. Good news, it is free! What a perfect place to snap loads of pictures.
Now, if you want even better views for even more spectacular photos then here’s our Tip of the day! Fork out ten euro each and wait in line for an elevator ride to the upper deck for truly remarkable views.
The nearly 360 degree vistas are stunning, as well as a great way to get perspective of where all the major attractions are located in relation to one another.
Click on an image to enlarge and scroll.
The thing about photography is that you really never know when something will inspire you to take the shot. Take this photo for example. It was taken as we crossed a busy Roman intersection near Rome’s Trastevere district. We loved the contrast of this bright red car against the muted colors of its surroundings.
However, it’s the timing of the shot that makes it a keeper. Not a single person or vehicle came into frame for the shot. As a result, the photo has a well staged car ad feel to it.
That my friends, is a case of being in the right place at the right time.
We chose churches, aka – Chiesa, Cattedrale, Duomo, Basilica for our first top ten list because they are the central attraction of any city, town or village throughout Italy. You’ll be hard pressed to pass by these magnificent symbols of faith without taking at least one sneak peak inside. The need to see what lies behind their impressive doors is hard to ignore.
A beautiful thing about these churches is that they are welcoming to all travellers regardless of your own personal faith. All that is required is for visitors to be respectful while they are inside and to speak softly since there are many who have come to worship.
Now that you have decided a trip to the Italian peninsula to walk with the Romans is in your future, it’s time to choose the places you want to see. It may seem like that would be an easy thing to do. Not so much! There are just so many sights and not enough time for you to see everything.
