Thursday, October 18, 2012

Roma!


In life you have to make choices.  We had one day to spend in Rome and knowing this, Greg booked a driver to give us an overview tour.   We decided that we would concentrate on old Rome and leave the Vatican for another time.
 
Our driver Max Rocca of easitalytours was terrific.  While the frenetic Roman traffic buzzed around outside our car, he calmly and effortlessly drove while telling us what we were seeing outside our windows.  And we were given time to walk around and explore each of the places that were highlighted on our tour.

Our first stop was to the Piazza Navona.  It’s quite a sight as you approach it through the narrow street.  All of a sudden there is a beautiful, large open space with three magnificent fountains including the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of Four Rivers) by Bernini.

On the Piazza Navona

Detail of Bernini's Four Rivers Fountain
From there we went on to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa in 31 BCE and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.  My photos don’t do justice to this beautiful, graceful building.


Then we had a brief stop to admire Bernini’s Pulcino della Minerva, this nice little elephant sculpture that holds up one of eleven Egyptian Obelisks found in Rome.  Here he is front and back.  He sits in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, an important Roman Catholic church of the Dominican order.  



That’s all for today, folks!


11 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

lovin' the elephant end. :)

i think you spent your day wisely - a guided, personal, driven tour sounds perfect!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

fun trip. i had to do a double take when i read TexWisGirl comment. an elephant butt. ha. ha!! you got me there. thanks for the laugh. cute. (:

Debbie said...

Now that's the perfect "ending"!!!!

Nicki said...

That Pantheon shot is quite impressive. I would love to visit Rome one day - just beautiful!

Pamela Gordon said...

How beautiful! You were fortunate to have such a great tour guide for your one day in Rome.

Chatty Crone said...

You are sooooooooooooooo blessed and lucky to have been there.

Rohrerbot said...

Incredible architecture. This is definitely a place on my list of "must sees". These places are referenced in so many literature pieces. Beautiful.

Brian King said...

They have fantastic architecture! Love the buildings! The statues are very impressive! It's nice you had a good driver so you could concentrate on the sights.

MEcoy said...

rome is the most glamorous in terms of spectacular structures

MadSnapper said...

the first and third photos would make wonderful framed art, love the lines in both and laughed long and hard at the elephant tail... a little green from envy now

Juliana said...

Fabulous city!
ur photographs are awesoome!

xoxo, Juliana
PJ’ Happies