Roma, an ancient city

Although Allan has briefly visited Rome airport, Muna well remembers her Italian visit with her dear parents. This time both of us were very excited to see Italy, starting of course with Rome.

The Colosseum is one of Rome's most well-known landmarks, and these buildings are near it. Massively restored, the Colosseum must have been a sight to be seen in its day. You queue for a long time, sometimes hours, to see what was for me a slight disappointment, as the ruins in Bet She'an in Israel and even in Caesaria were more impressive - perhaps it was the crowds that got to me.
Its height is the distinctive feature, and hence it is more impressively seen from outside rather than in.
As the heart of the Roman civilisation, its ornamentation must have been elaborate.


And the underground system of tunnels is very impressive.

You can get some idea of what the structure looked like, but you still have to imagine a lot, especially where the spectators sat.


Surprisingly, there was widespread use of fired small clay bricks, rather than stone.
It was a centre of hedomism,
and the views of the surrounding areas are impressive.
What an entrance! Imagine coming for the first time.
other buildings in varying states of repair, fortunately the tourist euro must go some way towards preserving this for its own heritage sake.


Rome was indeed a physical centre of the world. As to Catholicism, St. Peters square has a real sense of purpose and feeling about it. The entrance columns leave you in no doubt that the you are entering an imposing place,
and the centre fountain most inviting, especially on one of the many warm summers days. The queues to enter the church stretch back a long way.
The obelisk is als0 imposing.
and is a good place to find some shade and then read about what is all around you. Muna is the queen of "cut and paste" and prepared concise summaries of the main places to see.the inner area immense.
and the basilica impressive indeed.
But all these photos are typical of any tourist, so the commentary is indeed brief.

The entrance draws you to the centre of the square, which is of course really a circle.and even from afar the basilica can be seen as a striking building on the skylineThe Pantheon is nothing to look at from the outside - indeed, are we in the right place?
The crowds are thinner here; are we where the map says we should be?
The entrance looks impressive.
but nothing like what awaits you inside. Quite breathtaking,
and of course the Pantheon was later converted to a place of Christian worship.
the architecture is imposing,

and yes, surprisingly, the hole in the centre of the roof really does let the rain in, and the floors are sloped to let it drain away.
The best part of Rome is seen by just walking around, lots of walking as the underground is very limited, due to the number of sites of archeological significance. Buses run everywhere, but walking allows you to see the real Rome, not just the tourist spots.

A welcome rest and an ice cold drink in a public square to rest those sore feet.

The fountains are truly impressive - I would rather be here than indoors.

not surprisingly, artists are attracted to the priceless art works of Rome and their work is displayed everywhere.

cathedrals testify to the power and majesty of Christ.
and the public squares show the influence of a revival of religious devotion.
I tried to get Muna in this shot but another beauty got there first.
Our most enjoyable times were not spent standing in queues to see the places in the tourist brochures, indeed we avoided as much as possible those wanting to show us Rome in a day, rather we delighted in the unexpected sights, such as this public building.
The large square down from the Spanish steps was a place of unexpected tranquility and awe, as the natural geography and sculpture were used to create a place of beauty that we loved.



Exclusive shops lined the streets funneling you towards this square.

with a tall obelisk.


and fountains
Car parking is a premium in Rome, and smart cars and innovative parking definitely have their place.
the coloured pasta was a surprise and a delight to the eye.

Police vehicles come in all sizes.
and these melons were such a joyful colour.
Now if only this would fit in our suitcase, what do you think dear? Muna really loves colour.
Everyone visits the Spanish steps and so I take the compulsory photos, but why this is so special is beyond me. not the most impressive fountain, but unusual.
Muna spots a person selling chestnuts!
The Trevi fountain on the other hand is impressive, given the source of the water. Standing 26 meters high and 20 meters wide, The Fontana di Trevi or Trevi fountain is the most famous and arguably the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome.

too bad about the numbers that come and the noise of the masses.
see, I really was there!
Its me again.

Near our hotel were two impressive buildings that form part of a huge roundabout.
They were also beautiful at night.
other buildings are striking on their ownbut pale in comparison to the architecture of close by buildings, like this cathedral,
where we saw a most interesting sight; hair cutting in progress.
I wonder if she pays income tax?
The streets are understandable narrow in places
and very wide in others.
A few random shots follow:




Although refusing several times, Allan finally was convinced to take a photo of the top of a rubbish bin that caught Muna's attention.
Obelisk's feature prominently in Rome.
This one on the back of an elephant.Muna loves doors - an aspect of her whims that I could never truly appreciate in Australia, but Italy, with its huge wooden doors in abundance, offered a new scope for her to indulge her interest.
Water always adds to the ambiance of a place, and the river flowing through Rome gives time and space to ponder and reflect.The river boats are a nice way to travel but you do not see much to the sides.
Water also surprises one in so many different kinds of fountains.
The Vatican museums are vast, extensive, and pompous, and in some ways, was a low point of my visit, as it reeked of misappropriated wealth. I loved the ceiling paintings found in cathedrals in other cities much more, and found aspects of the art work more impressive. But let's go inside anyway.
The plight of the millions of Catholics in developing countries, living in poverty, is a long way from the display of wealth exhibited here.

The detail in the carving is exquisite, it is as if the artisan used the natural texture and colour variations of the stone to produce his work of art.








the senses are overloaded.


perhaps I was a touch too critical, as there are indeed spectacular and overwhelming beauty everywhere; but the contrast with the plight of many of the peoples of the world who could never imagine this display is too striking.





bye bye Vatican monuments; if there was a next visit, I would spend less time in Rome, and more time in the northern cities.