Mamma mia! Italia! Bellisima! (And other such over-the-top
Italianisms...) Italy has so much to offer I am surprised it took me so long to get there,
and the first trip barely scratched the surface. The aspect of Italy which has influenced me
the most is certainly Italian food, which I have eaten in prodigious quantities.
We went to Rome for a well deserved long-weekend break after the stress of January exams 2005,
and stayed in a small hotel between Termini and the Trevi Fountain. It wasn't warm but it was
nice and settled. We squeezed a lot into the trip, and lots of food behind our belts, including
an Italian curry. I was diddled out of more than 6 euros for a small bottle of diet coke at a
tourist cafe, so that was the last one of those we went to. Everywhere you walk in Rome you are
confronted by architectural masterpieces at every turn, sculptures and art abound along with
crazy scooter drivers.
The Colosseum as viewed from the ruins of the forum. The colosseum
used to reach the same height all the way round but repeated earthquakes and general neglect has resulted
in large parts of it collapsing.
As the sun got lower there was a some more pleasant light on
the ancient walls. The diagonal brick buttresses were built by Napoleon in an effort to stop
more of it from falling down, which has so far been successful.
At the top of the lowest arch in this photo you can
still see the Roman number LIII (fifty three) labelling the entry gate. Although the games were
usually free to attend, you still had to enter through your same designated gate each time.
Inside the colosseum there are no original seats, having all
been pilfered by Michaelangelo for use in the construction of St Peter's. However Mussolini, helpfully,
and possibly in an effort to outdo Napoleon's renovations, had a shot at re-seating some of the insides,
but only got as far as a token effort. The floor of the stadium was wood covered in sand and of
course did not stand the test of time. According to our tour guide, it's estimated that up to
2 million people met their maker within these walls - scary.
There's nothing particularly special about this photo, it is
a street somewhere near the Spanish Steps which I thought was very nice with the red carpets.
Spanish Steps, a popular hangout with a nice little fountain,
but quite difficult to photograph. I think that's the Dalai Lama on the poster in the background.
The Pantheon, which after nearly 2000 years still contains the largest
unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world, at nigh on 50 metres across, with a clever oculous
in the middle. (Apologies for not actually having taken a photo of the dome, but use your imagination!)
Each of the columns at the front is a single chunk of Egyptian granite, the fact that they were carried
all the way from Egypt is a testament to the power and wealth of the empire.
The Pantheon probably wouldn't have survived had it not been converted to a church. Raphael's
tomb is in here.
A nice arty gate photo, taken whilst walking up the path in the
forum area with the stations of the cross.
The Trevi Fountain, cut into the side of a building in
a small piazza. The detail and effort put into it is amazing. Legend has it that if you sit
with your back to the fountain and throw a coin in over your shoulder then you are sure to return
to Rome, the eternal city. The council dredges hundreds of thousands of Euros out of the fountain
each year, as an added bonus to all the increased tourism they will be getting!
A view over from the Vittoriano across the road which runs
past the forum to the Coloseum. Somewhere in there is the remains of the world's first shopping
mall.
This is part of the Temple of Saturn in the forum, set
nicely against the darkening sky.
A view from the back of the Vittoriano across the ruins
of the forum to the colosseum.
Some of the upper supporting columns of the Vittoriano,
slightly pollution blackened. You get some very good views from up there, it's well worth
climbing all the steps.
The Vittoriano, built to celebrate the unification of Italy
and the first monarch of the newly-formed country. It was contraversially plonked right next to
the forum which allows for great views from the top, but destroyed some ancient ruins. There is
a museum inside.
