After my Seychelles trip, of course, I went to Italy to visit my new friend and his girlfriend. I heard they were back together again. That was good news. I got in touch with the Italian guy who helped me when I was bitten by a dog in Chile but we didn’t get to see each other unfortunately. He was from the southern part of Italy and I was doing a loop from Rome up to the northern part and then back to Rome. Anyway, it was fine. I knew I couldn’t do the entire Italy within 2 weeks. So, quoting other backpackers, that gives us an excuse to go back there. 😛
Because I was doing a loop, my plan was to stay in Rome for my first day (I arrived in Rome very early in the morning), then visit Vatican, and then to other places and reserved Rome for my last 2 days.
I met a really nice Italian after I arrived in Rome. My hostel nestled in a small street which was very close to the main road, but since I was there for the first time, I had trouble finding it. An old man approached me and asked me if I needed help. He was speaking in either Italian or broken English. Anyway, I somehow could understand him. I didn’t (and still don’t) know any Italian. He took me to a place near the hostel and then gave me directions. He couldn’t take me to the entrance of hostel because he needed to go somewhere else. But that was really kind of him.
I left my backpack in the storage room of the hostel, studied the map of Rome that I got from the hostel and planned for the day.
I strolled non-stop from Republica to Santa Maria degli Angeli (Michelangelo’s final work), Fontana del Tritone, Fontana di Trevi, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and then back on my first day.
Republica? I don’t remember where this was.
Santa Maria degli Angeli (Michelangelo’s final architectural work). Michelangelo finished it at the age of 86.
According to the internet, this final work of Michelangelo was probably the best among all his works.
I love the paintings.
More beautiful paintings
This reminds me of one of the scenes in Da Vinci Code
All these have symbols.
Fontana del Tritone. Rome was so full of tourists. Everywhere was very crowded but for a person who doesn’t have the sense of direction, it was a good thing – I just followed the crowds. Guess where I was heading to?
Fontana di Trevi. Oh! No! It was being renovated How could I make a wish?
That was how the tourists made wishes. P.S. I am listening to Wet Wet Wet’s Goodnight Girl now (…caught up in your wishing well, your hope’s inside it…) 😀 I didn’t stay there for too long. I was a bit disappointed but I consoled myself, ‘oh well, that gives me an excuse to come back.’ 🙂
So, I headed to another place.
Gosh! There were so many people! @Spanish Steps
View from Spanish Steps. Look at the crowds!
Inside Pantheon, I think.
Beautiful paintings were everywhere.
Beautiful paintings were everywhere.
View from the building
The paintings were hard to see. They were there centuries ago.
Why were the birds upside down? The information sheet inside Pantheon didn’t mention it. Maybe they were just there for decorative purpose. The tomb had been opened to verify that it was indeed Raphael’s, the artist from the Renaissance period, body.
Why was it so crowded everywhere?
The exterior of Pantheon
Piazza Navona. Can someone tell me the meaning of this sculpture? The figure on the left had a different feature from the one on the right. The left one had a flat nose and a fat face while the right one had an angular face, a lot of beard and a Roman nose.
Piazza Navona
Beautiful ceiling. Every time when I visited Europe, my neck hurt. The ceilings of the buildings and churches were so beautiful! I wonder how the painters did all that! Amazing!
Beautiful carving! Is it marble?
Wow! This guy was trying to kill a giant octopus!
You can tell from this photo that it was evening. I needed to eat. I was so tired after walking for the whole day. I still hadn’t visited all the places in Rome but as mentioned above, I’d save a few places on my way back from my trip to the northern part of Italy.
Next, let’s visit another country tomorrow. 😉
8 March, 2015
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