Rome, Italy

Sunday, February 20
A night that will bring us to Rome...

Monday, February 21
Good morning in Italy it was!

Finally at 9:15 am we stepped out of Roma Termini!

First impressions of the city...
(lots of cars, lots of people, palm trees - and sunshine!)

Via Marsala (just next to the station)

Santa Maria degli Angeli

Read more after the jump - Für den ganzen Beitrag bitte weiterlesen!



Repubblica - or a very fancy roundabout!

Via del Quirinale

One of the Quattro Fontane at the crossing - The goddess Juno

new favourite road sign!

A peek inside the parks of Palazzo del Quirinale- official residence of Berlusconi!

(no wonder he wants to stay president)

... lots of diplomats' cars...

Piazza del Quirinale

A priest, four girls and more cars...

Guarding the president...

The first remains of antique life...

Foro Traiano

Colonna Traiana on the left

This monument actually goes by a couple of names:

Altare della Patria (Altar of the Motherland) or

Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele or simply

"Il Vittoriano"

It holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is always guarded by two men.

Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill)

The statue of Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of Rome...

Inside Santa Maria in Aracoeli

I love the long narrow candles...

A wooden baby Jesus to whom children can send a letter with their wishes!

(The bees!)

 

Next stop: Forum Romanum!

Temple of Saturn

Arch of Septimius Severus

Temple of Vespasian and Titus to the right of the Temple of Saturn

The Colosseum in the background!

Bocca della Verita 

in the portico of the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin

The skull of St. Valentine is kept inside an altar in Santa Maria in Cosmedin...

We took a walk up to Aventino -

one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built.

A "holy" keyhole at the door of Santa Maria del Priorato 

 through which you can see the dome of Peter's Basilica!

Not on my photo, exactly... but I still like this picture :)

(If you'd like to see a better pic, click here)

Parco Savello or Giardino degli Aranci

(it really is a beautiful orange garden!)

Santa Sabina all’Aventino

 

Great view over the Tiber from the orange garden on top of Aventine hill

Circo Massimo

That was our first day in Rome :)