Today we traveled from Siena to Rome with (thankfully) no pits stops or unexpected layovers. However, when we arrived in Rome, the owner of our B&B was some how not expecting us and had no rooms available. It turns out that by day he works at a hotel on the other side of town and so he put us up there for the night and paid the difference.
It was a beautiful evening, and our guidebook suggested a night walk across Rome from Campo de’ Fior (Field of Flowers) to the Piazza di Spangna with the famous Spanish Steps. Since we are still learning the ins and outs of our new camera, most of these night shots did not turn out quite as well as we’d hoped, but here goes…
One of Rome’s most interesting night scenes can be found at the Piazza Navona – street musicians and performers, human statutes, fire jugglers, gelato, gelato and more gelato, outdoor cafés, and fountains by Bernini.
In the center of the square is the Four Rivers Fountain…
Here you can see the Ganges River God in the foreground and the Danube River God in the background. As you can probably tell, the fountain was under restoration so we were unable to experience it in all of its glory, but anyone with an imagination can see what an incredible sight it must be!
Likewise, the Pantheon is an amazing sight. Dating from 120 A.D., the 13 meter single piece granite columns are a testament to the scale on which the ancient Romans built…
The Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) completed in 1732 shows how Rome took full advantage of the abundance of water brought into the city by its great aqueducts…
Neptune surfs his chariot through his wet kingdom with water gushing from 24 spouts and tumbling over 30 different kinds of plants while Triton blows his conch shell. Supposedly from here, the water goes underground and bubbles up again over at the Four Rivers Fountain at the Piazza Navona.
Here the custom is to throw a coin in the fountain (over your shoulder while facing away) to ensure your return to Rome; a second coin grants a wish. A very nice American woman celebrating her last night in Rome insisted on giving me three coins to throw into the fountain and informed me of “the custom.” I asked her, “why three?” She told me, “one for good measure!” A good thing too - because I only managed to actually get two of the three coins INTO the fountain. Here I prepare for the LONG throw…
Finally, the exquisite Piazza di Spagna, church, and famous Spanish Steps have long provided a major gathering place for foreigners and locals alike. Built with a legacy from the French in 1725, but named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, the steps lead to the church. Here we stand in front of the church looking down over the steps…
Likewise, the Pantheon is an amazing sight. Dating from 120 A.D., the 13 meter single piece granite columns are a testament to the scale on which the ancient Romans built…
The Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) completed in 1732 shows how Rome took full advantage of the abundance of water brought into the city by its great aqueducts…
Neptune surfs his chariot through his wet kingdom with water gushing from 24 spouts and tumbling over 30 different kinds of plants while Triton blows his conch shell. Supposedly from here, the water goes underground and bubbles up again over at the Four Rivers Fountain at the Piazza Navona.Here the custom is to throw a coin in the fountain (over your shoulder while facing away) to ensure your return to Rome; a second coin grants a wish. A very nice American woman celebrating her last night in Rome insisted on giving me three coins to throw into the fountain and informed me of “the custom.” I asked her, “why three?” She told me, “one for good measure!” A good thing too - because I only managed to actually get two of the three coins INTO the fountain. Here I prepare for the LONG throw…
Finally, the exquisite Piazza di Spagna, church, and famous Spanish Steps have long provided a major gathering place for foreigners and locals alike. Built with a legacy from the French in 1725, but named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, the steps lead to the church. Here we stand in front of the church looking down over the steps…
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