Having left Musei Capitolini, I started my routine of random walk. Before I realized it, I'd wandered into Santa maria sopra Minerva, a church with an elephant-supported obelisk and a modest entrance.
As an art lover, I struck gold in finding a Michelangelo statue inside.
Another obelisk in Piazza Montecitorio, just in front of the Italian Parliament. For your information, there are 13 of them in Roma. Click here for an outstanding source of information on obelisks in the world.
Considered by many as the historic center of Roma, Piazza Colonna was the home of the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The busy street, Via del Corso, took up one side of the rectangular space. In the background was Galleria Colonna.
I looked up my map and decided that my next destination was going to be the Spanish Steps in front of Piazza di Spagna. It was flooded by tourists, as expected. Unfortunately there was an ongoing renovation (again!) so I couldn't see the obelisk in the middle, which wasn't much of a disappointment anyway. Interestingly, however, they put a big picture of the obelisk to cover the scaffolding. How thoughtful!
On top of the steps was Trinità dei Monti, a small church.
What struck me was the great view from the top of the steps.
On my way down, I found a beautifully tanned girl sitting on the steps.
Looking down from the top, you would see a narrow street leading to the steps.
Don't be fooled by its modest width. Via Condotti is the fashion center of Roma.
I walked through the street and names of fashion powerhouses kept popping up.
I walked on and tried to take in the city as much as I could. Posters of an impressionism exhibitions blended well in these old walls.
This was a movie theatre near the metro station of Piazza Barberini.
I wasn't planning to see it but the Fountain of Moses was on my way back.
This was typical of Roma: Interesting objects were everywhere.
The last church I visited was Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. Built inside of an ancient Roman bath, the church had an unusual entrance.
The sculpture on the gate was very unique, too.
The interior was magnificent, which I had expected once I noticed the Pope's coat of arm.
I arrived at the fountain in Piazza Repubblica at dawn. My hostel was only a few more blocks away.
Now I should tell you briefly about what I did at night. For the first night, I met a German girl at the hostel and we went to dinner at a nearby cafe. It was a typical Italian one where the seats took up the outer side of the sidewalk and the waiter had to stop for traffic when he brought you the dishes. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for an outdoor dinner. A street artist singing ballads and playing guitar made it perfect.
The girl was apparently younger than me and we had some difficulty in finding topics of conversation. Then she started to talk to the Canadian couple next table. I was a little unhappy about it but the couple were friendly and talkative.
The second night I was all alone again. I went to the same cafe and ordered veal and a small bottle of wine. The singer was there, too. The combination of good food, good drink and good music made me cry. They reminded me moments of sadness in my life and how fleeting happiness was.
As an art lover, I struck gold in finding a Michelangelo statue inside.
Another obelisk in Piazza Montecitorio, just in front of the Italian Parliament. For your information, there are 13 of them in Roma. Click here for an outstanding source of information on obelisks in the world.
Considered by many as the historic center of Roma, Piazza Colonna was the home of the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The busy street, Via del Corso, took up one side of the rectangular space. In the background was Galleria Colonna.
I looked up my map and decided that my next destination was going to be the Spanish Steps in front of Piazza di Spagna. It was flooded by tourists, as expected. Unfortunately there was an ongoing renovation (again!) so I couldn't see the obelisk in the middle, which wasn't much of a disappointment anyway. Interestingly, however, they put a big picture of the obelisk to cover the scaffolding. How thoughtful!
On top of the steps was Trinità dei Monti, a small church.
What struck me was the great view from the top of the steps.
On my way down, I found a beautifully tanned girl sitting on the steps.
Looking down from the top, you would see a narrow street leading to the steps.
Don't be fooled by its modest width. Via Condotti is the fashion center of Roma.
I walked through the street and names of fashion powerhouses kept popping up.
I walked on and tried to take in the city as much as I could. Posters of an impressionism exhibitions blended well in these old walls.
This was a movie theatre near the metro station of Piazza Barberini.
I wasn't planning to see it but the Fountain of Moses was on my way back.
This was typical of Roma: Interesting objects were everywhere.
The last church I visited was Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. Built inside of an ancient Roman bath, the church had an unusual entrance.
The sculpture on the gate was very unique, too.
The interior was magnificent, which I had expected once I noticed the Pope's coat of arm.
I arrived at the fountain in Piazza Repubblica at dawn. My hostel was only a few more blocks away.
Now I should tell you briefly about what I did at night. For the first night, I met a German girl at the hostel and we went to dinner at a nearby cafe. It was a typical Italian one where the seats took up the outer side of the sidewalk and the waiter had to stop for traffic when he brought you the dishes. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for an outdoor dinner. A street artist singing ballads and playing guitar made it perfect.
The girl was apparently younger than me and we had some difficulty in finding topics of conversation. Then she started to talk to the Canadian couple next table. I was a little unhappy about it but the couple were friendly and talkative.
The second night I was all alone again. I went to the same cafe and ordered veal and a small bottle of wine. The singer was there, too. The combination of good food, good drink and good music made me cry. They reminded me moments of sadness in my life and how fleeting happiness was.
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