A Walk Around Rome

I acted as a tour guide yesterday to our cycling friend, Kathy, who is in Rome for a few days before joining the cycling tour we were originally planning to be on. This is her first time to Rome, so she and I went for a walk through the city while Mark stayed at the hotel and painted on our little terrace.

First stop was the Trevi Fountain, which is unfortunately still under restoration. Next stop, the Pantheon (pictured above). This is the third time I've visited it, but the edifice never loses its majesty.

While we in the piazza in front of the Pantheon, this street musician sang the most beautiful rendition I have ever heard of Edith Piaf's signature piece, "La Vie en Rose." Earlier, she had sung an equally beautiful "Allelujah." I had to buy one of her CD's as a souvenir.

From the Pantheon, it's a short walk to Piazza Navona where we took in Bernini's fountain and the beautiful baroque church of Sant'Agnese in Agone.

Next up, another short walk took us to the same market at Campo dei Fiori that Mark and I visited on Monday.

Stop for a coffee, then a stroll along the Tiber before heading up to the Campidoglio, or Capitoline Hill before returning to our hotel.

Tiberina Island

Replica of a bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the center of the Michelangelo-designed piazza.

The plan for yesterday afternoon was to go to the Vatican Museum for a 2:30 tour of the museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's. We did in fact go to the museum and wait for our guide to show up. We waited and waited and waited. This had never happened to us before. I tried calling the agency without success, then emailed them, asking where our guide was. As soon as I did so, I rechecked the paper work. My discovery was soon confirmed by a return email: the tour was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, not Wednesday afternoon. Sigh. 

That means we get to look forward to our tour this afternoon (it is now morning here; the bells are chiming 8:30), followed by dinner with more cycling friends, Malcolm and Michelle, this evening. This morning, Kathy and I will stroll by the Colosseum, through the Roman Forum, then go up to the Capitoline Museums.

Tomorrow, we head back to Venice.