Europe 2009

We stayed not far from Campo die Fiori, where every morning there is a fresh food market. *

Detail of the Trevi Fountain. *

Lynn was fascinated by the Bernini angel statues on Ponte San Angelo, over the Tiber at Castel San Angelo. *

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A bit of Photoshop work here! *

We visited the Acqueduct Park, towards the south-east edge of Rome, which has the remains of several acqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. †

Some remains were less complete than others. *

Ancient door near the acqueducts. †

We visited St Peter's Basilica on a day when a storm seemed about to break. *

St Peter looking down on his piazza. *

The Vatican's Swiss Guards ensuring that nothing unseemly happens. *

The dome of St Peter's Basilica. *

Holy Spirit window, St Peter's Basilica. *

Michaelangelo's Pieta in St Peter's Basilica. *

Fountain in Piazza San Paulo. The weather had cleared up. †

Detail of a triumphal arch in the Roman Forum. *

The organ in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. *

Santa Maria della Vittoria is better known for this Bernini sculpture of the ecstacy of St Teresa. *

Detail of Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona. *

Another little detail in this sculpture. †

Hand from the statue of the Yellow River. *

Dove of Peace at the top of the Fountain of the Four Rivers. *

Exterior of the Pantheon. *

The Pantheon dome. *

Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon. *

View out of the Pantheon doorway quite early in the morning, before the area gets overwhelmed with visitors. †

Ceiling of the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. *

Apse of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. *

The unassuming little church of Santa Maria del Popolo has a number of treasures, including this Caravaggio painting of The Crucifixion of St Peter. *

Fresco by Pinturicchio, Santa Maria del Popolo. *

Momento mori, Santa Maria del Popolo. *

"Living art" on a street in Rome. *

Sometimes there would be just one motor bike. *

At other times, there would be many. *

We spent a day going by bus to Tivoli, where we visited Villa d'Este. Although the Villa is interesting, the main draw is the garden with its many extraordinary fountains. *

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Viale delle Cento Fontane (Road of 100 Fountains) at Villa d'Este. *

The fountains are rather worn and overgrown. †

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This one has not been restored to working order, and might have been considered in rather bad taste when it did operate. Note the brass nipples! †

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We had one night in Rome on our way home from Spain. Again it was a stormy day. Clouds seen from the rooftop terrace of our B&B. *

Dusk over Piazza Navona. †

Church spire in the evening light. †

Restaurants in Piazza Navona with tables clustered under umbrellas, trying to keep dry. We ate indoors that night. *