More Roman Adventures

Now for the last bits of our Roman holiday... The main reason for us traveling there was for Jaap to attend an epilepsy conference, which left me to entertain myself part of the time. 

One morning after breakfast I walked over to the Pantheon, enjoyed some gelato, and did a little bit of shopping on via del Corso. Yay for Italian shopping! I found a great Italian make-up store called Kiko. It's very similar to the American version of Sephora, but with better prices. I was in heaven. (Make-up in the Netherlands is ridiculously expensive.) So that was the shopping portion of my trip to Rome!

I love this picture below. The fountain with the water coming out of his teeth looks like my father. LOL. Perhaps we have some Roman roots somewhere. 

My stroll continued to Piazza del Popolo and Villa Borghese, the Central Park of Rome. I kept thinking, I gotta bring Jaap here tomorrow.

So we went back to enjoy Villa Borghese together. We visited Museo e Galleria Borghese and spent the afternoon biking and walking around the grounds and public park. The weather was perfect.

In the morning, we visited the galleries at the museum complete with works by Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, and many other Italian Renaissance painters.

The Villa used to be a private estate built in the 1600s for a religious head. Now it's open to the public, but be warned. They are EXTREMELY STRICT and vigilant about visiting hours. Our reservation told us to arrive between 9 and 11. We showed up at 10:30 and didn't realize we were only going to have 20 minutes to view all the galleries. They completely clear out the museum every two hours. It was strange and I was very frustrated, but afterwards we took a nice relaxing bike ride around the park and I chilled out. :) Not to mention, Jaap has a calming effect on me. (But, I think he was secretly happy that we only had 20 minutes in the museum.) :)

We rented this bike built for two and rode around Villa Borghese for an hour. It was fun and an interesting way to see the park.

An action shot of Jaap on the bike

We also made a quick stop at a Leonardo Da Vinci museum. Here is my cute scientist admiring the Renaissance Man's work. 

And of course...another relaxing lunch with Jaapie at an outdoor café. What an amazing holiday and a beautiful city. Rome is a special place and it was a great way to unwind before going back to work again for the new school year. Arrivederci Roma en tot volgende keer!

Sunset from our hotel room in Trastevere

The Gardens of Tivoli

Part of our Roman holiday was spent on a day trip to Tivoli. The idea of going came as a recommendation from my mother. I remember her talking about the beauty of the gardens and fountains of Tivoli and she was right. It's quite the sight. 

For an insanely cheap price of 6 euros, we went round trip by bus to Tivoli. The town is quite touristy, but there are some really beautiful places to visit. 

These pictures are from Villa d'Este, a estate built during the Renaissance that exemplifies Italian Renaissance architecture. The garden is beautiful, but the fountains are unbelievable. To think that these fountains were designed and worked without electricity is incredible. Even today, most of them are still powered by a hydraulic system from the Renaissance. (Okay, I'm sure there are been a bunch repairs somewhere throughout the centuries). They're stunning and it was one of my favorite things to see on our Roman holiday. I would love to stroll this garden alone (or with Jaapie :). It must be so peaceful without tourists walking around.

You probably can't tell, but in the picture below there's running water that starts at the top of the steps and trickles down. It's so refreshing to run your hands through it in the heat. 

Following our visit to d'Este we walked through Villa Gregoriana, a park complete with ruins and temples dating back to the 2nd century. Here's Jaap taking a break under the temple. Our hike had some great views of the waterfall and other ruins. It was also a nice opportunity to burn off all the gelato and pizza we had been consuming all week. :)

Next time...back to Rome!

Living la dolce vita: Our Roman Holiday

"When in Rome, do as Romans do." No problem. They certainly know how to live la dolce vita in Italy. Good wine, delicious food, friendly people and warm weather. I could live like this. But alas, we live in the Netherlands. Too bad. No just kidding. The Netherlands is great, but Italians have perfected living the good life.

Tiny elevator not appropriate for TALL Dutchmen

Jaap was attending an epilepsy conference in Rome for a few days, so we turned it into a week vacation and spent the last few days of our summer holiday in the Eternal City. What a great trip. Both of us have been to Rome before, so we were pretty relaxed about seeing the sites. We managed to see new things and also take a day trip to Tivoli, which my mother recommended to us. Thanks Mom!

We spent our first day at the Vatican visiting the basilica, museum, and of course the Sistine Chapel. The crowds were incredible. I can't believe how many people were at the Vatican. While eaves dropping in on an American tour guide talking to her patrons, I learned that the Sistine Chapel could eventually be closed due to a high volume of visitors each day. Apparently the noise contributes to deterioration of Michelangelo's ceiling. So folks, another reason to get to Rome... ASAP!

The Vatican

It was hot! Too hot for comfort, but it cooled down to a mild 89 degrees and we got used to it. I can't complain. I now know why there are tons of fountains all of the city. Romans need to cool off! 

Here we are enjoying the views at Piazza Navona. A few days after we left, the fountain below was vandalized and now part of it is missing.

We did a lot on our second day: Ancient forum, Colosseum, and a drive by of the Spanish Steps and Fontana di Trevi. The last time Jaap and I both visited Rome the Ancient Forum was free, but now you have to pay to enter. On the plus side, it includes entrance to the Colosseum.

I have the same picture from my first visit to Rome in 2001. :)

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And after a long and hot day of walking and sightseeing, we enjoyed some relaxation at an outdoor café. It was in the Trastevere district, where our hotel was located. We stopped by this café several times that week for food, drinks, and nice long conversations. This is how I like to vacation.