Dodging tour groups in the rain -at Piazza Navona

It was raining quite heavily as we passed through Piazza Navona so tried to take some photos as the sculptures always look amazing when they are wet and the marble is not so glarily white. It was a pretty impossible task as there were tour groups everywhere with many people perching on the chain and posts around each fountain.

I have posted photos of  this and the other two fountains many times before. But always see something new in them or something that I have forgotten.  The dolphin in the photos is cleverly used as a drain for recycling water.

Autumn in Rome

The weather has been fairly mild in  Rome and while deciduous trees in the north of Italy have nearly all lost their leaves, those in Roma still have strong autumn colours.  The guys selling roasted chestnuts (castagne)  finally have buyers as the colder weather sets in.

The Piazza Navona Christmas markets are in full swing selling decorations and Christmas treats as well as the usual traveling sideshow stalls.  Yesterday we had lunch in Campo dei Fiori -said hi for you Ness :)

Today we went to the shopping outlet centre at Castel Romana - we were a little underwhelmed.  We had hoped to find gifts for our family but no such luck :(

The fine weather will be around for a few more days so we're making the most of it.

A film set in Piazza della Rotonda

I know that I'm short, but I look like an ant compared to the columns of the Pantheon

Not many tourists around after the weekend, yay!

A busker in Campo de' Fiori -he could play quite well

Campo de' Fiori when the market was ending for the day

Skulls are both sides of the doorway into the church of Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte in Via Giulia

The Mascherone fountain in Via Giulia

Usually Virginia creeper hangs down from the arch across Via Giulia creating a curtain -it was sad to see that it had been removed

Virginia creeper with autumn colours

Castagne seller in Piazza Navona

Ciambella seller in Piazza Navona. The ciambelle are huge, the size of dinner plates and very thick, it's always surprising to see people eating them

People hanging around the Christmas markets