Photo catch up

Cool mosaics in a shop window -I'm looking forward to having time to start my mosaics again

Italian gnomes know how to dress well ;)

We wanted to buy this but it was several thousand too much -I don't know how we would have got it home

 

This was many more thousand too much :(

There are so many interesting old doors -many are in great condition like this one

but the more interesting doors have lost a bit of their shine

and have the occasional bit of graffiti

Notes to Pasqualino

The Pasqualino statue traditionally had anonymous protest type letters stuck to it but now he has been put up high on a plinth and the notes are stuck to a board alongside him

This guy went shopping with his cat on his shoulder and crossed a really busy road.  The cat didn't seem to mind and wasn't being held.

Maaxi

I've had the flu for a few days so haven't posted -didn't want to waste the few days we have left so have gone out but not bothered with the blog.  We went to Maxxi yesterday and I loved it.
http://www.fondazionemaxxi.it/?lang=en

Maxxi is Rome's contemporary art and architecture museum which is set in an absolutely amazing gallery space.  There were several really good exhibitions and we spent hours checking them out. The "Indian Highway" exhibition was really impressive and had some very large complex sculptures.  It is really worth seeing.  You can't take photos in the gallery space so check out the Maxxi web site to see a selection of exhibits.

We were interviewed for a customer satisfaction survey (in Italian, we managed to answer everything ok so our Italian must be improving). I felt obliged to answer after having subjected people to interviews for years as part of my work :)

Maxxi is at Via Guido Reni, 4/A   Roma 00196

Opening hours
Tue-Wed-Thur-Fri-Sun
11.00-19.00
Sat
11.00-22.00

Closed
every Monday,  1 May & 25 December

Roma si mette in luce

The Christmas lights are going on in stages and there are heaps of people out in the streets checking them out.

http://www.romasimetteinluce.it/homepage

The last of the lights in Piazza Venezia &Via Del Corso are turned on this Thursday at 7.00pm.  They should be impressive as there are masses of strands in the Italian tricolore.  It will be our last night in Rome so we will have a late night as packing will have to wait until we get back

 A Christmas tree in Via Della Croce -I guess that Mercedes really like their logo and are getting their advertising dollar's worth but they could have left a star or angel at the top of the tree.

Xmas lights from Piazza di Pietra and Hadrian's temple

The everyday street lights are impressive

The Stella McCartney store in Via Borgognona

http://www.stellamccartney.com/default/stores/Rome

Le luci natalizie - Christmas lights in Rome

Christmas lights are going up all over Rome.  I've never seen so many people perched precariously on ladders - tying lights to whatever they can find over shop entrances.  The Via Condotti lights were on last night as well as in surrounding streets.

Christmas tree in Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina

Lights in Via Condotti

Mercedes Benz' logo is under each of the main decorations

Not many people around to see the lights

Trinita' dei Monti

A young guy was messing around with a laser pointer at the top of the Spanish Steps -it must have been fairly powerful

because he was also pointing the laser beam into the upper floor windows across the Piazza  (those with lights on)

This dentist obviously doesn't mind having an audience :)

Palazzo Valentini

 Palazzo Valentini, Via 4 Novembre,119a  Rome, Italy

Palazzo Valentini should be at the top of your list of places to see in Rome -even if it is only to get an idea about how the buildings of ancient Rome fitted together.  It is the best presented exhibition that we have seen so far.  The excavations are protected by glass walkways.  You are shown through the excavations by a guide and there is an excellent multimedia exhibition (much better than we were expecting)

We went on the Italian tour which was very good, even though the guide spoke a bit quickly for us.  There is also a tour in English. If you're new to Rome, I'd see Palazzo Valentini first because it will help to put everything in context.  Make sure that you get to see Palazzo Valentini!

It is closed Tuesdays.  There are tours every half hour but you need to book a tour in your language- you can just go there on a day  and book a time that suits you and come back later.  Palazzo Valentini is very close to Piazza Venezia so it is easy to find and there are never ending fantastic things to see close by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wocoQd-Poo4

Revealed Rome is one of my favourite sites for info about Rome
http://www.revealedrome.com/2011/08/palazzo-valentini-domus-underground-ancient-rome.html

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

Roman Forum & the Palatine

Two days well spent wandering around the Forum & Palatine. It is difficult to describe how amazing these sites are. Every time we come to Rome we spend time vising Roman sites and never tire of them, there are so many incredible structures and fantastic museums and galleries.
  Photographs don't really do justice to the buildings etc because many are so huge that it is difficult to convey the scale and detail.
It was a beautiful weekend, there were heaps of tourists in the city but hardly any in the Forum or Palatine. I'm glad that there is now an entrance fee to the Forum, the money is needed to continue excavation and also for conservation work.

The view of the Colosseum from the Palatine is spectacular

Pines and junipers the typical trees of Rome.  Clear blue skies and pines- couldn't be more Roman

Parts of the Roman roads are still intact

The stadium in the Palatine

Frescoes in the house of Augustus -the richness of the colours is amazing

This excavation in the Palatine was started in 2009 and found a 16m diameter circular building which is thought to be the Caenatio Rotunda or Rotating Dining room described in Roman writings - can't wait to be able to see it.